But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.
But when I speak to you, I'll give you the words to say, and you'll tell them, 'This is what the Lord God says: whoever wants to listen can listen, and whoever wants to ignore this can ignore it, because these people are straight-up rebellious.'
God's message will be delivered either way, people can choose to listen or not, but the truth is getting spoken.
📚 Historical Context
In the historical context, Ezekiel was a prophet among the Jewish exiles in Babylon around the 6th century BC, during the time of Judah's captivity as judgment for their idolatry and rebellion against God. God had commanded Ezekiel to deliver messages to this stubborn people, but in this verse, He specifies that Ezekiel will only speak when divinely inspired, underscoring the authority of God's word over a rebellious nation. This highlights the prophet's role as a mere vessel for divine revelation in a culture marked by persistent disobedience.
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