But the house of Israel will be unwilling to listen to you, since they are unwilling to listen to Me. For the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted. But the house of IsraelThe phrase "house of Israel" refers to the collective nation of Israel, God's chosen people. In Hebrew, "house" (בֵּית, bayit) often signifies a family or lineage, emphasizing the unity and shared identity of the Israelites. Historically, Israel was a nation set apart by God to be a light to the nations, yet they frequently strayed from His commandments. This phrase sets the stage for understanding the collective responsibility and identity of the people Ezekiel is addressing. will not be willing to listen to you
The Hebrew word for "listen" (שָׁמַע, shama) implies not just hearing but obeying and heeding. The unwillingness to listen indicates a deep-seated rebellion and resistance to divine instruction. This reflects a historical pattern seen throughout the Old Testament, where prophets were often ignored or persecuted by the very people they were sent to guide. for they are not willing to listen to Me
Here, God equates the rejection of His prophet with the rejection of Himself. This underscores the role of prophets as God's mouthpieces. The Israelites' refusal to listen to God highlights their spiritual stubbornness and disobedience. This phrase serves as a reminder that rejecting God's messengers is tantamount to rejecting God Himself. because all the house of Israel
The use of "all" (כֹּל, kol) emphasizes the pervasive nature of the rebellion. It suggests that the issue is not isolated to a few individuals but is a widespread problem affecting the entire nation. This collective disobedience is a recurring theme in the prophetic books, where the prophets call the entire nation to repentance. is hard-headed and hard-hearted
The terms "hard-headed" (קְשֵׁי פָנִים, qeshei panim) and "hard-hearted" (חֲזַק לֵב, chazaq lev) paint a vivid picture of stubbornness and insensitivity. In the Hebrew context, the "head" often symbolizes thoughts and decisions, while the "heart" represents the seat of emotions and will. A hard head and heart indicate a refusal to change one's mind or be moved emotionally by God's message. This imagery is consistent with the biblical portrayal of Israel as a stiff-necked people, resistant to God's guidance and correction. Persons / Places / Events 1. EzekielA prophet called by God to deliver His messages to the Israelites during their Babylonian exile. His role was to be a watchman for Israel, warning them of impending judgment and calling them to repentance. 2. House of IsraelRefers to the collective people of Israel, God's chosen nation, who were in a state of rebellion and spiritual stubbornness during Ezekiel's time. 3. GodThe sovereign Lord who communicates His will and judgment through His prophets. In this context, God is expressing His frustration with Israel's unwillingness to listen. 4. Babylonian ExileThe period when the Israelites were taken captive by Babylon, serving as a backdrop for Ezekiel's prophecies. This was a time of judgment and reflection for the nation of Israel. 5. Hard-hearted and ObstinateDescribes the spiritual condition of the Israelites, who were resistant to God's messages and unwilling to change their ways. Teaching Points Understanding Spiritual ObstinacyRecognize that spiritual stubbornness is a barrier to receiving God's truth. Reflect on areas in your life where you may be resistant to God's guidance. The Role of a ProphetProphets are called to speak God's truth, regardless of the audience's receptiveness. Consider how you can be a voice for truth in your own community. Listening to GodCultivate a heart that is open and willing to listen to God's voice. Engage in regular prayer and Bible study to attune your spirit to His guidance. The Consequences of DisobedienceUnderstand that ignoring God's messages can lead to spiritual and physical consequences. Reflect on the importance of obedience in your walk with God. Hope for ChangeDespite Israel's hard-heartedness, God's desire is for repentance and restoration. Embrace the hope that change is possible through God's grace. Bible Study Questions 1. What are some modern examples of spiritual obstinacy, and how can we address them in our own lives? 2. How does Ezekiel's role as a prophet compare to the role of Christians today in sharing God's truth? 3. In what ways can we ensure that we are not hard-hearted towards God's messages? 4. How do the themes of judgment and hope in Ezekiel's message apply to our current spiritual journey? 5. What steps can we take to cultivate a more obedient and receptive heart to God's guidance? Connections to Other Scriptures Jeremiah 7:24This verse highlights the persistent disobedience and stubbornness of the Israelites, similar to Ezekiel's message. Isaiah 6:9-10Isaiah's commission mirrors Ezekiel's, as both prophets were sent to a people who would not listen, emphasizing the theme of spiritual blindness and deafness. Matthew 13:14-15Jesus references the hardness of heart in His parables, connecting the Old Testament theme of spiritual obstinacy to His own ministry. People EzekielPlaces Chebar, Tel-abibTopics Brazen-faced, Brow, Consent, Ear, Forehead, Hardened, Hardhearted, Hard-hearted, Hearken, Heart, Impudent, Listen, Mind, None, Obstinate, Stiff, Strong-hearted, Stubborn, Surely, Willing, YetDictionary of Bible Themes Ezekiel 3:7 1175 God, will of
5165 listening
5885 indifference
8760 fools, characteristics
8761 fools, in teaching of Christ Ezekiel 3:7-9 7758 preachers, call Library Cæsarius of Arles.
He was born in the district of Chalons-sur-Saone, A. D. 470. He seems to have been early awakened, by a pious education, to vital Christianity. When he was between seven and eight years old, it would often happen that he would give a portion of his clothes to the poor whom he met, and would say, when he came home, that he had been, constrained to do so. When yet a youth, he entered the celebrated convent on the island of Lerins, (Lerina,) in Provence, from which a spirit of deep and practical piety …
Augustus Neander—Light in the Dark PlacesBoniface, Apostle of the Germans.
BONIFACE, or Winfried, as they called him in Anglo-Saxon, born at Crediton in Devonshire, in 680, deserves to be honoured as the father of the German Church, although he was by no means the first who brought the seeds of the Gospel to Germany. Many had already laboured before him; but the efforts which had been made here and there did not suffice to secure the endurance of Christianity amongst the many perils to which it was exposed. Christianity needs to be linked with firm ecclesiastical institutions, …
Augustus Neander—Light in the Dark Places Epistle xxxiv. To Venantius, Ex-Monk, Patrician of Syracuse .
To Venantius, Ex-Monk, Patrician of Syracuse [1331] . Gregory to Venantius, &c. Many foolish men have supposed that, if I were advanced to the rank of the episcopate, I should decline to address thee, or to keep up communication with thee by letter. But this is not so; since I am compelled by the very necessity of my position not to hold my peace. For it is written, Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet (Isai. lviii. 1). And again it is written, I have given thee for a watchman …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great The Greatness of the Soul,
AND UNSPEAKABLENESS 0F THE LOSS THEREOF; WITH THE CAUSES OF THE LOSING IT. FIRST PREACHED AT PINNER'S HALL and now ENLARGED AND PUBLISHED FOR GOOD. By JOHN BUNYAN, London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1682 Faithfully reprinted from the Author's First Edition. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. Our curiosity is naturally excited to discover what a poor, unlettered mechanic, whose book-learning had been limited to the contents of one volume, could by possibility know …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 The Servant's Inflexible Resolve
'For the Lord God will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set My face like a flint.'--ISAIAH l. 7. What a striking contrast between the tone of these words and of the preceding! There all is gentleness, docility, still communion, submission, patient endurance. Here all is energy and determination, resistance and martial vigour. It is like the contrast between a priest and a warrior. And that gentleness is the parent of this boldness. The same Will which is all submission …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Iranian Conquest
Drawn by Boudier, from the engraving in Coste and Flandin. The vignette, drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a statuette in terra-cotta, found in Southern Russia, represents a young Scythian. The Iranian religions--Cyrus in Lydia and at Babylon: Cambyses in Egypt --Darius and the organisation of the empire. The Median empire is the least known of all those which held sway for a time over the destinies of a portion of Western Asia. The reason of this is not to be ascribed to the shortness of its duration: …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9 The Prophet Jonah.
It has been asserted without any sufficient reason, that Jonah is older than Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Obadiah,--that he is the oldest among the prophets whose written monuments have been preserved to us. The passage in 2 Kings xiv. 25, where it is said, that Jonah, the son of Amittai the prophet, prophesied to Jeroboam the happy success of his arms, and the restoration of the ancient boundaries of Israel, and that this prophecy was confirmed by the event, cannot decide in favour of this assertion, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Ezekiel 3:7 NIVEzekiel 3:7 NLTEzekiel 3:7 ESVEzekiel 3:7 NASBEzekiel 3:7 KJV
Ezekiel 3:7 Commentaries
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