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Ezekiel 3

Ezekiel 3 continues God’s charge to Ezekiel as a watchman for Israel. God instructs Ezekiel to deliver His words faithfully, warning him of the consequences of failing to warn the people. As Ezekiel internalizes God’s message, he experiences both its bitterness and its responsibility. In the chapter’s closing, Ezekiel is restricted by God’s hand to symbolize Israel’s obstinacy, underscoring the weight of Ezekiel’s prophetic role.

Ezekiel 3:1-10 (NKJV)
1 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.”
2 So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll.
3 And He said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.” So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness.
4 Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them.
5 For you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel,
6 not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you.
7 But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted.
8 Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads.
9 Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.”
10 Moreover He said to me: “Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you, and hear with your ears.”

God instructs Ezekiel to consume the scroll symbolizing His words, urging Ezekiel to internalize His message. The sweetness Ezekiel tastes reflects the divine truth’s pleasantness, but the content also holds the weight of judgment. God clarifies that Ezekiel’s mission is to Israel, not to foreign nations who might have been more receptive. Knowing Israel’s hard-heartedness, God strengthens Ezekiel, equipping him with resilience to face their stubbornness. Ezekiel’s “strong forehead” symbolizes his resolve, and God urges him not to fear their defiance, assuring him of divine support despite Israel’s rebellion.

Ezekiel 3:11-15 (NKJV)
11 And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear, or whether they refuse.”
12 Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a great thunderous voice: “Blessed is the glory of the Lord from His place!”
13 I also heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, and a great thunderous noise.
14 So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me.
15 Then I came to the captives at Tel Abib, who dwelt by the River Chebar; and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.

God instructs Ezekiel to declare His words to the exiled Israelites, emphasizing that their response is secondary to Ezekiel’s duty to deliver the message. As Ezekiel is lifted by the Spirit, he experiences the majesty of God’s presence, hearing the sounds of divine glory through the cherubim and wheels. Although burdened and disturbed by the task, Ezekiel is compelled by God’s powerful guidance. Upon arrival at Tel Abib, he is overwhelmed, sitting silently among the exiles for seven days, fully absorbing their suffering and the seriousness of his calling.

Ezekiel 3:16-21 (NKJV)
16 Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me:
18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.
19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
20 Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand.
21 Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.”

After seven days, God appoints Ezekiel as a “watchman” over Israel, accountable for warning the people. If Ezekiel neglects his duty, he bears responsibility for their death. However, if he warns them and they refuse to repent, only they bear the consequences. This calling emphasizes the gravity of Ezekiel’s role and the divine justice that holds both the prophet and the people accountable. God’s justice is balanced: Ezekiel’s faithfulness ensures he is free from blame, while each person is responsible for their response to God’s warnings.

Ezekiel 3:22-27 (NKJV)
22 Then the hand of the Lord was upon me there, and He said to me, “Arise, go out into the plain, and there I shall talk with you.”
23 So I arose and went out into the plain, and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face.
24 Then the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet, and spoke with me and said to me: “Go, shut yourself inside your house.
25 And you, O son of man, surely they will put ropes on you and bind you with them, so that you cannot go out among them.
26 I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and not be one to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious house.
27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.”

Instructed to go to the plain, Ezekiel encounters God’s glory once again, reminding him of the overwhelming divine presence. God commands him to isolate himself in his home, symbolizing the restraint Israel has placed upon themselves by rejecting God’s words. Ezekiel is temporarily rendered mute by God, signifying that only divine command will loosen his tongue to speak. This underscores God’s ultimate authority over Ezekiel’s prophetic message and highlights Israel’s rebellious nature, which hinders them from freely receiving God’s warnings until God allows Ezekiel to speak again.

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