Day 57:Ezekiel 6-20

Today's post has nothing to do with today's reading. It has to do with yesterday's reading. I just can't get this picture out of my head.

Ezekiel 3... God calls Ezekiel to be a prophet to the Israelites.

In God's calling of Ezekiel, He says "they won't listen to you." Guess what Ezekiel, God is calling you to a ministry that WILL NOT SUCCEED. You will fail.

Wow... I can't wait for God to call me to be a failure in my ministry.

In fact, God says that if He had given Ezekiel a message to another language group, then those people would listen. But the Israelites will not listen. They are too hard-hearted.

This sounds like the best possible life choice for Ezekiel.

But the fun goes on... later on in Ezekiel 3, God says that Ezekiel must warn sinners that God is going to take their life, but they still won't listen. And if Ezekiel doesn't, then he is guilty of their blood.

Sign me up for that ministry. I get to tell people that God is going to kill them for their sins, and they aren't going to listen... and if I don't, then I am guilty of their blood. Exciting ministry.

God is setting Ezekiel up to fail in His ministry. He is making Ezekiel's life miserable. But for some reason, Ezekiel says yes. Oh yeah... because Ezekiel saw God.

I think if we all truly understood God and saw God, we would all sign up for anything. The problem is that the "god" we worship lives in a box that we can understand. It isn't the god of the Bible. Yahweh/Jehovah/God is sooooo much more than the small "god" that we worship.

But that isn't where I want to go with this post...

Let's turn the page of this failing ministry to chapter 4... to possibly the most disgusting thing that I have ever heard/read. I can't get this picture out of my head.

God says to Ezekiel in verse 12... Eat the food as you would a barley cake; bake it in the sight of the people, USING HUMAN EXCREMENT FOR FUEL.

Yes, you read that correctly. Set some human poop on fire to cook your bread. First off, I didn't realize that poop burns so well.

And Ezekiel gets all spiritual in his response (I am sure hoping that God will change His mind), and says that he would never defile himself in such a manner.

So verse 15... "Very well," he said, "I will let you bake your bread over cow manure instead of human excrement."

Hmm... this ministry opportunity just keeps getting better and better. God changes human poop to cow poop.

My guess is that Ezekiel doesn't have many (if any) friends. The guy tells people that God is going to kill them. He eats food cooked with poop as a fuel source. And pretty much all of today's reading is Ezekiel prophesying the exile. But thankfully, no more poop cooking.

I asked a question this Sunday in Sunday School... "what are you willing to do for God?" Are you willing to move away from your family and friends? Are you willing to live in India where you don't use toilet paper? Are you willing to be homeless?

I think I have a new question... Are you willing to eat food cooked over burning cow manure for Jesus? Ezekiel was and did. The real question is am I?

I don't know the answer. I want that I could say "yes." But, I just don't know.

There are so many things that I have said "no" to for Christ in my life. I fear that it would be a "no." Pray that God would give me strength and reveal Himself to me.

I want to say "yes." But I need to mature in my faith. I need to pass the little, everyday tests. Then, I will be able to handle the bigger tests.

Pray that God will test me. Pray that I will pass. Pray for my maturity as a believer and follower of Jesus. I need your prayer. Please pray.