So I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll. So I opened my mouthThis phrase signifies Ezekiel's obedience and readiness to receive God's message. In the Hebrew context, the act of opening one's mouth is symbolic of being prepared to speak or receive divine revelation. The Hebrew word for "opened" (פָּתַח, patach) often implies a deliberate action, suggesting that Ezekiel is willingly participating in God's plan. This moment is pivotal, as it marks the prophet's acceptance of his role as a mouthpiece for God. Historically, prophets were seen as intermediaries between God and the people, and Ezekiel's action here aligns him with this sacred tradition. and He fed me the scroll
The imagery of being fed a scroll is rich with symbolism. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, scrolls were the primary medium for recording important texts, including legal documents and sacred writings. The act of eating the scroll signifies internalizing God's word, making it a part of Ezekiel's very being. The Hebrew word for "fed" (אָכַל, akal) is often used in the context of consuming food, which in this case, metaphorically represents the consumption of divine wisdom and prophecy. This act underscores the intimate relationship between the prophet and God, as Ezekiel is not merely a passive recipient but an active participant in the divine message. The scroll, containing words of lamentation and woe, indicates the serious and often challenging nature of the prophetic message Ezekiel is to deliver. This moment is a profound reminder of the responsibility and burden carried by those who are called to speak God's truth. Persons / Places / Events 1. EzekielA prophet and priest during the Babylonian exile, called by God to deliver His messages to the Israelites. 2. GodThe divine being who commissions Ezekiel and provides him with the scroll to consume. 3. The ScrollRepresents God's message, filled with words of lamentation, mourning, and woe, which Ezekiel is commanded to eat as a symbol of internalizing God's word. 4. Babylonian ExileThe historical context in which Ezekiel prophesied, where the Israelites were in captivity in Babylon. 5. IsraelitesThe audience of Ezekiel's prophecies, who were in need of repentance and return to God. Teaching Points Internalizing God's WordJust as Ezekiel ate the scroll, believers are called to internalize Scripture, allowing it to transform their hearts and minds. Obedience to God's CallEzekiel's willingness to open his mouth and eat the scroll demonstrates obedience, a key aspect of a faithful life. The Bittersweet Nature of God's MessageThe scroll contained lamentations and woes, reminding us that God's truth can be both comforting and challenging. Spiritual NourishmentGod's word is essential for spiritual growth and sustenance, much like food is for the body. Preparedness for MinistryBy consuming the scroll, Ezekiel was prepared to deliver God's message, illustrating the importance of being equipped with Scripture for ministry. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Ezekiel's act of eating the scroll illustrate the importance of internalizing God's word in our daily lives? 2. In what ways can we ensure that we are obedient to God's call, even when it involves difficult tasks or messages? 3. How can the bittersweet nature of God's message, as seen in Ezekiel's scroll, be reflected in our own experiences with Scripture? 4. What practical steps can we take to make Scripture a source of spiritual nourishment in our lives? 5. How does Ezekiel's preparation for ministry through consuming the scroll inspire us to be better equipped for our own spiritual callings? Connections to Other Scriptures Revelation 10:9-10John is also instructed to eat a scroll, symbolizing the internalization of God's message, similar to Ezekiel's experience. Jeremiah 15:16Jeremiah speaks of finding God's words and consuming them, highlighting the joy and sustenance found in God's word. Psalm 119:103The psalmist describes God's words as sweet to the taste, emphasizing the desirability and nourishment of Scripture. Matthew 4:4Jesus quotes Deuteronomy, emphasizing that man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God, underscoring the necessity of God's word for spiritual life. People EzekielPlaces Chebar, Tel-abibTopics Caused, Causeth, Eat, Fed, Mouth, Open, Opened, Opening, Roll, ScrollDictionary of Bible Themes Ezekiel 3:1-3 4438 eating
5548 speech, divine
8236 doctrine, purpose Ezekiel 3:1-4 5167 mouth Library Cæsarius of Arles.
He was born in the district of Chalons-sur-Saone, A. D. 470. He seems to have been early awakened, by a pious education, to vital Christianity. When he was between seven and eight years old, it would often happen that he would give a portion of his clothes to the poor whom he met, and would say, when he came home, that he had been, constrained to do so. When yet a youth, he entered the celebrated convent on the island of Lerins, (Lerina,) in Provence, from which a spirit of deep and practical piety …
Augustus Neander—Light in the Dark PlacesBoniface, Apostle of the Germans.
BONIFACE, or Winfried, as they called him in Anglo-Saxon, born at Crediton in Devonshire, in 680, deserves to be honoured as the father of the German Church, although he was by no means the first who brought the seeds of the Gospel to Germany. Many had already laboured before him; but the efforts which had been made here and there did not suffice to secure the endurance of Christianity amongst the many perils to which it was exposed. Christianity needs to be linked with firm ecclesiastical institutions, …
Augustus Neander—Light in the Dark Places Epistle xxxiv. To Venantius, Ex-Monk, Patrician of Syracuse .
To Venantius, Ex-Monk, Patrician of Syracuse [1331] . Gregory to Venantius, &c. Many foolish men have supposed that, if I were advanced to the rank of the episcopate, I should decline to address thee, or to keep up communication with thee by letter. But this is not so; since I am compelled by the very necessity of my position not to hold my peace. For it is written, Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet (Isai. lviii. 1). And again it is written, I have given thee for a watchman …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great The Greatness of the Soul,
AND UNSPEAKABLENESS 0F THE LOSS THEREOF; WITH THE CAUSES OF THE LOSING IT. FIRST PREACHED AT PINNER'S HALL and now ENLARGED AND PUBLISHED FOR GOOD. By JOHN BUNYAN, London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1682 Faithfully reprinted from the Author's First Edition. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. Our curiosity is naturally excited to discover what a poor, unlettered mechanic, whose book-learning had been limited to the contents of one volume, could by possibility know …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 The Servant's Inflexible Resolve
'For the Lord God will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set My face like a flint.'--ISAIAH l. 7. What a striking contrast between the tone of these words and of the preceding! There all is gentleness, docility, still communion, submission, patient endurance. Here all is energy and determination, resistance and martial vigour. It is like the contrast between a priest and a warrior. And that gentleness is the parent of this boldness. The same Will which is all submission …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Iranian Conquest
Drawn by Boudier, from the engraving in Coste and Flandin. The vignette, drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a statuette in terra-cotta, found in Southern Russia, represents a young Scythian. The Iranian religions--Cyrus in Lydia and at Babylon: Cambyses in Egypt --Darius and the organisation of the empire. The Median empire is the least known of all those which held sway for a time over the destinies of a portion of Western Asia. The reason of this is not to be ascribed to the shortness of its duration: …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9 The Prophet Jonah.
It has been asserted without any sufficient reason, that Jonah is older than Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Obadiah,--that he is the oldest among the prophets whose written monuments have been preserved to us. The passage in 2 Kings xiv. 25, where it is said, that Jonah, the son of Amittai the prophet, prophesied to Jeroboam the happy success of his arms, and the restoration of the ancient boundaries of Israel, and that this prophecy was confirmed by the event, cannot decide in favour of this assertion, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Ezekiel 3:2 NIVEzekiel 3:2 NLTEzekiel 3:2 ESVEzekiel 3:2 NASBEzekiel 3:2 KJV
Ezekiel 3:2 Commentaries
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