Ezekiel 2

God commissions Ezekiel to prophesy to the rebellious house of Israel, emphasizing that the prophet's efficacy relies entirely upon the Spirit rather than his own human capacity. The chapter establishes the parameters of Ezekiel's ministry: faithfulness to the message regardless of the audience's response.

• The prophet is commanded to stand, a posture he cannot achieve alone, necessitating the Spirit's intervention.
• God formally commissions Ezekiel to the rebellious house of Israel, acknowledging their historical and ongoing pattern of transgression.
• The prophet is warned of the hostility he will face, characterized as briers, thorns, and scorpions.
• The prophet is commanded to internalize the divine message, represented by a scroll filled with judgment.

• The repeated phrase 'Son of man' used to address Ezekiel.
• The 'rebellious house' as the primary designation for Israel.
• The scroll written within and without containing 'lamentations, and mourning, and woe'.
• The condition 'whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear'.

This passage establishes the divine authority and necessary empowerment for prophetic ministry, serving as a canonical foundation for understanding the burden of proclaiming God's word to a hostile world. It connects to the New Testament's broader revelation of the 'Son of Man' and the necessity of the Holy Spirit in the believer's witness.

Faithful service to God is defined by consistent obedience in delivering the divine message, not by the outward success or favorable reception of the audience.

The chapter follows a structured commission narrative: the call, the empowerment, the assignment, the warning, and the internalization of the message. This progression shifts the prophet from a passive recipient of a vision to an active participant in God's divine counsel.

• I will speak unto thee (Ezekiel 2:1)

• Stand upon thy feet (Ezekiel 2:1)
• Be not afraid of them (Ezekiel 2:6)
• Speak my words unto them (Ezekiel 2:7)
• Hear what I say unto thee (Ezekiel 2:8)
• Open thy mouth, and eat (Ezekiel 2:8)

• Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house (Ezekiel 2:8)

• Ezekiel is writing from exile in Babylon by the river Chebar, a setting of displacement and judgment.
• The 'rebellious nation' context reflects the ongoing unfaithfulness of Israel that led to the Babylonian captivity.

• The imagery of 'briers and thorns' and 'scorpions' reflects the hostile, dangerous environment of prophetic ministry in a culture that rejects God's law.
• The act of 'eating' a scroll is a symbolic prophetic action signifying the internalization and digestion of God's word before it is spoken.

• This chapter immediately follows the inaugural vision of the Glory of the Lord in chapter 1.
• The structure follows standard prophetic call narratives (like Isaiah 6 or Jeremiah 1), where the prophet is overwhelmed by God's holiness and then commissioned.

• The title 'Son of man' is used here to emphasize the humanity of the prophet in the presence of the Divine, a title notably claimed and fulfilled by Jesus in the New Testament.
• The call to 'eat' the scroll is echoed in Revelation 10:9-10, where John is also commanded to consume a scroll.

• Revelation 10:9-10 (John eating the book).
• Jeremiah 1:4-10 (Jeremiah's similar call to a stiff-necked nation).
• Isaiah 6:8-10 (Isaiah's commission to a people whose hearts were waxed gross).

• Son of man: בֵּן (bēn) [H1121] + אָדָם (ʾāḏām) [H120]. The title emphasizes the prophet's human origin and earthly frailty in contrast to the divine glory witnessed in chapter 1.
• Spirit: רוּחַ (rûaḥ) [H7307]. Used here to denote the divine, energizing presence that enables the prophet to stand.
• Rebellious: מָרַד (mārad) [H4775] and מְרִי (merî) [H4805]. The text uses a root implying active defiance and bitterness against legitimate authority.
• Matthew Henry observes that Ezekiel's standing up was not a natural act of his own, but a result of the Spirit entering him, illustrating that God works in us what He requires of us.

• The prophet remains on his face in chapter 1; he only stands in chapter 2 once the Spirit enters him, indicating that the prophetic task is impossible without the Holy Spirit's enablement.
• God's message to the prophet includes 'lamentations, and mourning, and woe' (v. 10), indicating that the calling of the prophet often involves the heavy emotional burden of declaring divine judgment.