And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.
And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.
And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.
For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God.
And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.
And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;
And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
Ezekiel 2 marks the formal commissioning of Ezekiel as a prophet, a calling initiated with sobering pronouncements against Judah's rampant sins and foreshadowing severe judgments (Ezekiel 2:1-5). While his ministry would eventually culminate in prophecies of restoration and kingdom blessings, the initial task demanded a courageous confrontation with deeply entrenched rebellion. Tony Evans notes that repentance is God's unwavering prerequisite for restoration, highlighting the crucial need for acknowledging and turning away from sin before healing can begin.
Empowered by the Spirit
Ezekiel's initial posture of humility before God was fitting, but the divine purpose necessitated action. Thus, the Spirit of God intervened, enabling the prophet to stand and receive the Lord's message (Ezekiel 2:1-2). This divine empowerment underscores that prophetic ministry is not born of human strength but of God's enabling presence. The message itself was far from comforting. God's people had become rebellious, even paganistic, turning against the very One who had delivered and sustained them (Ezekiel 2:3). The phrase "rebellious house" (Ezekiel 2:5) encapsulates the pervasive and deeply ingrained nature of Israel's defiance. This rebelliousness, in fact, becomes a recurring motif throughout the book, illustrating God's just response to a people who stubbornly resisted His grace (Ezekiel 2:4). Astonishingly, they even refused to repent even when experiencing divine discipline.
Called to Faithfulness, Not "Success"
Ezekiel's mandate was not measured by worldly standards of "success." Instead, his calling demanded unwavering faithfulness in proclaiming, "This is what the Lord GOD says" (Ezekiel 2:4). The repeated use of the compound name "Lord GOD," or Adonai Yahweh, a favorite of Ezekiel's (appearing over two hundred times in his book), is significant. This powerful combination underscores God's sovereign authority (Adonai) and His unwavering, covenant-keeping faithfulness (Yahweh). These two attributes form the bedrock of Ezekiel's prophetic ministry, reminding both the prophet and the people of God's unchanging character amidst turbulent times.
Facing Briers and Scorpions
The task ahead of Ezekiel was daunting, likened to being sent into a thicket of briers and a nest of scorpions (Ezekiel 2:6-7). This vivid imagery conveys the hostility and danger he would face from the rebellious people. God, knowing the prophet's fears, three times commanded him not to be afraid of their words or scornful looks (Ezekiel 2:6). Despite the anticipated rejection (Ezekiel 2:7), Ezekiel was commanded to deliver God's message regardless of the people's response. This highlights the prophet's primary responsibility: to be a faithful messenger, not a crowd-pleaser.
The Scroll of Lament
The message Ezekiel was to deliver was contained within a scroll (Ezekiel 2:8-10). This scroll was not filled with pleasantries but with "words of lamentation, mourning, and woe," written on both sides to emphasize the fullness of the impending judgment. Ezekiel was instructed to eat the scroll and then speak its message to the house of Israel (Ezekiel 2:10-3:1). This symbolic act of ingestion signifies the prophet's complete absorption and internalization of God's Word. He was to "digest" the Word of God, making it an inseparable part of himself before proclaiming it.
Despite the severity of the message, Ezekiel found the scroll "as sweet as honey" in his mouth (Ezekiel 3:3). This seemingly paradoxical experience reveals a profound truth: even messages of judgment, when received as God's Word, are ultimately sweet to the believer. This sweetness stems from the knowledge that God's judgments are just, righteous, and ultimately aimed at restoration. While a specific message from God can be hard to hear, nevertheless it is still sweet to the believer who appropriates it because it is the Word of God. It underscores the privilege and joy of participating in God's redemptive purposes, even when those purposes involve difficult pronouncements.
And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.
And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.
And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.
For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God.
And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.
And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;
And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
Ezekiel 2 marks the formal commissioning of Ezekiel as a prophet, a calling initiated with sobering pronouncements against Judah's rampant sins and foreshadowing severe judgments (Ezekiel 2:1-5). While his ministry would eventually culminate in prophecies of restoration and kingdom blessings, the initial task demanded a courageous confrontation with deeply entrenched rebellion. Tony Evans notes that repentance is God's unwavering prerequisite for restoration, highlighting the crucial need for acknowledging and turning away from sin before healing can begin.
Empowered by the Spirit
Ezekiel's initial posture of humility before God was fitting, but the divine purpose necessitated action. Thus, the Spirit of God intervened, enabling the prophet to stand and receive the Lord's message (Ezekiel 2:1-2). This divine empowerment underscores that prophetic ministry is not born of human strength but of God's enabling presence. The message itself was far from comforting. God's people had become rebellious, even paganistic, turning against the very One who had delivered and sustained them (Ezekiel 2:3). The phrase "rebellious house" (Ezekiel 2:5) encapsulates the pervasive and deeply ingrained nature of Israel's defiance. This rebelliousness, in fact, becomes a recurring motif throughout the book, illustrating God's just response to a people who stubbornly resisted His grace (Ezekiel 2:4). Astonishingly, they even refused to repent even when experiencing divine discipline.
Called to Faithfulness, Not "Success"
Ezekiel's mandate was not measured by worldly standards of "success." Instead, his calling demanded unwavering faithfulness in proclaiming, "This is what the Lord GOD says" (Ezekiel 2:4). The repeated use of the compound name "Lord GOD," or Adonai Yahweh, a favorite of Ezekiel's (appearing over two hundred times in his book), is significant. This powerful combination underscores God's sovereign authority (Adonai) and His unwavering, covenant-keeping faithfulness (Yahweh). These two attributes form the bedrock of Ezekiel's prophetic ministry, reminding both the prophet and the people of God's unchanging character amidst turbulent times.
Facing Briers and Scorpions
The task ahead of Ezekiel was daunting, likened to being sent into a thicket of briers and a nest of scorpions (Ezekiel 2:6-7). This vivid imagery conveys the hostility and danger he would face from the rebellious people. God, knowing the prophet's fears, three times commanded him not to be afraid of their words or scornful looks (Ezekiel 2:6). Despite the anticipated rejection (Ezekiel 2:7), Ezekiel was commanded to deliver God's message regardless of the people's response. This highlights the prophet's primary responsibility: to be a faithful messenger, not a crowd-pleaser.
The Scroll of Lament
The message Ezekiel was to deliver was contained within a scroll (Ezekiel 2:8-10). This scroll was not filled with pleasantries but with "words of lamentation, mourning, and woe," written on both sides to emphasize the fullness of the impending judgment. Ezekiel was instructed to eat the scroll and then speak its message to the house of Israel (Ezekiel 2:10-3:1). This symbolic act of ingestion signifies the prophet's complete absorption and internalization of God's Word. He was to "digest" the Word of God, making it an inseparable part of himself before proclaiming it.
Despite the severity of the message, Ezekiel found the scroll "as sweet as honey" in his mouth (Ezekiel 3:3). This seemingly paradoxical experience reveals a profound truth: even messages of judgment, when received as God's Word, are ultimately sweet to the believer. This sweetness stems from the knowledge that God's judgments are just, righteous, and ultimately aimed at restoration. While a specific message from God can be hard to hear, nevertheless it is still sweet to the believer who appropriates it because it is the Word of God. It underscores the privilege and joy of participating in God's redemptive purposes, even when those purposes involve difficult pronouncements.