Ezekiel

Ezekiel 3:1-3

This chapter break must be ignored (remember these are manmade) to hold the context and the flow from chapter 2.  Ezekiel had to eat the scroll before he could speak it to Israel.  The Word of God was first applied to the man of god before it could be presented to the people of God.  He had to taste it and be filled with it, so he ate it and it was sweet as money in his mouth. 

Note: See also: Jeremiah 15:16; Psalm 19:10; 119:103; Revelation 10:10

Ezekiel 3:4-9

Filled with the Word of God, Ezekiel was now prepared to go to the people of Israel.  He was not being sent to a pole who where â°˜deep of lip and heavy of tongueâ°°; this is the meaning of the phrase.  It makes it clear that Ezekiel isnâ°°t going to speak to the foreign oppressors, but to Israel.  Taking Godâ°°s word to the Babylonians would have bore more fruit than a ministry to the hardened and obstinate.  The foreign oppressors were more likely to listen than Israel, Godâ°°s people.  Heâ°°s straight up with Ezekiel; â°œThe people of Israel are not willing to listen to you.Ⱍ

Imagine hearing this as a newly commissioned prophet.  Ezekiel may have been fired up ready to go out to the people, to make a difference, share with them the truths of God.  He may have been excited to see Godâ°°s Word work in peopleâ°°s life.  Then he finds out they wonâ°°t listen.  There wonâ°°t be much, if any fruit.  Itâ°°s as if God were forewarning Ezekiel that this was going to be frustrating for him. 

God determined and promised Ezekiel that He would make the prophet as stubborn in his presentation of Godâ°°s message.  The ability to be stubborn and unyielding was probably not something new in Ezekielâ°°s life.  It was likely something Ezekiel struggled with; yielded to the Lord, it would be used for His glory.  The forehead of Ezekiel was to be made as â°˜chazeqâ°° stone, an unknown stone.  The word â°˜chazeqâ°° is used for Israel, this stone and twice to describe how God would make him (v8).  It is likely a play on Ezekielâ°°s name, meaning strength of God.  Ezekiel would be â°˜God toughâ°° or â°˜God hardenedâ°° when dealing with them. 

Gone were the ideas of seeing a fruitful and exciting ministry as people looked unto the Lord.  Instead Ezekiel found himself embarking on a something completely different than what he thought it might be.  The Lord encourages him to be courageous and trust the Lord though it all.

Ezekiel 3:10-

It was important that Ezekiel listen and take Godâ°°s word to heart.  He would face some difficult people and difficult situations.  We humans arenâ°°t all that good at remembering encouragement and promises.  These promises and precepts of our ministry that come from God need to be etched into our being so we can come back to them when the need arises.  Ezekiel was to no â°˜Goâ°° and â°˜speakâ°° and let God take care of everything else.

Ezekiel was part of the move of God, coming with the move of glory and all its accompanying sights and sounds.  Ezekiel was lifted up and taken away.  The bitterness and anger are seem by some to reflect Ezekielâ°°s attitude.  Others see it as Ezekiel reflecting Godâ°°s wrath toward Israel.  However, it is more likely to be understood as passion by which he was moved.  With his heart in line with Godâ°°s; he was grieved as God was grieved, but impassioned to speak as God would speak, calling to His people.

Godâ°°s strong hand was on him, he felt his life was empowered by God.  He sat for seven days among the people.  This seems to be a fixed time to complete his ordination (also seen in Lev 8:33).  In these seven days he would see and hear the people.  He would come to know them and know their heart.  He was deeply distressed.

Ezekiel 3:16-19

Itâ°°s easy to imagine Ezekiel overwhelmed for 7 days.  However, seven days is also the period of time for the consecration of the priest according to Leviticus (8:33). Likewise it is the time of mourning in Job.  It seems possible that both could have been accomplished in Ezekielâ°°s life. 

Ezekiel then received his calling.  His marching orders from God were to bea watchman for the people of Israel.  A watchman was a sentry, a look out to warn the people of impending danger.  See 2 Kings 9:17-20 and 2 Samuel 18:24-27 for more on a watchman.  Ezekielâ°°s responsibilities in this role were not to deliver particular results; he was just to warn.  To be obedient to his call, the first thing he had to do was warn the wicked person.

Ezekiel 3:20-27

The scone thing Ezekiel had to do to be obedient in his call was to warn the righteous who turned to evil.  He was to call for repentance by the wicked and the righteous.  Failing to do so would place the accountability squarely on him. 

The â°œhand of the Lord upon himⰝ meant that he was in the grip of God.  He told him to â°œget up and goⰝ and got up and went by the hand of the Lord.  For 7 days he was overcome and then by Godâ°°s timing it was time to move.  He got up and went out to the plain and saw the glory of the Lord standing there.  He appropriately fell facedown. 

The Spirit came into him and raised him up.  This is interesting that he saw the glory standing as if a man but the Spirit came into him and spoke to him.  He would be bound and his speech sopped.  Itâ°°s not clear how long the silence lasted.  If it was until the fall of Jerusalem, he would have been silenced for 7 years.  A time would come when God would speak to him and his mount would be loosed to speak to the rebellious people. 

©2019 Doug Ford