Ezekiel 2

Ezekiel, overwhelmed by his vision of God’s glory, is raised to his feet and sent to Israel as a prophet. The people are rebellious and hard, but he is told to speak God’s words fearlessly, whether they listen or not. The chapter closes as he is shown a scroll full of sorrow, which he is to take in.

Ezekiel 2:1

After falling on his face before God’s glory, Ezekiel is told to stand. God speaks to him as a man, calling him “son of man.” God does not leave His servant in the dust. He lifts him up to hear and to serve.

BSA: stand up (“arise, get up on your feet”): Ezekiel is called to rise and give attention, ready to receive God’s word personally.

See also: Ezekiel 1:28.

Ezekiel 2:2

Ezekiel cannot stand by his own strength. The Spirit enters him and sets him on his feet. What God commands, He also supplies. Then Ezekiel can hear God speaking clearly to him.

BSA: Spirit (“the breath of life”): The same word means breath or wind, so the Spirit gives new life and strength to a fallen man.

Hebrew: רוּחַ (ruach, H7307) — “spirit, breath, wind.” One Hebrew word covers all three, so the Spirit coming into Ezekiel is like breath filling him and raising him up.

See also: Ezekiel 3:24.

Ezekiel 2:3

God sends Ezekiel to Israel, a nation that has defied Him again and again. Their rebellion is old, passed from fathers to children. Ezekiel is told the truth at the start: his hearers have a long history of resisting God.

BSA: sending (“appointing, commissioning”): Ezekiel goes with God’s authority, not on his own initiative. rebellious (“disobedient, uncontrolled”): The picture is of a people that will not be governed by God.

Hebrew: מוֹרְדִים (mordim, H4775) — “rebelling ones.” The word describes open revolt against a rightful ruler. Israel’s problem is not weakness but defiance of their King.

See also: Psalm 106:6-7.

Ezekiel 2:4

The people are described as hard of face and stubborn of heart. Still, God sends His prophet with one message: “This is what the Lord GOD says.” Ezekiel is not to give his own opinions. He is to carry God’s own words.

BSA: obstinate (“impudent, stiffhearted”): Their hardness shows both in a bold face and in an unyielding heart.

Ezekiel 2:5

Ezekiel is not promised success. Whether Israel listens or not, they will know that a real prophet has been among them. God’s word will leave them without excuse. His faithfulness does not depend on their response.

BSA: prophet (“one who speaks for God”): A prophet is a spokesman, so the people will have heard God’s own voice through him.

See also: Ezekiel 33:33.

Ezekiel 2:6

God tells Ezekiel three times not to be afraid. Opposition will feel like thorns and scorpions, painful and dangerous. Yet the word of God is stronger than hostile words and faces. The one who sends him stands behind him.

BSA: scorpions (“dangerous or threatening creatures”): Ezekiel’s hearers are likened to creatures that sting, so he must expect hurt but not give way. dismayed (“broken or shattered”): Fear can crush a messenger, and God warns him against being shattered by their stares.

See also: Joshua 1:9; Jeremiah 1:8.

Ezekiel 2:7

Ezekiel’s task is simple: speak God’s words. Results belong to God. Because the people are rebellious, he should not expect applause. Faithfulness means delivering the message whether it is welcomed or refused.

BSA: speak (“declare, proclaim”): He is to announce plainly, not hint or soften.

See also: 2 Timothy 4:2.

Ezekiel 2:8

Before Ezekiel can speak God’s words, he must obey them himself. He is warned not to share Israel’s rebellion. Then God tells him to open his mouth and eat what is given. The messenger must first take in the message.

BSA: listen (“hear and obey”): Real listening to God includes doing what He says. eat (“devour, consume”): God’s word is to be fully taken in, not just heard.

See also: Jeremiah 15:16; Revelation 10:9.

Ezekiel 2:9

Ezekiel sees a hand stretched toward him holding a scroll. The word of God comes as a gift from God’s own hand. Ezekiel does not invent it or find it. It is handed to him to receive.

BSA: scroll (“a roll of a book, a written document”): The message is fixed and written, not something Ezekiel makes up.

Ezekiel 2:10

The scroll is unrolled and written on both sides, front and back. It is full of lament, mourning and woe. God’s message is crowded with coming judgment, and Ezekiel must carry hard words. Even so, the word is given by a God who speaks and does not stay silent.

BSA: lamentation (“dirge, mourning song”): The words are like a funeral song over a people facing judgment. woe (“lament, calamity”): The coming trouble is real disaster, not a small matter.

See also: Ezekiel 3:1-3.