Eating the Scroll
God tells Ezekiel to eat the scroll that was set before him. Although the scroll was made up of words that
were lament, woe, and judgment the scroll still tasted sweet in his mouth. See Revelation 10:9-11 for a similar
incident.
The scroll was sweet for a very simple reason. Even though the subject of the scroll was
difficult and unpleasant, it was still from God. God’s Word – even the portions of judgment –
is to help us become better people.
God’s Word – even the challenges and the conviction – is for making us
better people.
When we submit to God’s Word, it is a sweet experience. Yes, it may make our life hard. It may challenge us and cause us to have to
do some work and some thinking. But it
is ultimately a good experience. We will
be made sweeter whenever we come into contact with God’s Word and allow it to
work within us.
Irony
God looks to Ezekiel and He tells him something rather
interesting. He tells Ezekiel that he is
to speak boldly and without fear. After
all, God is sending him to a people with whom he already shares a
language. Ezekiel isn’t going to a
foreign people whose language he’ll have to learn. Ezekiel is going to his own people.
The ironic part of this whole passage is that God tells him that
although Ezekiel already speaks their language, the people will not
listen. In fact, God tells Ezekiel that
if he were going elsewhere to a people whose language Ezekiel would need to
learn that those people actually would listen.
But the Hebrew people will not listen.
Although the language barrier is minimal, the mental and spiritual
barriers are huge.
I think this is really true of much of what tries to happen with
respect to ministry today. Many of us
try to do ministry in the context in which we live. We know the language. We know the people. But their hearts are hard and set in other
directions than the one pointing to God.
This is often just reality.
So I have to wonder if God had sent Ezekiel to other places and
they would have listened, why didn’t He?
From a purely evangelistic focus, it certainly would have made sense,
wouldn’t it?
However, we also have to remember that God has a greater plan of
salvation. God has a plan to bring Jesus
Christ into the world. In order to set
that table, God needs His prophets to prepare the Hebrew people for the coming
Messiah. So although other people might
have listened, they weren’t yet a part of God’s greater plan of salvation. This plan of salvation is God’s crowning
act. It has to take precedence. Ezekiel is going before the Hebrew people to
prepare them so that when they return from exile they will be ready for the
Messiah to come onto the scene.
Of course, when I say ready I don’t want you to think that I mean
“accepting.” After all, Jesus Christ wasn’t
accepted very well when He came. By
ready, I mean that the scene is set and the context is ripe for what needs to
happen to Jesus. That is the path that
Ezekiel is called to begin.
Sent
Remember the passage from Revelation I quoted earlier? It said that the scroll was sweet upon the
lips but bitter in the stomach. So it is
with Ezekiel. God’s Word, God’s
conviction over the people, was sweet upon the lips of Ezekiel. However, actually going out and doing the
work was bitter. Ezekiel was going among
captives. He was going among people
whose lives had been destroyed. It was a
bitter day for Ezekiel. Yet, the hand of
the Lord was still upon him.
Watchman
God now gives to Ezekiel an incredible charge. I think this is a charge that every parent, teacher,
pastor, and spiritual leader needs to read more often than we do. God tells Ezekiel that if Ezekiel does his
job and warns the people that he will have spared his soul. Whether they turn and repent is between them
and God. However, if Ezekiel doesn’t
warn the people and doesn’t call them into repentance, then he will be held
accountable for their lack of repentance.
Think about this for a moment.
None of us can make another person respond to God. But we can tell a person they need to
respond. Every parent can teach their
kids to love God, honor Him, and repent of their sins. Whether the child listens or not is between
the child and God. But it is the job of
the parent. The same is true for Sunday
School teachers, church leaders, pastors, etc.
Every single one of us can teach others about the need for repentance
and turning to God. When we don’t teach
that, we will be held accountable by God.
Spiritually Bound
Once more God draws Ezekiel into His presence. Once more Ezekiel falls flat on his
face. Once more the Holy Spirit comes
into Ezekiel and physically picks him up.
We see the cycle of humbleness continue.
Then God tells Ezekiel to go and shut himself up into a
house. This doesn’t mean that Ezekiel
can’t leave the house. Rather this is a
symbolic speech to the people of Israel.
They would have to come to him for advice and guidance – and at several
points of the book they do. Ezekiel’s
being shut up in his house is a sign to the Hebrew people to the fact that they
are closed-minded with respect to what God is trying to do among them.
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