Ezekiel 2 - Summary

Historical setting

Ezekiel prophesied during the sixth century before Christ, in the period of Judah's exile to Babylon. The kingdom of Judah had been conquered and its people deported; those who remained in Jerusalem lived under foreign rule. Ezekiel himself was among the exiles, living in a settlement by the river Chebar. He operated as a prophet among people who had been uprooted from their homeland, facing the question of whether God remained with them in captivity and what their future held.

Life and customs

A prophet in Israel was understood as someone sent by God to deliver His message, often one who experienced visions and received words directly from the divine. The phrase "son of man" was a form of address used of ordinary humans, emphasizing Ezekiel's mortal weakness before God's power. The scroll or roll, written on both sides, was unusual and itself communicated something about the weight of the message; normally scrolls were written on one side only. Eating the scroll was a symbolic action common to prophetic experience in this period, signifying the complete internalization and embodiment of God's word. The imagery of thorns, scorpions, and a rebellious house conveyed that the prophet's work would be difficult and his hearers resistant.

What the text says

God commands Ezekiel to stand (verse 1), and when He speaks, His Spirit enters Ezekiel and sets him on his feet, enabling him to hear (verse 2). God sends him to the Israelites, whom He calls "a rebellious nation" whose ancestors and contemporaries have transgressed against Him (verse 3). These people are "impudent" and "stiffhearted," yet Ezekiel must deliver God's words (verse 4). Whether they listen or refuse to listen, they will know a prophet has been among them (verse 5). God tells Ezekiel not to fear them or their words, though he dwells among them like someone surrounded by harmful plants and creatures, and not to be dismayed by their looks (verse 6). He must speak God's words regardless of whether they hear or refuse (verse 7). Ezekiel is commanded to hear God's instruction and not become rebellious like them, but instead to open his mouth and eat what God gives him (verse 8). A hand appears to him holding a rolled scroll (verse 9), which is unrolled before him, written on both inside and outside with "lamentations, and mourning, and woe" (verse 10).

Takeaways

• Ezekiel receives both empowerment through God's Spirit and a difficult assignment among a people likely to reject him.
• The rebelliousness of his hearers is repeatedly emphasized, and yet his message will reach them whether they accept it or not.
• The scroll written with lamentation, mourning, and woe represents the sorrowful content Ezekiel will carry and deliver.