EZEKIEL EATS A SCROLL

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

Ezekiel was overwhelmed by the vision of God and the four living creatures with wheels. But God humbled Ezekiel that he might raise him up and give him an important mission (3): to speak God’s words to his own people. However, they would probably not listen (4). That meant Ezekiel needed to grow in courage.

God began training Ezekiel for this mission by having him eat a scroll! It symbolizes how God’s words are our spiritual food, and that to preach God’s words to others, the first step is to chew up and digest the word for ourselves. Ezekiel found that the scroll tasted sweet, showing that God’s words were highly nourishing to his inner self.

By the discipline of persistent Bible study, we can be equipped with God’s words to do his will. But most important is to have an open heart to “eat”—that is, to deeply accept what God tells us— to take God's words in, and to let it change us on the inside. Then we also can speak God’s words without fearing people by leaving the results to God.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the mission you gave me, even though it may bring opposition. Thank you for your delicious words. Help me not neglect them as my spiritual food.

One Word: Eat the words God gives