Ezekiel Eats the Scroll
3:1 And he said unto me, Son of man, eat that which thou findest; eat this scroll, and go, speak unto the house of Israel.
Ezekiel was to devour the Word of God that was given to him in scroll form. He was then commanded to proclaim these prophecies to Israel.
3:2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat the scroll.
Notice that God caused Ezekiel to eat the scroll. This is an example of the doctrine of divine sovereignty.
3:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this scroll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
The Word of God that Ezekiel ate contained lamentations, mournings, and woes, but it was still sweet in his mouth, because it was the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God.
3:4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.
Ezekiel was to speak specifically the Word of God to the captives in Babylon. He was to speak only the Word of God. He was not to give out his human opinion.
3:5 For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel;
Ezekiel was not being sent to a foreign language nation of Gentiles or to a people who lacked eloquence. Ezekiel was not to be a foreign missionary. He was to be a home missionary. He was a fellow nationally-born Jew witnessing to fellow nationally-born Jews.
3:6 not to many peoples of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, if I sent thee to them, they would hearken unto thee.
If God did send Ezekiel to a foreign Gentile nation, then the Gentiles would listen to him.
3:7 But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are of hard forehead and of a stiff heart.
Ezekiel was told to expect failure. Ezekiel would be unsuccessful in turning Israel back to God, but he would be successful in God's eyes, because he was teaching the truth of the Word of God. Pastors and teachers are responsible for teaching the truth of the Word of God. They are not responsible for the response of their listeners.
3:8 Behold, I have made thy face hard against their faces, and thy forehead hard against their foreheads.
God equipped Ezekiel for his job by making him as thick-skulled as the people.
3:9 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.
God would make Ezekiel as hard as flint stone so that the verbal assaults and wicked looks of his rebellious Israelite enemies would not be able to affect him.
3:10 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thy heart, and hear with thine ears.
The source of this message was God.
3:11 And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.
Ezekiel was to proclaim the Word of God, even if they refused to listen to him.
3:12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing, saying, “Blessed be the glory of Jehovah from his place.”
The Shekinah Glory began to move on behalf of Ezekiel and the nation of Israel.
3:13 And I heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, even the noise of a great rushing.
The upper wings were joined to the other cherub, Ezekiel heard the noise of the cherub.
3:14 So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; and the hand of Jehovah was strong upon me.
The Holy Spirit lifted Ezekiel and took him away. Ezekiel felt bitterness and inner struggle. Ezekiel's inner struggle was whether to accept or reject the call. However; the hand of Jehovah was so strong upon Ezekiel, that he must accept the call.
3:15 Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib, that dwelt by the river Chebar, and to where they dwelt; and I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.
Ezekiel sat down at Tel-abib for seven days and was overwhelmed with anger. He was not crazy. He saw the future and was angry at Israel. He was asked to give a tough message to a rebellious, hard-headed, and sinful nation.
A Watchman for Israel
3:16 And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
After seven days of anger, Jehovah spoke to Ezekiel again.
3:17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
God called Ezekiel to become a watchman for Israel. A watchman was a military guard who would stand on the walls of the city, scan the horizon, and warn the citizens of danger to come.
3:18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand.
Ezekiel was to be a watchman to the wicked people of Israel. He was responsible for warning the wicked of the penalties for disobeying the Mosaic Law. If the prophet failed to issue the warning, then the prophet would receive the death penalty. He would experience the sin unto death. He would not lose his eternal life, but he would lose his physical life. If a modern believer refuses to do the will of God, then it is possible for him to commit this same sin unto death.
3:19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
If the warning is issued and the wicked man refused to listen, then the wicked man would die, but the prophet would live.
3:20 Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thy hand.
The righteous man in the Old Testament had a different meaning than the righteous man in the New Testament. The Old Testament man of righteousness was the one who kept the Mosaic Law. If the righteous man did not keep the Mosaic Law, then God would place a stumbling block and that man would lose his physical life. The prophet must also warn the righteous man when he broke the Mosaic Law, or the prophet would die a physical death.
3:21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and thou hast delivered thy soul.
If the righteous man listened and obeyed the prophet, then he would not lose his physical life. The message of the prophet would deliver his own life as well.
3:22 And the hand of Jehovah was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.
Jehovah commanded Ezekiel to go out to the valley so that God could talk to him. Ezekiel would return back to this valley after the destruction of Israel. At this time, the valley would be filled with dry bones.
3:23 Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of Jehovah stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face.
Ezekiel saw the same Shekinah Glory of the opening chapter.
3:24 Then the Spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet; and he spoke with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thy house.
Ezekiel was not to have a public ministry. He was to be shut up in his own house for 7.5 years.
3:25 But thou, son of man, behold, they shall lay bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them:
Ezekiel would be bound up in his own house for 7.5 years. People could and would come to him, but Ezekiel would not go out to the people.
3:26 and I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover; for they are a rebellious house.
Ezekiel would not be able to speak on his own to the people. Only God would speak through him. In this way, the people would know that it was God who was correcting them, and not Ezekiel.
3:27 But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.
For the next 7.5 years, Ezekiel would begin every sentence with “Thus saith the Lord Jehovah.” During these 7.5 years, the messages of chapters 24-33 would be spoken through Ezekiel. Ezekiel would not speak on his own until after the destruction of Jerusalem. Just about every message would be negative. Ezekiel, like the other prophets, was not a seeker-friendly pastor.