In Judah's darkest hour, God called Ezekiel to go before the people. God gave this priest a difficult task. Added to that, He told Ezekiel how the people would receive him.
"...Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, thus saith the Lord God. As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse -- for they are a rebellious house -- yet they will know that a prophet has been among them." {Ezekiel 2:3-5}
Had you been in Ezekiel's place, how would you have reacted to God's news about this difficult task? It's simple -- get somebody else! How could he be confident in delivering God's message while knowing that the people would probably reject it? The answer to this is also simple -- it was not Ezekiel's problem. All the prophet could do was deliver God's word to Judah. What they did with the message was a matter of choice -- their choice. God warned Judah to give them an opportunity to repent and return to Him. Ezekiel could not make them return, and that is not what God expected.
"And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you dwell among scorpions; do not be dismayed by their looks, though they are a rebellious house." {Ezekiel 2:6} It sounds worse by the minute -- are these meant to be words of encouragement? Yes they are! Knowing what to expect when given a task gives one the opportunity to plan what to do when what he expects occurs. Ezekiel knew he would receive evil looks, hear harsh words, and be in difficult circumstances. The man of God must look beyond these things and remember what is important -- the message is being given. Why? Because the people needed Ezekiel's message, whether they understood it or not. God did.
"You shall speak My words to them, whether they hear or whether they refuse, for they are rebellious. But you son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you." {Ezekiel 2:8} The message was not Ezekiel's; it was from God. If they rejected the message, they rejected God -- not Ezekiel.
God promised to help Ezekiel. "Behold I made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads. Like admant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them or be dismayed at their looks though they are a rebellious house." {Ezekiel 3:8,9} God was going to make the messenger stronger than those who opposed the message! Ezekiel would not allow their words and looks to dismay him; he would just keep God's words before them. God was giving them opportunity to change -- the rest was up to them.
Too many times, we are unsuccessful in our attempts to teach the lost because we worry about what they will do with God's word. Don't worry about how they react. Just give them the message of the cross -- that's what they need. What they do with the message is not our concern. If they obey, we rejoice with them and help them learn more. If they reject the word, we look for another opportunity and move on to someone else. God used Ezekiel to deliver His message to Judah; today, He uses us to deliver His message to a lost and dying world. We must do what God gave us to do and let God's word do what He designed it to do -- save souls!