Ezekiel 2:1-3:21
Dear RTB’ers,
A couple of items that stood out for me…
And as He spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard Him speaking to me.(v. 2:2) As Ezekiel is called, he is filled with the Spirit. This indwelling Spirit will guide him and strengthen him and give him ears to hear the Lord’s words to him. We have that same Spirit within us, for guidance, strength, and an ear to hear God speaking to us.
…a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. …and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe. … Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey. (vv. 2:9b-10, 3:3) Although Ezekiel would be delivering harsh words to the exiles, he would not be adversely affected in his speaking out. He would do what he had to do, in the strength of his indwelling Spirit.
In Ez. 3:4-7 the Lord tells Ezekiel that if he spoke words to a foreign people whose language he could not understand, they would ear and listen to him. But if he spoke these same words to the obstinate exiles, they would not listen because they have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. I love this contrast – it reminds me of how very intelligent people have a hard time accepting a “simple” message of salvation, a message more easily embraced by people who are less well schooled.
Then the Spirit lifted me up, and … I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were dwelling by the Chebar canal… (vv. 3:12a, 15a) Reading literally, we might imagine Ezekiel flying through the sky and landing by the canal. My sense, however, is that the Spirit simply moved Ezekiel to travel the distance necessary to join the exiles.
Finally, one confusion between two translations. The ESV has Ezekiel being overwhelmed in Ez. 3:15b, while the NASB says that his arrival caused consternation among the exiles. Very different understandings! Or maybe both are possible? As we surely know, even great minds can often differ! We will learn more as we read on!
Blessings.
See also: July 22 (2023) / II Chronicles 36:11-12; Ezekiel 1:1-3:21; II Kings 24:20-25:3; Jeremiah 52:3-6.