“And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh”, and they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house), will yet know that there has been a prophet among them.”
Ezekiel was now informed why he had had the vision. It was that he might become the mouthpiece of the Lord Yahweh, so that he may be able to say, “Thus says the Lord Yahweh”. And he was promised that the people would know that there had been a prophet among them, whether they responded or not. That was the first thing that was important, that they knew that God had spoken among them. Their response would be up to them. But he was also warned that that response was not certain, because they were a rebellious people. He was to be Yahweh's mouthpiece whether they listened or not. Ministry when men will not listen is the hardest of all services for God, but that does not excuse us from it, nor mean that His hand is not with us.
God saw in the long term. Some would labour, others would enter into that labour, building on it and benefiting by it (John 4:38). What God was concerned about here was that the people would know that He had not forgotten them, that His word still came to them. Then they would be without excuse. Any failure would be theirs, not His. It is one of the signs of the depravity of human nature that men will recognise prophets, and even at times respect them (when the prophets are not making them feel too guilty), and will yet not listen to them.
‘A rebellious house.' Rebellious, yet recognised as of God's household nonetheless. They were not yet fully rejected.