Ezekiel 2

Ezekiel 2:1

1. The Character of the PeopleRebellious (1:28b2:7)The Spirit entered Ezekiel, set him on his feet, and told him to prophesy to a rebellious nation, Judah, regardless of results. He was to be fearless and obedient. The Lord commissioned Ezekiel, whom He calls “son of man.” This important expression occurs ninety times in Ezekiel. Taylor explains the usage: The first words that God addresses to Ezekiel appropriately put the prophet in his rightful place before the majesty which he has been seeing in his vision. The phrase son of man is a Hebraism which emphasizes Ezekiel’s insignificance or mere humanity. “Son of” indicates “partaking of the nature of” and so when combined with ‘ade3m, “man,” it means nothing more than “human being.” In the plural it is a common phrase for “mankind”. By the time of Daniel (Dan_7:13-14) this title had taken on near messianic implications, and in the first century it had become a term for the Messiah: Our Lord’s use of the title seems to have taken advantage of the ambiguity between the simple and the technical meanings, so that in one sense He could not be accused of making any overt claim to Messiahship, while in the other sense He did not debar those with the requisite spiritual insight from accepting the fuller significance of His person.

Ezekiel 2:8

2. The Nature of the MessageJudgment, as Indicated by the Scroll (2:83:3)2:8-10 Ezekiel was then commanded to eat . . . a scroll on which were written the sorrowful judgments that were to fall on the nation. He was forewarned that his ministry would not be popular. We too are forewarned that a true presentation of the gospel will be offensive to the unsaved. It is known as the offense of the cross. To some people we are a savor of death.