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Stand Up — I Have Something to Say.

Ezekiel 2 — God recruits a prophet by handing him the hardest job description ever written

5 min read

Key Takeaways

God told Ezekiel upfront that the people would reject him, then said 'go anyway' — faithfulness is measured by whether you show up, not whether they listen.

📢 Chapter 2 — Stand Up — I Have Something to Say 🔥

was still face-down. Chapter 1 had just happened — the storm, the living creatures, the wheels within wheels, the blinding radiance of God's . He'd collapsed under the sheer weight of what he was seeing. And honestly? That's the only sane response when you realize you're standing in the presence of the living God.

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But God didn't leave him on the ground. What comes next is one of the most direct commissioning scenes in all of . No warm-up. No easing in. Just: stand up. I need you to go.

Get on Your Feet 🏔️

The voice came from above the throne — the same voice that had been shaking the air since the vision began. And the first thing God said to wasn't an explanation of what he'd just seen. It was a command:

"Son of man, stand on your feet. I will speak with you."

And as God spoke, the entered and lifted him upright. He didn't stand on his own strength — the same God who told him to rise gave him the power to do it.

That detail matters. Ezekiel had just witnessed something so overwhelming that his body couldn't stay upright. And God's response wasn't "take your time" or "whenever you're ready." It was "stand up — because what I'm about to say requires you on your feet." But he also didn't leave Ezekiel to muster the strength alone. The Spirit did the heavy lifting. That's how God's calling works. He never sends you somewhere without equipping you to get there.

The Assignment Nobody Would Want 📜

Then came the job description. And it was brutal in its honesty:

"Son of man, I'm sending you to the people of Israel — to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me. They and their ancestors have been defying me right up to this very day. The people I'm sending you to are hardened and stubborn. You will say to them, 'This is what the Lord God says.'

Whether they listen or refuse to listen — because they are a rebellious people — they will know that a Prophet has been among them."

Let that sink in. God didn't say "go, and they'll welcome you." He didn't say "go, and if you're persuasive enough, they'll come around." He said: they've been rebelling against me for generations, they're stubborn to their core, and they might not listen to a single word you say. Go anyway.

That's a brutal assignment. Imagine being told at the start of a job: "Your audience will probably reject everything you bring them." Most people would ask for a different role. But God wasn't measuring success by audience response. He was measuring it by . The goal wasn't results. The goal was faithfulness. Whether they hear or refuse to hear — they will know a stood in front of them and told them the truth. That's all God asked.

Don't Be Afraid of Them ⚡

God knew exactly what was feeling. So before he could spiral, God addressed the fear head-on:

"And you, son of man — don't be afraid of them. Don't be afraid of their words. Even though it will feel like you're surrounded by thorns and sitting on scorpions. Don't be afraid of what they say. Don't be shaken by the way they look at you. They are a rebellious people.

You will speak my words to them — whether they listen or refuse to listen — because they are a rebellious people."

Three times in two verses, God said "don't be afraid." He wasn't minimizing the danger. The thorns and scorpions imagery is vivid — this wouldn't just be uncomfortable. It would be hostile. would face sharp words, hard stares, people who resented the very sound of his voice. God didn't pretend that wouldn't happen. He just said: don't let it stop you.

There's something here for anyone who's ever had to say something true that people didn't want to hear. A hard conversation. An unpopular position. The moment you realize that doing the right thing will cost you socially. God's instruction to Ezekiel wasn't "they'll come around eventually." It was "speak anyway." The isn't in the outcome. It's in the speaking.

A Scroll Covered in Grief 📖

Then God's tone shifted. He turned from what would face out there to what needed to do right here:

"But you, son of man — listen to what I'm telling you. Don't be rebellious like that rebellious people. Open your mouth and eat what I give you."

Ezekiel looked up, and a hand appeared — stretched out toward him, holding a scroll. God unrolled it in front of him. And what was written on it wasn't or celebration or comfort. It was covered — front and back — with words of grief, mourning, and sorrow.

Think about that image. A scroll written on both sides means there's no room left. The grief fills every available space. This wasn't a message Ezekiel would enjoy delivering. It wasn't motivational. It wasn't uplifting. It was — page after page of it. And God's instruction was stunning: don't just read it. Don't just memorize it. Eat it. Take it inside you. Let it become part of who you are before you speak a single word of it to anyone else.

There's a principle buried in this that's easy to miss. Before God sent Ezekiel to speak hard truth to others, he made him absorb it himself. The message had to go through him before it went through his mouth. That's the difference between someone who delivers truth carelessly and someone who delivers it with weight. The scroll was full of sorrow — and Ezekiel had to carry that sorrow personally before he carried it publicly. Real work isn't just announcing what God says. It's feeling what God feels.