EZEKIEL 3:9

Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.” [NKJV]

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.” [BSB]
 

The Lord did not make His Messenger's forehead to be as hard as the rebellious people, but rather as hard as flint or diamond beyond the hardness or toughness of the rebellious and hard people. Don't expect to find it easy from their reactions when they are rebellious, stubborn and hard hearted, lest you compromise.

"Hard as flint" is a phrase used to describe someone or something that is extremely tough or resilient. It suggests a level of unyielding determination and strength.

"Toughness" or "Resilience" is needed in delivering our Ministry and Messages in a crooked world full of adultery and perverse generations. The Lord said, since the days of John the Baptist the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the Violent takes it by force. But I add, that even beyond the days of John the Baptist the ministry of heaven suffered rebellion and the Resilient ministered it by force without the victory of fear of men.

In the Bible verse above, God clarified both the extent and expectancy of making Ezekiel's forehead Tough or Hard:

*1* The Extent — Hard as flint, tough as Diamond

*2* The Expectancy — To not fear them, neither be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their presence/looks/appearance, even though they are rebellious.

I have seen ram with smaller horns being not afraid of the face of a man while a cow with bigger horns than those of a ram was afraid and feared. Hence better to be "Ram" than be "Cow-ard" when you are given horns or foreheads as hard as flint or diamond.

Diamond is not afraid of men falling on it, because they would be the ones broken and not the Diamond Stone. Even much more than these, the Lord Jesus Christ was the Son of man, better than Ezekiel in being the Toughest Stone in Ministry. As it is written,

[Luke 20:17‭-‬18 NKJV] — Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone’? Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

The name "Peter" or "Cephas" means "Stone," but the toughness of the stone meant was not indicated in the name but will be determined in the toughness, resilience, boldness and endurance, in true ministering of the Living Word of God. Some do not bear the name Peter, but they are more Peter than some who are called Peter. Don't be a Peter when Peter was a Coward and even denying the Lord Jesus Christ before a little girl. Rather be a Peter when Peter was the boldest and toughest in ministering the grace and gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ amid rebellious people.

[2 Timothy 1:7-8] — "For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not you therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner: but be you partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;"