Bible Commentaries
Ezekiel 2

Bell's Commentary on the BibleBell's Commentary

Verses 1-10

  1. Intro:
    1. After the vision came the voice! (read 1:28)
      1. So we left off with Ezekiel face down in humble worship.
      2. Before He could understand the sin of the people he needed a
    2. Q: Have you ever felt God was nudging you to talk to someone, about something?
      1. Q: What if we know they’re not going to listen to us?
      2. Q: What if we’re scared?
      3. Q: What if they look really scary?
      4. Q: What if they say really mean things?
      5. Q: What if you don’t like God’s message to them?
    3. Q: What do we do if God gives us a message for someone?
  2. EZEKIEL’S COMMISION! (2:1-3:3)
    1. Son of man – used 93 times. Emphasizes the frailty & true humanity of the prophet
      1. Applied to Christ, it took on a unique meaning, & was basically synonymous with Son of God.
    2. TO AN UNFAITHFUL PEOPLE! (2:1-5)
    3. WHO THEY ARE!
    4. His message is directed to the nation of Israel.
      1. Specifically it will be to the people of Judah who are in exile in Babylon.
    5. WHAT THEY ARE!
    6. They are rebellious, impudent(stiff faced), & stubborn(hard hearted).
    7. Whether they hear or refuse (5)
      1. We have a phrase, “Don’t shoot the messenger”.
        1. The response is immaterial/irrelevant to the messenger.
      2. With us, God’s concerned with the delivery.
        1. If you’ve ever served someone papers, you only have to make sure you get them in there hand.
      3. It’s the Cal-Trans worker putting up the signs whether people are going to believe/heed them or not. {Warning Bridge Not Safe; Sharp Turn Ahead; Do Not Pass}
        1. Some signs aren’t so clear – “Slow Men working” (Which way do they mean that? ☺ )
      4. His success would not be based upon the public response to his message, but fulfillment of the divine commission.
    8. (5) This was no rosy picture for Ezekiel, like the slogan used to read, “Join The Navy And See the World”.
      1. No it was more, “Join the Prophets! Where you can get poked & pricked & can sit on Scorpions!”
      2. No, you didn’t sign up for this, you were compelled.
    9. WITH A FAITHFUL MESSAGE! (2:6-3:3)
    10. EZEKIEL GETS THE SERMON HE NEEDS!
    11. (6) Briers, thorns, & scorpions – Symbols of the trials he’d suffer.
      1. Briers = a thorny wild plant, especially a trailing rose.
      2. You’ve met these thorny people right?
    12. Ultimately Ezekiel,…be Fearless & Faithful!
    13. (7) We just need to make sure they’re God’s words & not our opinion, nor our personal convictions. (If they are, say they are & why)
    14. (10) Scrolls were usually written on only one side - rarely both sides.
      1. The scroll given to Ezekiel, was written on both sides, thus indicating the extensiveness of the troubles that were to come upon them.
      2. Something like this is meant in Revelation 5:1. (Freeman, J. M., & Chadwick, H. J. (1998). Manners & customs of the Bible. "Rewritten and updated by Harold J. Chadwick")
Bibliographical Information
Bell, Brian. "Commentary on Ezekiel 2". "Bell's Commentary". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/cbb/ezekiel-2.html. 2017.