Ezekiel · chapter 2 of 48
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Ezekiel 2 tells how the voice from the throne raises the prophet to his feet, the Spirit enters him, and the Lord sends him to the Israelites, a rebellious and stubborn people. He is told not to fear them or their words, to speak whether they listen or not, and not to rebel as they do. A hand holds out a scroll written on both sides with lamentations, mourning and woe.
After the vision of the glory of the Lord in chapter 1, Ezekiel is still on the ground. Chapter 2 is his prophetic call: before any prophecy, God tells him who he is, to whom he is sent and what kind of message he must carry. The tone is realistic, because God warns him from the start that this will be a difficult ministry.
The voice that speaks to Ezekiel calls him son of man, a title that will be repeated throughout the book and underlines his status as a mere mortal before God. He is told to stand up, and while the voice speaks, the Spirit enters him and sets him on his feet.
The Lord sends him to the Israelites, a rebellious nation that, like their ancestors, has rebelled against him to this very day. He describes them as hard of face and stubborn of heart. Even so, Ezekiel must begin his messages with the words, thus says the Lord God, and whether they listen or not, they will know that a prophet has been among them.
God tells him not to fear them, though he is among briers, thorns and scorpions, and not to be dismayed at their looks. He also asks him not to be rebellious like that house, but to open his mouth and eat what is given him. Then he sees a hand stretched out to him with a scroll, which is unrolled and written on the front and back with lamentations, mourning and woe. The scene continues in the next chapter, when he will be told to eat the scroll.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
The Spirit enters Ezekiel and sets him on his feet as the Lord speaks. Ezekiel cannot stand by himself: the call begins with strength given by God, not with the prophet's courage.
God says that, whether they listen or not, they will know a prophet has been among them. The message's success does not depend on the response; Ezekiel's task is faithfulness, and his very presence will be a witness.
God tells Ezekiel not to fear the rebels even if he feels surrounded by briers and scorpions. It is a realistic promise: the ministry will be hostile, but the prophet is not alone.
A hand appears with a scroll written on both sides, full of lamentation, mourning and woe. The content is hard, but Ezekiel will receive it as the word of God and not as an idea of his own.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: Son of man. — Ezekiel 2:1
Answer: The Spirit entered him and set him on his feet. — Ezekiel 2:2
Answer: To the Israelites, a rebellious nation that has rebelled against him. — Ezekiel 2:3
Answer: That a prophet has been among them. — Ezekiel 2:5
Answer: Not to fear them or be dismayed at their words or their looks. — Ezekiel 2:6
Answer: Lamentations, mourning and woe, on both sides. — Ezekiel 2:10
God calls Ezekiel with an honest warning: the people may not listen. For teachers, leaders and parents this is a comfort. We often serve people who resist, and the Lord asks not for results but for faithfulness and the courage to say what he has said.
It also reminds us that the strength to obey comes from the Spirit. Ezekiel does not get up on his own. In Sunday school or a small group, you might ask where you have been waiting to feel capable before obeying, instead of asking God to set you on your feet.
Ezekiel 2 presents a prophet sent to a hard people with a word that includes lament and woe. In chapter 3, Ezekiel will eat the scroll, and his ministry will begin in earnest, with the task of being a watchman for Israel.
The Hebrew expression simply means a human being, and in Ezekiel it highlights the distance between the God of the throne and the mortal prophet. Later, the New Testament records Jesus using the title for himself, although there its main background is the vision of Daniel 7.
Because God's word has value even when it is rejected. His message leaves the people without excuse, and when the announced events arrive they will know a prophet had been among them. Chapter 18 shows that God's final aim is still the life of his people.