Ezekiel Eats a Scroll

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Ezekiel Eats a Scroll

Date: Aug. 2, 2024

Passage

Ezekiel 2:1-3:3 (ESV)

1 And he said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2 And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. 4 The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ 5 And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. 7 And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.

8 “But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” 9 And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a scroll of a book was in it. 10 And he spread it before me. And it had writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe.

1 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.

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Daily Bread

Key Verse: 2:2:8

And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

Ezekiel was overwhelmed by the vision of God and the four living creatures with wheels. But God humbled Ezekiel that he might raise him up and give him an important mission (3): to speak God’s words to his own people. However, they would probably not listen (4). That meant Ezekiel needed to grow in courage.

God began training Ezekiel for this mission by having him eat a scroll! It symbolizes how God’s words are our spiritual food, and that to preach God’s words to others, the first step is to chew up and digest the word for ourselves. Ezekiel found that the scroll tasted sweet, showing that God’s words were highly nourishing to his inner self.

By the discipline of persistent Bible study, we can be equipped with God’s words to do his will. But most important is to have an open heart to “eat”—that is, to deeply accept what God tells us— to take God's words in, and to let it change us on the inside. Then we also can speak God’s words without fearing people by leaving the results to God.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the mission you gave me, even though it may bring opposition. Thank you for your delicious words. Help me not neglect them as my spiritual food.

One Word: Eat the words God gives

The Lord is Our God

Zechariah 13:1-9

Key Verse: 13:9

  And I will put this third into the fire,
    and refine them as one refines silver,
    and test them as gold is tested.
  They will call upon my name,
    and I will answer them.
  I will say, ‘They are my people’;
    and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”

Today's Question

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