YOU MUST SPEAK MY WORDS

Passage: Ezekiel 2:1-3:3

Key verse: 2:8

NIV

Ezekiel’s Call to Be a Prophet

2 He said to me, “Son of man,[a](A) stand(B) up on your feet and I will speak to you.(C)” 2 As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me(D) to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

3 He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day.(E) 4 The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn.(F) Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’(G) 5 And whether they listen or fail to listen(H)—for they are a rebellious people(I)—they will know that a prophet has been among them.(J) 6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid(K) of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns(L) are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.(M) 7 You must speak(N) my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.(O) 8 But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel(P) like that rebellious people;(Q) open your mouth and eat(R) what I give you.”

9 Then I looked, and I saw a hand(S) stretched out to me. In it was a scroll,(T) 10 which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.(U)

3 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.

3 Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate(V) it, and it tasted as sweet as honey(W) in my mouth.

Footnotes
  1. Ezekiel 2:1 The Hebrew phrase ben adam means human being. The phrase son of man is retained as a form of address here and throughout Ezekiel because of its possible association with “Son of Man” in the New Testament.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Ezekiel's Call

2 And he said to me, (A)“Son of man,[a] (B)stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2 And as he spoke to me, (C)the Spirit entered into me and (D)set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to (E)nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. (F)They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. 4 The descendants also are (G)impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ 5 And (H)whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are (I)a rebellious house) (J)they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, (K)be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, (L)though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on (M)scorpions.[b] Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. 7 And you shall speak my words to them, (N)whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.

8 “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. (O)Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and (P)eat what I give you.” 9 And when I looked, behold, (Q)a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, (R)a scroll of a book was in it. 10 And he spread it before me. And it had writing (S)on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.

3 And he said to me, (T)“Son of man, eat whatever you find here. (U)Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” (V)Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth (W)as sweet as honey.

Footnotes
  1. Ezekiel 2:1 Or Son of Adam; so throughout Ezekiel
  2. Ezekiel 2:6 Or on scorpion plants
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. I am sending you to the Israelites (2:1-8) Ezekiel was called to be a prophet. For him this meant speaking the word of the Lord to a rebellious people. The Lord knew that they would not listen, and he knew that Ezekiel would face fearful resistance. He also knew that Ezekiel was a "son of man," subject to the same temptations himself. The Lord called this man to be a prophet-a man who speaks the word of the Lord, who opens his mouth to taste God's word and give it to God's people. 2. Eat what is before you (2:9-3:3) The words the Lord gave Ezekiel were words of woe. But he commanded Ezekiel to eat, and when he did, Ezekiel found the words to taste as sweet as honey. Though the words spoke judgment, they were from the Sovereign Lord, and so they tasted sweet to the prophet Ezekiel.

Prayer: Lord, help me to overcome myself, taste the sweetness of your word and freely speak it today.

One Word: Open your mouth, eat what I give you