Ezekiel 2

The Word Made Fresh

1The voice said to me, “Son of man, stand up, and I will speak with you.” 2While the Voice was speaking a spirit entered me and stood me on my feet. I heard someone saying to me: 3“Human, I am sending you to the people of Israel who have turned against me. They and their ancestors have disobeyed me down to this very day. 4Their descendants are insolent and stubborn. I am sending you to them to tell them this is what the LORD says. 5Whether they hear or, because they are a rebellious people, refuse to listen, they will know that there has been a prophet among them. 6Don’t be afraid of them or their words even when you are surrounded with briars and thorns and scorpions. Don’t be afraid of what they say or be concerned about how they look at you; they are a rebellious bunch. 7Just tell them what I have to say to them, whether they hear or refuse to listen because they are so rebellious. 8Listen to what I’m telling you. Don’t be rebellious like they have been. Open your mouth and eat what I give you.”

9While I watched, a hand reached out to me holding an open scroll. 10It was spread out in front of me. It had writing on both front and back, with words of lamentation and warning and misery.

Commentary

1-7: Ezekiel is given his prophetic task. “Someone” orders him to his feet and he finds himself standing. “Someone” tells him that he is to go to the people of Israel – presumably those who are now living in exile since that’s where we are at the moment – and speak whatever the LORD wants him to speak, the content of which is not yet specified. They are a stubborn people bent on rebellion, says the Voice, but Ezekiel is not to be afraid of them and not to be concerned about whether they listen to him or not. His job will simply be to tell them what the Voice wants him to tell them.

8-10: That same “someone” spreads out a scroll before Ezekiel on which is written “words of lamentation and warning and misery,” and tells him to eat the scroll. Of course, there can be no doubt as to the identity of “Someone.”

Takeaway

Israel’s situation and God’s response tells us that, no matter how angry God might become because of our faithlessness, God punishes but never lets go of us completely. We are, and always will be, children of God. We cannot lose that status, but we can deny it with the choices we make in life.