Ezekiel 3

Ezekiel 3 THE Assimilation of the Word(Ezekiel 3:1-3): The Lord’s directive (Ezekiel 3:1): He said unto me, Son of man, eat what you discover; eat this roll and go speak unto the house of Israel. Again God addresses four imperatives to Ezekiel. He is to eat, eat, go, and speak. He is to eat this roll. The word of God must be internalized, digested and assimilated by one who will serve as God’ s messenger. Ezekiel himself must become the message. Coming on the heels of the command to eat the scroll is the command to go speak unto the house of Israel. Immediately following the reception of the word there must be the proclamation of it.

Ezekiel’s submission (Ezekiel 3:2): I opened my mouth, and he fed me this roll. Ezekiel attempted to comply with the Lord’ s command. He opened his mouth. At this point the gracious God intervened and aided in the consumption of the document.

The Lord’s explanation (Ezekiel 3:3 a): He said unto me, Son of man, your belly will eat and your inward parts will be full with this roll that I am giving unto you. Further encouragement came from the Lord to the effect that Ezekiel should swallow and digest the scroll that he had been given. Ezekiel complied. Ezekiel himself becomes the embodiment of the divine word.

Ezekiel’s experience (Ezekiel 3:3 b): So I ate it, and it became in my mouth like honey for sweetness. Much to his surprise, Ezekiel found that the scroll tasted sweet like honey (cf. Jeremiah 15:16; Psalms 119:103). This sweetness in no way indicates that Ezekiel took some morbid delight in his message of doom. Rather the sweetness of the scroll lay in the privilege of knowing and proclaiming the word of God. Ezekiel did not eat a literal scroll.

This action was done in a vision. A person does strange things in dreams, and so it was also in this heaven-sent vision. The point is that Ezekiel must familiarize himself with the word of God by reading the scroll as eagerly and attentively as one eats food to satisfy hunger. The fact that God caused him to eat the scroll may point to supernatural aid that the prophet received in comprehending and mentally preserving the minutest detail of this unpleasant message.

Assurance of Divine Power (Ezekiel 3:4-9): Need for divine power (Ezekiel 3:4-7): His field is needy (Ezekiel 3:4): He said unto me, Son of man, go unto the house of Israel and speak with my words unto them. The ingested scroll symbolizes empowerment to preach. The command to go to the captives with the word is repeated in Ezekiel 3:4 : Go . . speak. He is to preach with my words. He is to convey God’ s message to them in the very tongue in which he had received it. The exiles were beginning to use the Aramaic tongue of the Chaldeans, but they will still be familiar with the Hebrew.

His field is near (Ezekiel 3:5): For you have not been sent unto a people of obscure language and heavy tongue, but unto the house of Israel. Unlike Jonah, Ezekiel is not being sent to a people whose language was utterly incomprehensible. The expression obscure language means literally, deep of lip. The same expression is found in Isaiah 33:19 where it refers to a foreign language that cannot be comprehended. Heavy tongue is a tongue that is sluggish and dull (cf. Exodus 4:10), or one that is tiresome to understand. Many foreigners were in Babylon. Communication with them will not be easy.

His field is focused (Ezekiel 3:6): Not unto many people of obscure language and heavy tongue whose words you cannot comprehend. Surely if I had sent you unto them, they would hearken unto you. Lack of communication between Ezekiel and his audience will not be due to any language barrier. It was to the house of Israel—his own compatriots— to whom he is sent (Ezekiel 3:5). But this in no way will aid the communication process. Sometimes the home missionary has a more difficult task than he who ventures into foreign lands to preach the gospel in exotic tongues.

Strange languages are more easily mastered than the technique of communicating with those with unbelieving hearts. Ezekiel’ s chances of “ getting through” to his audience will have been greater if he were speaking to people with a hard language rather than a hard heart.

His field is difficult (Ezekiel 3:7): But as for the house of Israel, they are not willing to hearken unto you, because they are not willing to hearken unto me; for all the house of Israel are strong offorehead and hard of heart. Nothing personal will be involved in Israel’ s rejection of the message of Ezekiel (cf. 1 Samuel 8:7-8). The basic problem with the house of Israel was that they had no interest in hearing what God had to say. The people will show an aversion to Ezekiel simply because he was the bearer of the divine word. Therefore, the opposition that wEzekiel was warned to expect was not to be regarded as unusual, or directed against him personally. The exiles were deaf to the voice of God that had spoken through various natural disasters, as well as through his human spokesmen. It was therefore unlikely that they will give any heed to Ezekiel.

Provision of divine power (Ezekiel 3:8-9): Endowment of courage (Ezekiel 3:8-9 a): Behold, I have made your face strong against their face, and your forehead strong against their forehead. (Ezekiel 3:9) Like a diamond harder than flint I have made your forehead. The first hurdle for Ezekiel’s ministry was the natural fear that will arise over the prospects of preaching an unpopular message to an unsympathetic multitude. For this task God will endow Ezekiel with courage. The Lord will make Ezekiel’ s face strong against their face, and his forehead strong against their forehead (Ezekiel 3:8). The latter figure is taken from horned animals that vie for supremacy by butting heads. Ezekiel will be able to match their obstinacy with sanctified stubbornness of his own.

He will be as zealous for truth as they were for falsehood. They were as hard as flint; he will be as hard as a diamond,126 Ezekiel’ s firmness will cut like a diamond into the flint-like hearts of the men of Israel.

Exhortation to courage (3:9b): Do not fear them. Do not be dismayed before them, for they are a rebellious house. Ezekiel need have no fear or be dismayed before that rebellious people. Given the circumstances that he faced, how appropriate was this prophet’ s name, Ezekiel—“ God strengthens” or “ God hardens.”

Assessment of the Congregation(Ezekiel 3:10-15): The words of God (Ezekiel 3:10-11): He must hear them (Ezekiel 3:10): And he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I will speak unto you, receive into your heart. With your ears hear. The first priority of any preacher is to be in harmony with the word of God. God called upon Ezekiel to hear all the words that He will speak to him. He must not only hear them with the ears, he must also receive them into his heart. He must understand and believe the message he is to preach. All my words that I will speak suggests that there will be future revelations that the prophet will also have to assimilate and subsequently announce. It is interesting to note that God will communicate to Ezekiel in words, not just in abstract thought and ambiguous visions. Here is verbal revelation.

He must speak them (Ezekiel 3:11): Then go unto the captives, unto the children of your people. Speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they desist. Once Ezekiel understood the divine word and personally yielded to it, he will be prepared to undertake his mission to the Babylonian captives. He must go to them and speak what God had spoken to him. He was not to be influenced by their reactions to his words. His job was to faithfully proclaim the word. He was to speak authoritatively. A thus says the Lord was to characterize all of his preaching. He was to preach on regardless of whether or not they gave heed. There may be a touch of irony in the expression your people, rather than my (God’ s) people.

The sounds from the chariot (Ezekiel 3:12-13): Occasion of the sounds (Ezekiel 3:12 a): Then the Spirit lifted me up. I heard behind me the sound of great shaking— At this point the Holy Spirit lifted Ezekiel up to whisk him from this mountain-top visionary experience to the valley of prophetic service (cf. Ezekiel 2:2). This is the first of several places where the prophet describes his supernatural transports. Ezekiel was still in the midst of his visionary experience. Neither psychic levitation nor physical transposition is being described here. In his vision Ezekiel experienced a subjective feeling of being airborne, much like the feeling one has in a dream of soaring through the air.

The prophet had been in the presence of the theophany— the visionary throne-chariot— during all that has been narrated to this point (Ezekiel 1:4 to Ezekiel 3:12). When he was lifted up and carried away it seemed to Ezekiel that he was leaving the theophany behind. Simultaneous with the Holy Spirit entering Ezekiel, the magnificent throne-chariot departed the scene. As it did so, the sound of a great shaking was heard. The praise in the sounds (Ezekiel 3:12 b): Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place— A voice pronouncing a blessing on the glory of the Lord accompanied the shaking noise. This voice is unidentified.

It may be the voice that was heard from above the firmament in Ezekiel 1:24-25; or it could be the voice of the cherubim praising the Lord. The phrase from his place (Ezekiel 3:12) is problematic. It probably refers to the place where the glory of God revealed itself in the vision. To state the matter differently, the glory of the Lord yet remained in the place from which it was departing because his place is universal. Significance of the sounds (Ezekiel 3:13): even the sound of the wings of the living creatures touching each other, and the sound of the wheels beside them, even the sound of great shaking. The sound of great shaking of Eze 3:12 is identified in Ezekiel 3:13. As the throne-chariot departed, Ezekiel heard the whirring of the wings of the living creatures and the rumble of the wheels. When the throne-chariot was stationary, the living creatures did not touch each other. But when they were in flight the cherubim raised their wings so as to touch each other. See on Ezekiel 1:11.

The transmigration of Ezekiel (3:14): And the Spirit lifted me up, and took me so that I came with bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; and the hand of the LORD was strong upon me. After the departure of the throne-chariot Ezekiel describes what happened to him in these words: the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away (v 14). This does not mean that Ezekiel was miraculously transported from one spot to another in Mesopotamia. Rather it means that Ezekiel, guided and impelled by the Holy Spirit, went forth among his countrymen. This suggests that the site of the vision was some distance from the exile settlement, for it is to the latter place that Ezekiel now returned.

In Ezekiel 3:14 Ezekiel describes his feelings as he departed the scene of his visionary experience. He went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit. Anger, then, was the dominant emotion in his heart at this moment. Why did he feel this way? Was he resentful at having been thrust into such a terrifying task? Possibly. It is more likely, however, that the word of the Lord that had been eaten and digested had created within him a righteous anger against the sin of Israel. Not only was Ezekiel filled with God’ s indignation, he was conscious of being strengthened and guided by the hand of the Lord (Ezekiel 3:14). Even though the vision was over, he still felt that the unseen hand was upon him.

Ezekiel among the captives (Ezekiel 3:15): And I came unto the captives at Tel Aviv who were dwelling beside the river Kebar, and to where they dwelled. And I sat there seven days astonished in their midst. Following the visionary experience, Ezekiel rejoined his fellow captives in Tel Aviv, the chief center of the exiles in Babylon. The name Tel Aviv means “heap of grain ears.” The place probably got its name from the fertility of the area. For seven days Ezekiel sat astonished among the exiles. Keil understands the term to mean motionless and dumb. This was a time for reflection, meditation and readjustment. Various explanations of the seven days have been given. This was the period of pre-scribed mourning in certain periods of Old Testament history (Job 2:13). The period for the consecration of a priest was also seven days (Leviticus 8:33).

Thus Ezekiel may have regarded this period as his time of personal consecration to the prophetic office. The simplest explanation, however, is that Ezekiel was waiting for further instruction. There will then be no particular significance in the number sevenR OF SERVICEEze_3:16-21 Beginning in Ezekiel 3:16 the focus shifts from the national to the individual aspects of Ezekiel’ s mission. In the midst of the general visitation that will fall upon the nation as a whole, each individual was to stand before the Lord to have his faith and works rewarded or punished. This passage underscores the basic moral principle that each person is individually responsible for his own conduct. Another principle enunciated here is that God’ s messengers must face up to the responsibility to warn all men of the consequences of their ways. Ezekiel as Watchman (Ezekiel 3:16-17) Revelation (Ezekiel 3:16): And it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying… At the end of the seven days of silence, the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, i.e., he had another revelation from God. This is the first of some sixty occurrences of the revelation formula in the book. The expression implies the experience of a possessing word or influence. In this word Ezekiel receives both instruction and further commission to carry out his ministry.

Installation (Ezekiel 3:17 a): Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel. Ezekiel learned in this revelation that God had appointed him to be a watchman for the house of Israel. Watchman was not a new name for the prophet of God, but it was not common. Yet it is used at the beginning of Ezekiel’ s commissioning. It is repeated and amplified at his re­commissioning in Ezekiel 33:1-9. Evidently the term brings out a prominent feature of Ezekiel’ s ministry.

Ellison puts his finger on the significance of the title watchman when he notes that Ezekiel was not merely to be God’ s messenger to the people in general; he was to be God’ s messenger to the individual in particular. He was to be a personal evangelist as well as a public orator. While it is true that only the facts of his public ministry have been preserved, this in no wise nullifies the conclusion here reached. Ezekiel was to engage in a pastoral ministry such as priests in Old Testament times were supposed to perform. The chief contribution of Ezekiel to Old Testament theology is his emphasis on individual responsibility. 3. Obligation (3:17b): Hear the word from my mouth, and give them warning from me. In his capacity as watchman, Ezekiel was to wait and watch for the word from the mouth of God. He then was to warn the people of impending calamity. The life and safety of a community were in the hand of a city watchman. So also the life and safety of the people of God were in the hands of Ezekiel. Four different cases are discussed so that Ezekiel might clearly assess his responsibility as Israel’ s watchman. Various Watchman Scenarios (Ezekiel 3:18-21): Case one: the unwarned wicked (3:18): When I say to the wicked, You will surely die, and you do not warn him or speak to preserve his life, he is the wicked one who will die in his iniquity; but his blood I will seek from your hand In his role as Watchman, Ezekiel will encounter two types of individuals. First, he will encounter the wicked— those destined to die for the sin they had committed. Ezekiel’ s job was to warn him of his wicked way, i.e., of the consequences of continuing his wicked course of conduct. The wicked will be those who do not serve God, but on the contrary, live in open defiance of Him.

God told Ezekiel that the penalty for the wicked is death. He will die in his iniquity (v 18). Most commentators see nothing more involved here than the end of physical life. It should be noted that it is not Ezekiel who here speaks; it is the Lord. The question is not, then, what was the level of understanding of the doctrine of retribution or the doctrine of the afterlife in the sixth century B.C. Still less is the full meaning of the utterance to be determined by ascertaining how Ezekiel or his contemporaries may have interpreted the word die.

The teaching of the Bible is that those who die unforgiven “ die” for all eternity in a conscious existence elsewhere known as the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). That a premature death may also be involved cannot be denied. But to contend that premature death exhausts the meaning of the statement is to disregard the total biblical teaching that eternal retribution follows the physical death of the wicked.

If the prophet fails faithfully and forthrightly to sound the alarm, he will be held accountable for the death of that sinner— his blood I will seek from your hand (Ezekiel 3:18). The focus changes in Ezekiel 3:18 from them to him— the individual. The teaching here harks back to the principle expressed in Genesis 9:5 f. Just as the blood of a murdered man demanded retribution by the nearest kinsman, so a man dying unwarned will be regarded virtually as the victim of murder committed by the unfaithful Watchman. Ezekiel himself would have to die for his negligence. Though this utterance is metaphorical, it nonetheless emphasizes the enormous responsibility that was Ezekiel’ s. The Christian responsibility to warn the lost is no less (1 John 5:16). Case two: non-repentant wicked (Ezekiel 3:20): But as for you, when you warn a wicked one, and he does not turn from his wickedness and from his wicked way, he in his iniquity will die, but as for you, your life you have delivered. Nothing but good can result from the discharge of responsibility to warn the wicked. If he heeds the warning and alters his course of conduct, he will live, i.e., save his soul. If he refuses, he will suffer the consequences of death. But the messenger thereby has done his duty. Thus he has delivered his own life of blood-guiltiness. An important principle of Old Testament jurisprudence is illustrated in this passage: The failure to save life corresponds to murder. Case three: the straying righteous man (Ezekiel 3:20): And when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I place a stumbling block before him, he will die; because you did not warn him in his sin, he will die; his righteousness that he has done will not be remembered; but his blood I will seek from your hand. On occasion Ezekiel will encounter a man whose basic orientation was righteous, but who momentarily had strayed from the path of fidelity. Sometimes God permits a stumbling block to be placed before such a one— some trial, some difficulty, some occasion for sin. For an example of such a stumbling block see 7:19 and 44:12. It is true that God tempts no man in order to bring about his destruction. Through his providence and permissive will, however, He allows men to be tried that their faith may be found true.

Stumbling was not inevitable. A moral choice was always involved, Furthermore, God provided the Watchman to warn where the stumbling blocks were located.

Should one who was outwardly pious depart from the path of righteousness, the past righteous acts of that man will not be remembered. To neglect to warn such a person will result in his death and the Watchman’ s guilt. Case four: the righteous man who heeds (Ezekiel 3:21): But as for you, if you warn a righteous man that a righteous man does not sin, and he does not sin, he will surely live because he has been warned. As for you, you have delivered your life. If a righteous man who had stumbled into sin repented, he will thereby save his soul. In any case, the Watchman is free from any responsibility so long as he sounded the alarm. ON SERVICEEze_3:22-27A New Meeting with God (Ezekiel 3:22-23) A divine directive (Ezekiel 3:22): And the hand of the I.ORD came upon me there. He said unto me, Rise, go out into the plain. There I will speak with you. The protracted period of commissioning comes to an end with a second glimpse of God’s glory. Following the lesson at Tel Aviv, the hand of the Lord, i.e., the power and guiding influence of God, came upon Ezekiel. He was told to go out into the plain. There God will teach Ezekiel yet another lesson about his ministry. The word plain means literally “ valley,” the area between two mountains. This may well have been a site frequented by Ezekiel in his periods of solitude. It may well have been in this same “ valley” that Ezekiel later received his vision of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1).

An obedient response (Ezekiel 3:23): And I arose, and went out unto the plain. Behold there the glory of the LORD was standing like the glory that I saw beside the river Kebar. I fell upon my face. Ezekiel complied with the divine command. When he reached the designated spot, he saw a second vision of the glory of the Lord. The vision was very much like that which he had seen by the Kebar. Modern commentators seem to focus on the various aspects of the heavenly throne-chariot— the wheels and living creatures. Ezekiel, however, sums up the whole of that vision by his reference to the One who rode the chariot—the glory of the Lord. As on the earlier occasion, Ezekiel reacted to this majestic manifestation by falling on his face (v 23). New Instructions (Ezekiel 3:24-27): Restriction of his movement(Ezekiel 3:24-25): Strengthened by the Spirit (Ezekiel 3:24 a): And the Spirit came on me. He made me stand upon my feet. He spoke to me, and said… Again the Holy Spirit entered into Ezekiel, giving him the strength and confidence to stand on his feet.

What Ezekiel was to do (Ezekiel 3:24 b): Go shut yourself up in the midst of your house. Ezekiel now received a new command. He was told to shut himself within his house.

What would be done to Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3:25): And as for you, son of man, behold fetters will be placed upon you. You will not go out in their midst. In his house, Ezekiel will be bound with fetters. No evidence exists that Ezekiel was ever literally bound by his auditors. The fetters must be symbolic or metaphorical of self-imposed (or God-imposed) restraint. Perhaps the restraints were placed on the prophet by his fellow captives. It seems that Ezekiel’ s movements outside his house were severely restricted, if not actually curtailed.

Restriction on his speech(Ezekiel 3:26-27) : His mouth closed (Ezekiel 3:26): And your tongue will cleave unto the roof of your mouth so that you will be dumb. You will not become to them a man of reproof, for they are a rebellious house. Divine restrictions were placed upon the speech of Ezekiel, as well as on his movements. His tongue will cleave unto the roof of his mouth. Because of the rebelliousness of the house of Israel, the prophet should (or will) be silent. During that period of self-imposed (or God-imposed) dumbness, he will not serve as a man of reproof to them. This ministry of silence seems to have been intended to demonstrate to the exiles that they were indeed a rebellious house (Ezekiel 3:26).

His mouth opened (Ezekiel 3:27): But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth. You will say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD. The one who hears, let him hear, and the one who desists let him desist; for they arc a rebellious house. Ezekiel will only communicate with his fellow exiles at such times as he had a divine communication to share with them. From time to time God will commit to his Watchman a revelation that was to be passed on to the captives. Ezekiel was to preface every spoken word with Thus says the Lord.

The silence of Ezekiel was to last for a limited time. When Jerusalem fell six years later, the restraints were removed from the prophet (Ezekiel 33:22). This was, to use the language of Taylor, ritual dumbness. Ezekiel did not suffer from catalepsy or some nervous disorder. Rather the idea is that he was to speak only when under a divine compulsion to do so. The reaction of men to these God-given pronouncements will confirm men in their attitude toward God.

Men will either obey it, or they will despise it. In the former case, they will find grace; in the latter, condemnation. By his preaching and non-preaching, Ezekiel continuously confronted his auditors with the life and death alternatives. SPECIAL NOTE ON EZEKIEL Ezekiel 3:25-27 The interpretation of this paragraph is extremely difficult. The problem is not so much in what is said— though that is difficult enough— but in the timing of it. How can the previous commands to preach the word be squared with the thought that Ezekiel was to be dumb? How can his being bound with cords be harmonized with subsequent chapters that show him moving about freely? Those who have wrestled with these questions may be divided into two broad categories. First, some think in terms of a literal period of silence. Even among those who hold to a literal period of silence at least four different positions have been taken:

1. Some think the episode is chronologically out of place. They think this command was issued after ch 24. The passage has been placed in its present position because of topical considerations. It does, after all, partake of the nature of a commission.
2. Others suggest that there was a period of dumbness prior to the launching of the ministry of proclamation. This will be the obvious solution to the problem were it not for the difficulty of finding time for such a period of dumbness in the known chronology of Ezekiel’ s life.
3. David Kimchi offered the intriguing suggestion that the silence was divinely imposed so as to prevent Ezekiel from speaking until he had received the entire revelation that God reveals in chs 1-11. He was not to speak prematurely.
4. Finally, some suggest that the silence was the first of a series of prophecies that Ezekiel acted out. Another approach to this passage regards the fetters on Ezekiel as symbolic or metaphorical. These scholars see the restraint upon the prophet as a symbol of the bitter opposition of his fellow exiles to his prophesying. Ezekiel preaches, but the exiles do not listen. Since no real communication will take place, it will be as though Ezekiel were dumb. Still others interpret the entire passage as saying simply that Ezekiel will refuse to speak to his neighbors about ordinary matters. He will speak only when he had a divine revelation.

Ezekiel Chapter ThreeVerse 1 EZEKIEL’S In this chapter we have: (1) Ezekiel commanded to eat the roll of the book (Ezekiel 3:1-3); (2) God promises Ezekiel power to overcome the difficulties of his mission (Ezekiel 3:4-9); (3) Ezekiel is brought to the place where he is to labor (Ezekiel 3:10-15); (4) Ezekiel is warned of his responsibility for the souls entrusted to his watchfulness (Ezekiel 3:16-21); and (5) we have the conclusion (the third phase) of Ezekiel’s divine commission to Israel (Ezekiel 3:22-27). Ezekiel 3:1-3“And he said unto me, Son of man, eat that which thou findest; eat this roll, and go, speak unto the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat the roll. And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.“EATING THE ROLL OF THE BOOK (Ezekiel 3:1-3) Some have supposed that there was some hesitation or reluctance on the part of Ezekiel to eat this roll, basing such a view upon the repetition of the commandment and the statement at the end of Eze 3:3, “Then did I eat it”; but we do not believe that such a notion is fully supported by the text. The significance of eating the roll and of its sweetness in the mouth shows that, “It is sweet to do the will of God and to be entrusted with tasks for him."[1] It does not mean that the sad news God’s message contained for the fallen people of Israel was the source of any “sweetness” for the prophet. This symbolical action of eating the roll teaches that, (1) the words of Ezekiel would not be his words but the Word of God; (2) the written word of God would become the very life of the prophet; (3) the eating of the roll by Ezekiel indicated his acceptance of the commission God was here giving him; and (4) that he would need to digest it, assimilate it into his very being, and speak nothing else, absolutely, to the people except as God would direct him. As Feinberg stated it, “He who gives forth the Word of the Lord must feed on it himself."[2]The similar symbolical action of the apostle John (Revelation 10) comes to mind instantly as this passage is read; and the remembrance that in the New Testament incident the taste of the roll changed into bitterness “in his belly,” and one wonders why a similar thing was not mentioned here. We believe with Plumptre that, “Perhaps verse 14 implies the very same bitterness that John experienced when the first ecstatic joy passed away and the sense of the awfulness of the task came upon the prophet."[3]Verse 4 “And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. For thou art not sent to a people of strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel; 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. 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 a hard forehead and of a stiff heart. Behold, I have made thy face hard against their faces, and thy forehead hard against their foreheads. 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’S PROMISE OF POWER TO EZEKIELAs our study of Ezekiel moves forward, we are impressed by the right of this prophet to be called a type of Jesus Christ: (1) The name alone (Son of man) suggests it; (2) In this passage Ezekiel is sent “only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24); and again in this passage, (3) Ezekiel was told that Israel would not hear him, because they would not hear God (Ezekiel 3:7); and the exact duplicate of this was promised the apostles by Jesus Christ (John 15:20). Still another fundamental element of Jesus’ teaching is in Ezekiel 3:6. “Surely, if I sent thee to them, they would hearken unto thee …” (Ezekiel 3:6). “The thought here finds its analogue in our Lord’s reference to Sodom and Gomorrah (Matthew 11:21-24)."[4]This paragraph repeats much that was stated in Ezekiel 2 regarding the rebellious house of Israel and their attitude toward God; but, as Taylor noted, the previous mention of such qualities in Israel were a description of Ezekiel’s commission; “But these later verses represent the equipping of the prophet with the qualities which he will need in order to fulfill his commission."[5]As Keil noted, the concluding clause in Ezekiel 3:6 has no primary application to the Gentiles, other than the truth that was demonstrated by the spread of Christianity into “all nations.” “Here, the words emphasize the contrast between the excusable inability of people to understand a foreign language and the quite inexcusable stubbornness of Ezekiel’s Israelite hearers."[6]; “Strange speech … and hard language …”(Ezekiel 3:6). In the Hebrew here, the literal words are, “of deep lip and heavy tongue."[7] This passage also suggests the words of Isa 28:11, where “tongues” appear as a curse to God’s people and not as a blessing. Verse 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. 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.“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. 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. 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. 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 COMES TO TEL-ABIB (Ezekiel 3:10-15) “All my words that I shall speak unto thee …” (Ezekiel 3:10). The emphasis here should be upon the word “all.” Even as the apostle Paul obeyed God in that he declared “the whole counsel of God” to mankind, Ezekiel was commissioned of God to do exactly the same thing. “The prophet was not to pick and choose out of the message, but was to deliver all the counsel of God' (<a href="/bible/parallel/ACT/22/27" class="green-link">Acts 22:27</a>)."[8]"Go, get thee to them of the captivity ..." (<a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/3/11" class="green-link">Ezekiel 3:11</a>) In <a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/3/4" class="green-link">Ezekiel 3:4</a>, we noted that Ezekiel's commission was to "the house of Israel"; but here he was commanded to go to the captives. This was in no sense whatever a change in the commission. "For all practical purposes, the exiles were the house of Israel."[9]Yes, part of the Israelites would return to Egypt, namely, the conspirators who murdered Gedaliah and took Jeremiah there to die; and there was another residue of the once powerful Ephraim in Assyria; but to neither of those groups was any prophet ever sent. The destiny of the whole Chosen People and the entire hope of the ultimate salvation of the human race were centered right there in Babylon in the hearts of the captive "remnant." However, as Bruce pointed out, not any of the house of Israel was omitted from God's purpose, "Because the writing of the book would make God's message available to the whole nation,"[10] wherever individuals might chance to have lived. "Go, get thee unto thy people ..." (<a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/3/11" class="green-link">Ezekiel 3:11</a>). Note that God did not here say, "unto my people," but "unto thy people." The apostasy of Israel was so complete that God no longer recognized them as his people, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Hosea, "I hated them: because of the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of my house; I will love them no more" (<a href="/bible/parallel/HOS/9/15" class="green-link">Hosea 9:15</a>). "Blessed be the glory of Jehovah from his place ..." (<a href="/bible/parallel/EZK/3/12" class="green-link">Ezekiel 3:12</a>). This is one of the most significant lines in Ezekiel. It proves that the glory of Jehovah, symbolized by that rushing mighty sound that accompanied the living creatures, the wings and the wheels, was no longer in the temple at Jerusalem. "The words, from his place,’ are not a reference to the sanctuary in Jerusalem, which Jehovah had forsaken, but to some region here thought of as `in the north’ (see note on Ezekiel 1:4, above)."[11]It seems that from the fact of Ezekiel’s hearing all of this tremendous symbol of God’s glory “behind him,” that he had turned to face Tel-abib, whither the Spirit had commanded him to go. The New Testament tells us at what time the glory of God returned, not to any kind of a literal temple, but to the true and mystical Temple of God, which is the holy Church of Jesus Christ. It occurred on Pentecost, where once again the forked flames as of fire and the rushing sound of a mighty wind endowed the apostles of Christ the true princes of the Church of God with the baptism of the Holy Spirit and ushered in the Christian dispensation of the grace of God. “The Spirit lifted me up …” (Ezekiel 3:12). “We are not to suppose that the prophet was miraculously transported from one place to another; he was here guided by God’s Spirit to go to his countrymen."[12]“I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; and the hand of Jehovah was strong upon me …”(Ezekiel 3:14). Why this bitterness? Was it the terrible content of the message Ezekiel was ordered to deliver? Was it the sudden realization of the extreme difficulty of his assignment? Was it the poverty and wretchedness of the captives in their Babylonian dwelling place; or was it the drastic change in the life-style for Ezekiel himself? Bunn believed that, “It was the totality of all these things.

It was here with Ezekiel as with Jesus in Gethsemane. The awesome cup would not pass from him; it contained all of the world’s woe, sin, despair, hopelessness, and shame."[13]Whatever the cause of Ezekiel’s bitterness, he was overwhelmed when he came to Tel-abib; and it appears to have taken a full week for him to get over it. “Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib …” (Ezekiel 3:15). Both Plumptre and Keil understand this as the first event of Ezekiel’s ministry, rather than as the concluding phase of his commissioning; but we prefer the viewpoint of Dummelow that sees in the remainder of this chapter the concluding part of the commission. See enumeration of these three phases in Ezekiel 2. “Tel-abib …” (Ezekiel 3:15). Barnes, Bruce, and other scholars give the meaning of this word as “mound of green ears” or “mound of ears of corn”; but more recent studies on this name indicate that it meant “mound of the storm flood,"[14] or “hill of the deluge”[15] If such meanings are in the name, it would appear that a memory of the Great Deluge itself may be preserved in the name of this mound. It seems also to have been a very fertile and productive place. “I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days …” (Ezekiel 3:15). There certainly seems to have been some tragic condition in the captives themselves which produced this reaction by Ezekiel. This period of silence in the presence of grief, suffering, or disaster was universally observed by comforters in ancient times. A good example of this is seen in the case of the friends of Job who came and sat with him, saying nothing at all. THE ‘S (Ezekiel 3:16-21) Verse 16 “And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 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. 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. 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. Again when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock 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. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth no sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and thou hast delivered thy soul.““Wicked man shall die in his iniquity … he shall die in his sin …” (Ezekiel 3:18; Ezekiel 3:20). “This warning that the sinner would die had a purely temporal reference,” because, “As far as we can see, Ezekiel had little or no concept of a resurrection, still less of eternal life."[16] Such a comment as this is unacceptable, because it limits the meaning of God’s Word to what the commentator supposes the inspired writer had in mind. These words were not the words of Ezekiel, but the words of God; and the arbitrary judgment of any man should not be allowed to restrict their meaning to what the arbitrary judge supposes to have been the conviction of the prophet through whom God spoke. This type of erroneous commentary must be guarded against continually as having no validity whatever. “I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel …” (Ezekiel 3:17). This figurative use of “watchman” was used of Jeremiah’s work (Jeremiah 6:17), and is also found in Habakkuk 2:1. Likewise, Christian elders are said to “watch” for the souls of their members (Hebrews 13:17). The statement here that a righteous man who turns from his righteousness will die in his sins makes Calvinists very nervous; and Feinberg warned against using this passage to teach the possibility of apostasy; but nothing is any more unreasonable, unprovable, or unlikely than the old cliche that, “Once saved, always saved!” Angels sinned and lost their place in heaven; an apostle (Judas) fell from his place, which was taken by another; and Paul even warned the Galatians that, “Ye are fallen away from grace” (Galatians 5:4); and that did not mean that, “They had abandoned the basis of grace for works of their own,"[17] as Feinberg thought, but that, they had abandoned reliance upon the work of faith for reliance upon the works of the Law of Moses! The great warning of 1 Corinthians 10:12 is a total fraud unless there is genuine danger of falling for every Christian who ever lived. “Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall.” Nor is the old Calvinistic excuse that, “In case a Christian or the Old Testament follower of God should fall away, he was never actually saved anyway, being merely a hypocrite all the time!” Feinberg honored this false cliche as follows. “From the context of this passage and the general teaching of the Scripture, we must conclude that “the righteous person” of this chapter was not one who had the root of regeneration, but was righteous in outward appearance and deed only."[18]The only thing wrong with such a comment is that it contradicts the sacred text which speaks of “a righteous man,” not a hypocrite, nor a “pretended” righteous man, but a “righteous man.” There is, however, a legitimate softening of what is written here in the understanding of the passage by Keil. “To turn oneself from his righteousness” denotes the formal falling away from the path of righteousness, not mere “stumbling or sinning from weakness."[19]We believe Keil’s observation here is correct, because it is proved by the example of Peter who even denied the Lord but was nevertheless retained in the apostleship. It is never the making of a mistake, however serious, that results in the falling from grace on the part of a Christian, but a deliberate forsaking of the way of truth. One final word about the possibility of such a fall is that of the following passage. “As touching those who once were enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God, and powers of the age to come, and then fall away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance” (Hebrews 6:4-5). It would be absolutely impossible to designate a true Christian any more explicitly than this is done in the first four lines of this passage; and yet the possibility of such a true Christian’s falling away is dramatically stated. The dramatic new light from this portion of the Old Testament is seen in the shift of emphasis from the Israelite conception of salvation as applicable to their nation, to that of its being the concern of every single individual. “The passage anticipates the great moral principle of Divine government (Ezekiel 18) that each man is individually responsible for his own actions, and that he will be judged by these and these alone."[20] People are never to be saved as nations, groups, races, or as any other classification, but as individuals. “And I lay a stumblingblock before him …” (Ezekiel 3:20). This cannot mean that God tempts any person whomsoever, because, “God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man” (James 1:13). “The expression here means that the temptations of the righteous are under God’s providential control."[21]Verse 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. 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 upon my face. Then the Spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet; and he spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thy house. But thou, son of man, behold, they shall lay hands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them: 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. 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.“FINAL IN THE (Ezekiel 3:22-27) The conclusive instruction for Ezekiel in his divine commission was thus described by Barnes: “Here he learns that there is a time to be silent as well as a time to speak, and that both are appointed by God."[22]Some scholars interpret this final paragraph as a reference to some affliction suffered by Ezekiel, such as epilepsy, aphasia, or temporary madness, and that he had to be restrained by the people. We do not accept that. “All of the various expressions of restraint here are figurative and have the meaning that God restrained Ezekiel for a while with the instruction that he was to open his mouth only in his house to those who consulted him privately."[23]“The glory of the Lord stood there …” (Ezekiel 3:23) Taylor noted that, “This expression sums up the whole of the vision seen in chapter 1; and the abiding recollection was not of the accoutrements of the heavenly chariot-throne, but of the One who sat upon it.” This accords with our own view that this is the conclusion of the commission. Some have suggested that perhaps this paragraph might be misplaced; but Beasley-Murray defended the meaning of it as appropriate enough where it stands.[24]Howie’s conclusion regarding this final paragraph is that, “Ezekiel acted the part of a prisoner, his actions thus symbolizing the destruction of Jerusalem. It was only upon God’s specific commandment that he spoke in public."[25]

Ezekiel 3:1

Ezekiel 3:1. See the comments at 1 Kings 20:35 in volume 2 of this Commentary on the subject of prophets performing or acting. In Revelation 10:8-11 John does the same thing that Ezekiel does here. The physical act (marie possible by the miraculous help of God) was to symbolize a spiritual circumstance. Since this roll contained the words of God, the eating of it would denote the eating of spiritual food and it would inspire the prophet to speak the truth of God to the house of Israel.

Ezekiel 3:2

Ezekiel 3:2. Caused me to eof was a miracle and it is explained in the preceding verse.

Ezekiel 3:3

Ezekiel 3:3. In the case of John (Revelation 10:8-11) the eating of the book had a twofold effect on him, sweet and bitter, but nothing is said about the bitterness in that of Ezekiel, because the personal attitude of the prophet toward the words is the only feature of it that was to be considered in the act, In the ease of John in Revelation that of both the speaker and the people were symbolized, hence the bitterness. It was agreeable with Ezekiel to carry the message to Israel because he was a faithful servant of God the same as John. Belly and bowels are used to denote the body as a whole, and when used figuratively it denotes that Ezekiel was to be completely possessed by the article. Since the act was a symbol of his being inspired of God it made a circumstance like that of the aposiles who were “ filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:4).

Ezekiel 3:4

Ezekiel 3:4. The Lord’s purpose in the preceding verses is made known in this one. Ezekiel was to approach the house of Israel and speak the words He gave him.

Ezekiel 3:5

Ezekiel 3:5, Strange means foreign and hard means difficult, and the people to whom Ezekiel was told to speak did not use that kind of language, but they naturally spoke the same tongue that the prophet used since they both were Jews.

Ezekiel 3:6

Ezekiel 3:6. Ezekiel was not even asked to speak to a number of peoples; only to the one, whose native tongue he could understand without any special help from God. There is no difficulty for an inspired man to speak to any number or kinds of nationalities; that is not the point. On the other hand, a foreign nation might have more pretext for not receiving the words because they would not understand the language; and yet even they would have been more willing to receive the warning than were the Jews who were of a rebellious disposition.

Ezekiel 3:7

Ezekiel 3:7. It should be noted that in the frequent statements on the stubbornness of those to whom the prophet was sent, the idea is held out that it is the house of Israel or the people. This does not prevent any individual in the group from taking a different attitude, and that is largely the explanation of why the Lord insisted on giving them the truth regardless of the general rebellion. There were usually some exceptional instances when certain individuals would accept the admonitions and be profited. The value of this small minority was great enough to justify the work of presenting the word of the Lord though it might bring persecution upon the bearer of the words. It is about time again for the reader to see the long note that was offered in connection with 2 Kings 22:17 in volume 2 of this Commentary.

Ezekiel 3:8

Ezekiel 3:8. This verse means that God was to give Ezekiel the boldness necessary to face the threatening looks of the people who would diBlike the warnings offered.

Ezekiel 3:9

Ezekiel 3:9. An adamant is one of the hardest of stones such as the diamond. It is harder than a flint rock and the term is used figuratively for the firmness that God promised to give Ezekiel in his dealing with the hardfaced people of Israel. See a similar assurance given to the prophet Jeremiah (Jer, 1: 18, 19).

Ezekiel 3:10

Ezekiel 3:10, God communicated with Jeremiah for the purpose of inspiration in the form of speaking as well as by giving him the sense of it in his mind.

Ezekiel 3:11

Ezekiel 3:11. Them of the captivity had direct reference to the people of Israel who were then in Babylon. Ezekiel could appear to them because be was in that land also. There were some of the Israelites still in Palestine because the “3rd captivity” had not yet taken place. And again the prophet was commanded to speak the word regardless of their attitude toward it. This instruction that was repeated so frequently was to the end that Ezekiel need not conclude that be had made a failure just because he could not bring his people to accept the teaching. This subject of the respective responsibility of the speaker and hearer will be treated more thoroughly in a bracket of verses yet in this chapter.

Ezekiel 3:12

Ezekiel 3:12. Spirit took me up denotes that the Spirit took charge of the prophet and conducted him to a more suitable place where he could speak to the people. At the same time he heard a strong voice giving his evi-dence of the presence of God.

Ezekiel 3:13

Ezekiel 3:13. These creatures and wheels are the same that were described in chapter one. applying to the four world empires that succeeded each other.

Ezekiel 3:14

Ezekiel 3:14. Spirit lifted me up has the same meaning as “ spirit took me up” in verse 12. These sentiments which the prophet expressed were because of the unfortunate situation of his people. The bitterness would be increased by the knowledge that their own stubbornness had brought these misfortunes upon them, and he had to be the bearer of the unwelcome message from the Lord.

Ezekiel 3:15

Ezekiel 3:15. Astonished is from SHAMEM and Strong defines it, “To stun (or intransitively grow numb), i.e, devastate Dr (figuratively) stupefy (both usually fn a passive sense),’ 1 The thought is that when Ezekiel saw his brethren and beheld their condition, he was so overcome that he bad nothing to say for seven dayB. A like circumstance Is recorded in Job 2:13.

Ezekiel 3:16

Ezekiel 3:16. The special message from the Lord came to Ezekiel at the end of the seven days mentioned in the preceding verse. The Lord seems to have respected the feelings of his prophet and did not disturb him for a period.

Ezekiel 3:17

Ezekiel 3:17. The subject of the special message was then stated to Ezekiel. He was to he placed in a very important position of responsibility with reference lo the house of Israel in that he was to act as a watchman. That word is from TSAPHAH, which Strong defines, “A primitive root; properly to lean forward, i.e. to peer into the distance; by implication to observe, await.” This definition agrees with the actual work of a man who occupied the walls of ancient cities to watch for any danger that might threaten the city. If he saw an army or other hostile force approaching he was to announce it to the citizens and give them the opportunity to escape if possible or defend themselves otherwise.

Ezekiel 3:18

Ezekiel 3:18. From this verse through 21 the subject is the respective responsibilities of a watchman and those over whom he has been appointed. The principles involved in this situation have been stated frequently and they have always been in force wherever man’ s conduct toward others was involved. If a watchman fails to warn a wicked man of his danger it will not shield him from the effects of his wickedness. Yet his own death will not atone for the negligence of the watchman; he must die also.

Ezekiel 3:19

Ezekiel 3:19. A watchman might not be able to induce a wicked man to turn from his sinful course and the guilty one would have to suffer. But if the watchman has done what he could to turn the unrighteous man from his great error, the entire blame will be placed on his head and not on that of the watchman.

Ezekiel 3:20

Ezekiel 3:20. God does not desire that any man shall sin nor does He actually tempt him with evil in order to induce him to go wrong (James 1: 131. But the Lord subjects his servants to tests of faith and such things are meant by stumblingblocks, If a servant of God yields to this test and does wrong because the watchman did not warn him, then both the backsliding servant and unfaithful watchman will have to die.

Ezekiel 3:21

Ezekiel 3:21. The principle regarding the responsibility of a teacher as set forth in this verse is the same as the Lord has always maintained. The success of a would-be reformer will have nothing to do with his personal reward. It might be possible for him to achieve what would appear as a success and yet he would be condemned because he did not operate according to the truth. On the other hand, a man could fail to accomplish the desired result even when offering the word of God faithfully, because the hearer would not accept the teaching. In such a case the hearer alone would be condemned while the teacher would be blessed. How wonderful it is, then, when the teachings offered is right and the hearer accepts and obeys it; both will be blessed.

Ezekiel 3:22

Ezekiel 3:22. The foregoing speech was made to the prophet while he was in the midst of his people near the river Cliebar. Now the Lord wishes him to go away into a plain for further inspired communications. Plain Is from niQAH and Strong defines it, “Properly a split, i.e. a wide level valley between mountains.” It would be a place secluded and thus a suitable one for a private conversation between the prophet and God,

Ezekiel 3:23

Ezekiel 3:23. Ezekiel obeyed the instructions given him and went forth into the secluded spot. After arriving there the Lord appeared in the form of a glorious halo that overcame the prophet and he fell prostrated to the earth.

Ezekiel 3:24

Ezekiel 3:24, The spirit entered denotes that the prophet was rallied from his prostrated frame of mind. After regaining his strength he was told to go to his own house. It was not the time for him to be abroad among the people, for the Lord was going to give him very much information upon his work with the nation.

Ezekiel 3:25

Ezekiel 3:25. These hands were not literal but were the hindrances that the rebellious Jews would put against the work of the prophet.

Ezekiel 3:26

Ezekiel 3:26. Tongue cleave to roof of mouth was not to be a physical obstruction in every case. It was virtually the same kind of restriction that was placed on Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7; Jeremiah 16, 27). No use to waste words on the stubborn people, but when the proper time comes the Lord will inform him of it.

Ezekiel 3:27

Ezekiel 3:27. Doubtless the Lord had in mind some future date when a shall number of the Jews would listen to instruction. When that tithe came He would open the mouth of the prophet, which means he would au- thrize him to speak. When that was done there would be some who would hear and profit thereby. But before such an event occurs the prophet was to be given a serieB of revelations, some of which would be in the form of personal acting; see the comments oifered on that interesting subject at 1 Kings 20:35 in volume 2 of this Commentary.