Ezekiel 3:12

Ezekiel 3:12 says, Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his place.  Matthew Henry says this was a week after Ezekiel's first vision and that they both likely occurred on the Sabbath.  Whenever it occurred, Ezekiel said the Spirit took him up, and he heard a great voice saying. “Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place.”  As followers of Christ, we should always be lifted up by the Holy Spirit and give praise to God.   

Verse thirteen adds, I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing.  Ezekiel said he also heard the wings of the living creatures and the noise of the wheels that sounded like a great rushing noise, I believe would be accurate.  Matthew Henry says the things referred to in this verse and the last imply that the angels gathered to celebrate the inauguration of Ezekiel as a prophet.  I don’t know if the angels gather today to celebrate when someone is called to preach, or even to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, but I believe they might.   

Verse fourteen continues, So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me.  Ezekiel said that the when Spirit lifted him up again and took him away, he went with bitterness at having to leave, but the hand of God was strong upon him. I can't imagine how sad it would be to be taken from the presence of the angels and have to return to prophesy to people that he had already been told were not going to listen.  Still, after being given a glimpse of glory, it was time for Ezekiel to get to work.  We may never have the opportunity of seeing what heaven will be like in this lifetime, but even if we were to get a glimpse, it would be time to get back to work doing what God has called us to do after we did.   

Verse fifteen concludes, Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.  Ezekiel said he then returned to the Israelites who were in captivity and sat among them for seven days, being amazed at what he had seen in his visions and also to listen to the people that he was to prophesy to. Matthew Henry says he was also waiting for God to give him the words to say.   We will always encounter other people in the world, and we need to witness to them, but we always need to rely on the Holy Spirit to give us the words to say.   

Ezekiel 3:4

Ezekiel 3:4 says, And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.  God then commissioned Ezekiel to go to the people of Israel and to speak His word to them.  We as followers of Christ have been commissioned to go to the whole world and speak God’s word to them.  We are to start where we are and then to reach out to all the world, and if we cannot go, then we should help support those who can.   

Verse five adds, For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel;  In Ezekiel's case, God said He wasn’t sending Ezekiel to other nations, but to the people of Israel, who spoke the same language that Ezekiel did.  I believe we are first called on to share the gospel with our neighbors, but some people are called to go to other countries where they don’t speak the same language and to share the gospel with them.   

Verse six continues, Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.  God adds that even though He wasn’t sending Ezekiel to a strange land whose people spoke a hard language that Ezekiel didn’t understand, that had He done so, the people would have listened to him.  If God does call you to go to another country where they don’t speak the same language as you, I believe He will equip you to do so effectively.   

Verse seven concludes. But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.  God said that even though strangers would have listened to and obeyed Ezekiel’s words that the people of Isreal would not.  When we witness to those closest to us, they may not accept the gospel, even if those from other countries might.  God said that the people of Israel, those who were His chosen people, were an impudent and hard-hearted people.  As followers of Christ, we need to never become an impudent and hard-hearted people who won’t obey God’s word, but if we do, I believe that God will send someone to call us to repent and return to obeying Him.   

Veres eight states. Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.  God said that He was making Ezekial more powerful that those who wouldn’t listen to him.  God will give us the spiritual strength to do whatever He calls us to do, and we should never be afraid to obey His word and do what He has called us to do.  The people that we witness to may be physically stronger or more powerful than us in the world’s view, but if God is with us, they will never defeat us.   

Verse nine adds, As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.  God once more told Ezekiel that He has made him stronger than anyone who stood against him.  God basically told Ezekiel he was being sent to a group of people who would not listen to Him, but He also told Ezekiel to not be afraid of those he was to witness to, because God had made him stronger than them.  Wherever God sends us to witness to people, we should never be afraid to do so because God will always be with us, and He is more powerful than any opposition that we may encounter, and we already know that we have everlasting life with Him, no matter what happens in this world.   

Verse ten continues, Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.  Ezekiel said God told him to receive His word and heed it completely.  Before we are witness to people today, we need to have God’s word implanted in our heart.   

Verse eleven concludes, And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord God; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.  God told Ezekiel to go and proclaim His word to the people of Israel who were in captivity at this time whether they listened to him or not.  We are called on to witness to the world wherever God sends us whether they listen to us or not. 

Ezekiel 3:1

Ezekiel 3:1 says, Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.  Some people see this as a continuation of the vision that Ezekiel had in the last chapter, but we need to remember that chapters and verses were added later, so it would have been one book without divisions at one time, so though this was evidently written over a long period of time,  we may have it divided where it wasn't divided originally.  Ezekiel said that he was then instructed to eat the scroll and then to go and speak to the people of Israel.  I believe that eating the scroll may have referred to digesting the word of God spiritually instead of actually eating the scroll physically.  We may physically carry around a Bible and even read one daily, but if we don’t digest its meaning to us today, it is of little benefit.   

Verse two adds, So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.  Ezekiel said he opened his mouth and God caused him to eat the scroll.  Again, though this may have been literally eating the scroll, I believe it means God placed His word in Ezekiel’s mouth or mind so he could speak God’s word faithfully.  We must do the same as Christians today, and this is especially true of preachers.  When we as Christians witness, it must be God’s word that we share, and we must know it to share it correctly.  In order for a preacher to proclaim God’s word accurately, he must know God’s word and then allow God to speak through him.   

Verse three continues. And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.  Even though this says the Ezekiel physically ate the scroll, I still believe that the greater implication was that he digested the word of God spiritually.  Ezekiel was told to eat and digest the words of the scroll that God gave him, and he did.  He then said that was as sweet as honey in his mouth. God’s word, when we digest it, should leave a sweet taste in our mouth.