Ezekiel 2:8
And you, son of man, listen to what I tell you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I give you."
And you, son of man,

God addresses Ezekiel as a mortal man called to stand before the holy God and deliver His message to Israel.

Dan 8:17 As he came near to where I stood, I was terrified…
Ezk 3:17 Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house…
Ezk 40:4 “Son of man,” he said to me, “look with your eyes,…

listen to what I tell you.

Ezekiel was to receive God’s command fully and carry it out without alteration.

Deu 18:19 And I will hold accountable anyone who does not listen…
Mat 17:5 While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped…
Jhn 10:27 My sheep listen to My voice; I know them…

Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house.

Israel had repeatedly rejected the covenant and the warnings of God’s prophets, bringing judgment that culminated in exile. Ezekiel was not to share their refusal or fear their opposition.

Deu 9:24 You have been rebelling against the LORD…
Isa 30:9 These are rebellious people, deceitful children,…
Neh 9:17 They refused to listen and failed to remember…

Open your mouth and eat what I give you.”

God would give Ezekiel His message to receive inwardly before proclaiming it. The act of eating the scroll pictured the prophet’s complete acceptance of God’s word and commission.

Ezk 3:2-3 So I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll.…
Jer 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became…
Rev 10:9-10 And I went to the angel and said, “Give me the small scroll.”…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ezekiel
A prophet and priest during the Babylonian exile, called by God to deliver His messages to the Israelites.

2. God
The sovereign Lord who commissions Ezekiel to speak to the rebellious Israelites.

3. Israelites
The rebellious house referred to in the passage, representing the people of Israel who have turned away from God.

4. Babylonian Exile
The historical context in which Ezekiel receives his prophetic call, as the Israelites are in captivity due to their disobedience.
Teaching Points
Obedience to God's Word
Ezekiel is commanded to listen and not rebel, highlighting the importance of obedience in our relationship with God.

Internalization of Scripture
The act of eating the scroll symbolizes taking God's word into our hearts and minds, making it a part of us.

Resistance to Rebellion
The Israelites' rebellion serves as a warning against turning away from God's commands, urging us to remain faithful.

Prophetic Responsibility
Ezekiel's role underscores the responsibility of those who are called to speak God's truth, emphasizing the need for courage and faithfulness.

Divine Provision
God provides the message Ezekiel is to deliver, reminding us that He equips us for the tasks He assigns.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Ezekiel's call to not rebel against God apply to our daily lives and decisions?

2. In what ways can we "eat" or internalize God's word today, and why is this important?

3. What are some modern examples of rebellion against God's commands, and how can we guard against them?

4. How does the concept of prophetic responsibility in Ezekiel's time relate to the role of Christian leaders today?

5. Reflect on a time when you felt God provided you with the words or wisdom you needed. How did this experience strengthen your faith?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Jeremiah 1:9
Similar to Ezekiel, Jeremiah is called by God and given His words to speak, emphasizing the divine origin of the prophet's message.

Revelation 10:9-10
John is instructed to eat a scroll, symbolizing the internalization of God's message, akin to Ezekiel's experience.

Psalm 119:103
Highlights the sweetness of God's words, encouraging believers to internalize and delight in His teachings.
Prophetic ReceptivenessJ.R. Thomson Ezekiel 2:8
The Commission to Prophetic ServiceW. Jones Ezekiel 2:3-8
God's Ambassador a WarriorJ.D. Davies Ezekiel 2:6-8
Ministers Exposed to Corruption by Their PeopleN. Emmons, D. D.Ezekiel 2:8-10
The Bible: a Record of Human SorrowsU. R. Thomas.Ezekiel 2:8-10
The God-Made MinisterA. Whyte, D. D.Ezekiel 2:8-10
People
Ezekiel, Israelites
Places
Chebar
Topics
Ear, Eat, Giving, Listen, Mouth, Open, Rebel, Rebellious, Speaking, Uncontrolled
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 2:8

     1690   word of God
     2233   Son of Man
     6222   rebellion, against God

Ezekiel 2:5-8

     6223   rebellion, of Israel

Ezekiel 2:8-3:4

     5194   touch

Library
Endurance of the World's Censure.
"And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them; neither be afraid of their words, though briars and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions; be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house."--Ezekiel ii. 6. What is here implied, as the trial of the Prophet Ezekiel, was fulfilled more or less in the case of all the Prophets. They were not Teachers merely, but Confessors. They came not merely to unfold the Law, or to foretell the Gospel,
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

Epistle xxxvi. To Maximus, Bishop of Salona .
To Maximus, Bishop of Salona [113] . Gregory to Maximus, &c. When our common son the presbyter Veteranus came to the Roman city, he found me so weak from the pains of gout as to be quite unable to answer thy Fraternity's letters myself. And indeed with regard to the nation of the Sclaves [114] , from which you are in great danger, I am exceedingly afflicted and disturbed. I am afflicted as suffering already in your suffering: I am disturbed, because they have already begun to enter Italy by way
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Epistle Xlv. To Theoctista, Patrician .
To Theoctista, Patrician [153] . Gregory to Theoctista, &c. We ought to give great thanks to Almighty God, that our most pious and most benignant Emperors have near them kinsfolk of their race, whose life and conversation is such as to give us all great joy. Hence too we should continually pray for these our lords, that their life, with that of all who belong to them, may by the protection of heavenly grace be preserved through long and tranquil times. I have to inform you, however, that I have
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

St. Malachy Becomes Bishop of Connor; He Builds the Monastery of iveragh.
16. (10). At that time an episcopal see was vacant,[321] and had long been vacant, because Malachy would not assent: for they had elected him to it.[322] But they persisted, and at length he yielded when their entreaties were enforced by the command of his teacher,[323] together with that of the metropolitan.[324] It was when he was just entering the thirtieth year of his age,[325] that he was consecrated bishop and brought to Connor; for that was the name of the city through ignorance of Irish ecclesiastical
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

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

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