Ezekiel 33:30: People's attitude?
What does Ezekiel 33:30 reveal about the people's attitude towards God's message?

Setting the Scene

• Ezekiel is God’s appointed watchman, faithfully relaying every word the Lord gives him (Ezekiel 33:7).

• The exiles in Babylon outwardly show interest—crowding around walls and doorways to hear the prophet.


Key Words in the Verse

“As for you, son of man, your people are talking about you near the walls” (Ezekiel 33:30a)

“and at the doors of their houses. They speak to one another” (Ezekiel 33:30b)

“each saying to his brother, ‘Come and hear the word that comes from the LORD.’ ” (Ezekiel 33:30c)


What Their Actions Reveal

• Curiosity, not conviction

– They flock to hear Ezekiel as though attending a neighborhood spectacle.

• Social religion

– Conversation about God’s word happens “near the walls…doors,” the public spaces where reputation is built.

• Detached enthusiasm

– “Come and hear” sounds spiritual, yet verses 31–32 show they never intend to obey.


Supporting Passages

• “This people…honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8).

• “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).


Heart Attitude Exposed

• They treat God’s message as entertainment—Ezekiel is like “a singer of love songs” (v. 32).

• Their real pursuit is “their own gain” (v. 31), not God’s glory.

• Lip service masks a stubborn refusal to repent.


Timeless Takeaways

• Hearing without heeding hardens the heart.

• Spiritual talk can camouflage spiritual apathy.

• Genuine reverence shows up in obedience, not merely attendance or discussion (John 14:15).

Ezekiel 33:30 pulls back the curtain: the people loved the sound of God’s word but not the surrender it required.

How does Ezekiel 33:30 warn against merely hearing God's word without action?
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