I will make your forehead like a diamond, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or dismayed at their presence, even though they are a rebellious house." I will make your forehead like a diamond, harder than flint.This phrase signifies the divine empowerment and resilience given to Ezekiel. In biblical times, a diamond was known for its hardness, symbolizing strength and unyielding determination. Flint, a hard sedimentary rock, was used to make tools and weapons, emphasizing the toughness required for Ezekiel's prophetic mission. This imagery suggests that God equips His servants with the necessary fortitude to withstand opposition. The concept of a hardened forehead can be linked to Isaiah 50:7, where the servant of the Lord sets his face like flint, indicating resolute determination. This also prefigures Christ's steadfastness in His mission, as seen in Luke 9:51, where Jesus resolutely sets out for Jerusalem. Do not be afraid of them or dismayed at their presence,
God's command to Ezekiel not to fear reflects a common biblical theme where God reassures His prophets and people of His presence and support. This echoes God's words to Joshua in Joshua 1:9, where He commands strength and courage. The cultural context of Ezekiel's time involved significant opposition from the Israelites, who were in rebellion against God. Fearlessness in the face of such opposition is a recurring theme in the lives of biblical figures, including Moses, Jeremiah, and the apostles in the New Testament. This assurance is a reminder of God's sovereignty and the protection He offers to those who faithfully carry out His will. even though they are a rebellious house.
The term "rebellious house" refers to the Israelites, who consistently resisted God's commands and prophets. This rebellion is a central theme in the book of Ezekiel, highlighting the spiritual and moral decay of the nation. Historically, this period was marked by idolatry and disobedience, leading to the Babylonian exile. The phrase underscores the persistent nature of Israel's rebellion, as seen throughout the Old Testament, from the wilderness wanderings in Exodus to the divided kingdom era. This rebellion sets the stage for the need for a new covenant, as prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-34, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who offers redemption and restoration to a rebellious humanity. Persons / Places / Events 1. EzekielA prophet called by God to deliver His messages to the Israelites during their Babylonian exile. Known for his vivid visions and symbolic acts. 2. GodThe speaker in this verse, who is empowering Ezekiel for his prophetic mission. 3. IsraelitesReferred to as a "rebellious house," they are the audience of Ezekiel's prophecies, often resistant to God's messages. 4. BabylonThe place of exile for the Israelites, where Ezekiel's ministry takes place. 5. Prophetic CommissioningThe event where God equips Ezekiel with the strength and resolve needed to confront the rebellious Israelites. Teaching Points Divine EmpowermentGod equips those He calls with the necessary strength and resilience to fulfill their mission. Just as Ezekiel's forehead is made like a diamond, believers today can trust in God's provision for their tasks. Facing OppositionThe call to not be afraid or terrified by opposition is a reminder that God is greater than any adversary. Believers are encouraged to stand firm in their faith despite challenges. Understanding RebellionRecognizing the rebellious nature of humanity helps believers approach others with both truth and grace, understanding the need for divine intervention in changing hearts. Courage in MinistryLike Ezekiel, Christians are called to speak truth in love, even when it is unpopular or met with resistance. Courage is rooted in God's promises and presence. The Role of ProphetsProphets are often called to deliver difficult messages. Understanding their role helps believers appreciate the importance of truth-telling in the Christian life. Bible Study Questions 1. How does God's promise to make Ezekiel's forehead like a diamond encourage you in facing your own challenges? 2. In what ways can you relate to the rebellious nature of the Israelites, and how can you seek transformation through Christ? 3. How does the empowerment of prophets like Ezekiel and Jeremiah inspire you to fulfill your own calling? 4. What are some practical ways you can stand firm in your faith when confronted with opposition or criticism? 5. How can understanding the role of a prophet help you in discerning and delivering God's truth in your own life and community? Connections to Other Scriptures Jeremiah 1:18-19Similar to Ezekiel, Jeremiah is also fortified by God to stand against opposition, highlighting the theme of divine empowerment for prophets. Isaiah 50:7This verse speaks of setting one's face like flint, showing a parallel in the resolve given by God to His servants. Acts 7:51Stephen accuses the Sanhedrin of being stiff-necked and resistant to the Holy Spirit, echoing the rebellious nature of the Israelites in Ezekiel's time. People EzekielPlaces Chebar, Tel-abibTopics Adamant, Affrighted, Afraid, Brow, Diamond, Dismayed, Emery, Fear, Flint, Forehead, Harder, Hardest, Looks, Overcome, Rebellious, Rock, Stone, Terrified, Though, UncontrolledDictionary of Bible Themes Ezekiel 3:9 4306 minerals
4327 flint
4366 stones
5154 forehead
6223 rebellion, of Israel
8754 fear 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 3:9 NIVEzekiel 3:9 NLTEzekiel 3:9 ESVEzekiel 3:9 NASBEzekiel 3:9 KJV
Ezekiel 3:9 Commentaries
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