John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 3:8-9

"Behold, I have made thy face hard against their faces, and thy forehead hard against their foreheads. As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house." — Ezekiel 3:8-9 (ASV)

Ezekiel was forewarned of the obstinacy of the people, yes, even of their desperate wickedness. Now God strengthens him so that he would not despair when he saw that he had to contend with such abandoned and reckless men; for what else was it than contending with stones? If Ezekiel had been commanded to strike a mountain, it would have been just the same as contending with such a people.

He then needed this strengthening, namely, his forehead should be adamant against the hardness of the people. If he had hoped for more fruit from his labor, perhaps that ease would have been the cause of negligence, for confidence makes us more remiss when the work at hand is neither laborious nor difficult.

The Prophet, therefore, would have been less fervent if, certainly persuaded that the people would be docile, he had approached them more carelessly. God, therefore, stirs him when He speaks of their obstinacy. Just as it was useful for the Prophet to comprehend how arduous was the duty he was called to discharge, so also he ought to be armed with the strength of God, for otherwise he would have been easily overcome by its difficulty.

This is the reason why God adds, that He had given him a stout front and a brazen aspect against the face and front of the people. Besides, in this way he was admonished that fortitude was to be hoped for from another source, so that he might not spend his strength in vain, but allow himself to be governed by the Spirit of God.

For when we think only about the quality and quantity of our own powers, they may easily flow away, disperse, and even become vapid, unless we discharge our duty courageously. God, therefore, recalls His Prophet when He says, that He had given him a face, as if to say, that the Prophet did not make war in his own strength, but was armed with heavenly power.

Although, therefore, this seems to have been spoken once for Ezekiel’s personal use, yet it belongs to us all. Let us learn, then, when God calls us to the office of teaching, never to measure the effect of our work by the standard of our own capacity, nor to consider our own powers, but to rely on some communicated strength which God here extols with no empty praise.

Whoever, therefore, acknowledges that God is sufficient for overcoming all obstacles, will courageously prepare himself for his work; but he who delays to calculate his own strength is not only weakened but is almost overcome. Besides, we see that we are here instructed in humility and modesty, lest we claim anything as due to our own strength.

Thus it happens that many are so full, yes, so puffed up with confidence, that they produce nothing but wind. Therefore, let us learn to seek from God alone that fortitude which we need, for we are not stronger than Ezekiel, and if he needed to be strengthened by the Spirit of God, much more do we need it at this time.

Finally, we gather from this passage that even if the whole world rises up against the servants of God, yet His strength will be superior, as we saw with Jeremiah: They shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail (Jeremiah 1:19; Jeremiah 15:20). Therefore, there is no reason for us to be afraid of the violent attack of any enemy, and even if the whole world is in turmoil, yet we do not need to tremble, because God’s strength in us will always be more powerful.

Therefore, it is added, as an adamant, harder than flint, have I placed thee; therefore do not fear them. God says, I have placed the forehead of the Prophet like adamant; not that he strove with the people by either injustice or audacity, but because God opposed the confidence with which Ezekiel was endowed to the furious impudence of the people.

In this sense then, the forehead of the Prophet is said to be adamant. Now He adds—do not fear, then, and do not be broken by their face or presence. These phrases, that the Prophet be not broken, and yet fear not, seem to be opposed to each other, since he excels in unconquered fortitude.

But God so tempers His favor that the faithful always need promptings, even when He animates them and supplies them with strength. God, therefore, so works within His servants that they do nothing except as they are ruled by His Spirit; and yet they need His teaching, since His exhortations to them are never superfluous.

Profane men think that there is no use in teaching, and that all exhortations are frivolous, if God, when He acts upon us by His Spirit, not only begins, but continues and perfects His own work.

But the Scripture shows that these two things mutually agree; for while God strengthens us and renders us unconquerable by His Spirit, at the same time He breathes power into His exhortations, and causes them to flourish within us and to bring forth fruit.

In this way God, on His part, confirms His Prophet by giving him an adamantine forehead, harder than stone, and by giving him an unconquerable spirit; and yet He exhorts him not to fear. We see, then, how God governs His own people within them, and yet adds teaching as an instrument of His Spirit.

Then He adds, because they are a rebellious house, or "although they are"; for the particle כי, ki, is often used adversatively, as we have said elsewhere.

If we take it in its proper sense, it will suit very well: because they are a rebellious house. It is as if it had been said that the Prophet has no cause for fear, because he had been carefully admonished beforehand, and nothing new could happen. For we are usually very frightened by novelty; but when we have reflected on what happens, we are not disturbed, nor do we stand still or hesitate. For although the Prophet had already learned that the house of Israel was rebellious, yet he perseveres, because he experiences nothing new or unusual.