Chapter 3

1 Ezekiel eateth the roll. 4 God encourageth him. 15 God sheweth him the rule of prophecy. 22 God shutteth and openeth the prophet’s mouth.

1. Eat this roll. Perhaps a slight hesitation on the part of Ezekiel called for a repetition of the command (see ch. 2:8). But the lesson intended required dramatic illustration. It was not for the prophet to choose his own message. His meat must be to do the will of Him who sent him and to proclaim His message (see John 4:34). Inspiration is more than the subjective purifying and stimulating of mental powers. There is an external, objective impartation of facts.

The lesson is also for the student of the Word. He must receive the Bible as sent to him. Men do not create divine truth. It is discovered from the Bible. The message must be personally appropriated, internally consumed. The truths must become a part of the life and character. This is the means by which men become in every sense new creatures.

3. As honey for sweetness. How thrilling was the realization to Ezekiel that he had been called to be a fellow worker with God, to be a mouthpiece for Jehovah in reproving the sins of his people! The call to prophetic office is indeed a high privilege. But the danger of self-exaltation is ever present. Paul feared it (2 Cor. 12:7). Compare the experience of Ellen G. White (LS 71, 72). Ezekiel’s initial experience of sweetness was later turned to bitterness as he came face to face with the realities of the task. It is frequently thus with those called to special service. How soon the early thrill loses its potency when one is face to face with the stark realities of grim duty.

5. Of a strange speech. The implication is that outwardly his task would be easier than if sent to the heathen whose language he did not understand and to whom his tongue would be foreign. His commission was primarily to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (see Matt. 15:24), not that other nations were outside the pale of salvation, but that God’s purpose was to make Israel the spiritual nucleus and evangelizing force. Through His chosen people He purposed to preserve among men a knowledge of His law and expand His spiritual kingdom. The prophets recognized this purpose. A considerable portion of Ezekiel’s prophecies was devoted to an enumeration of judgments to be visited upon surrounding nations. These were in intent appeals to these countries, disclosing to them their subsequent history in the event they refused to accept God’s plan (see Jer. 18:7, 8). See pp. 26–30.

6. Hearkened. Even as did Naaman the Syrian (Luke 4:27), the Syrophoenician woman (Matt. 15:21–28), or the Roman centurion (Matt. 8:5–12). The mighty works such as were wrought in Chorazin and Bethsaida would have been more than sufficient for the conversion of Tyre and Sidon, or Nineveh (Matt. 11:21; 12:41). But Israel was more hardened than the nations around her.

In all ages it has been God’s purpose to save as many of the human family as possible. “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked” (Eze. 33:11). God is “not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9). The strong denunciations of the prophetic writers must be understood, as intended, to be forecasts of national calamities, never pronouncements of eternal doom upon all the individuals composing the nation. No matter how severe the prediction of national ruin, the individuals comprising the nation still had the opportunity of personal salvation. Thus it was that in Elijah’s day there were left 7,000 that had not bowed the knee to Baal (1 Kings 19:18).

7. Unto me. Lest Ezekiel should become discouraged by the refusal of the people to listen to his words, the Lord reminded him that they had already refused to listen to Him. “The servant is not greater than his lord” (John 13:16). The servant must not expect better treatment than his Master. The worker for souls feels keenly the refusal of men. Let him remember the more poignant disappointment of his Master, who is actually the one refused in the person of His servant. True, the servant may examine his effort to see whether through some deficiency in presentation mercy was refused. But many refused the Lord of glory Himself, and should His servants feel that they are superior to their Master?

All the house of Israel. This expression should be interpreted to mean, “all the Israelites generally,” for there were at this time saints like Jeremiah and Daniel, and no doubt many others who, as individuals, were maintaining their integrity before God.

8. Strong. The root of the word for “strong” is the root also of the first half of Ezekiel’s name (see p. 567) and is probably used with reference to it. The prophet may have pleaded his own weakness in contrast with the obduracy of hardened sinners. Here is the promise that, hard as the Israelites might be, the prophet would be made harder than they and would prevail against them. This promise does not imply any coercion to secure acceptance of that message. Under God’s government acceptance is always a voluntary act.

9. Adamant. Heb. shamir, “a stone of great hardness.” Some authorities think emery is meant. Shamir is translated “diamond” in Jer. 17:1. However, the diamond was unknown at that time.

10. All my words. There must be no refusal to receive and to declare the whole counsel of God (see v. 11).

In thine heart. These words explain the visionary eating of v. 1. The apparent inversion of the process of reception in the latter part of this verse, first the heart, and later the ears, is an illustration of a kind of transposition not uncommon in the Hebrew.

11. Of the captivity. Earlier (v. 4; cf. ch. 2:3) Ezekiel had been told that his mission was to the house of Israel. Now the commission is specialized “to them of the captivity.” At the time of the call, 593/592 b.c. (see on ch. 1:2), and for several years afterward, the captives comprised but a small part of the Jewish nation. After the fall of Jerusalem in 586 b.c. the captives represented the mass of the people. Ezekiel’s message was to the captivity, Jeremiah’s was to the remnant of Judah, and Daniel’s to the court of Babylon, except for that portion of his book which was sealed till the time of the end (Dan. 12:4; GC 356). Thus, though the three men were contemporaries, there was a division of their spheres of responsibility. See p. 569.

12. Took me up. The initial phase of the prophet’s consecration to prophetic office now ends. In spirit Ezekiel is removed from the scene of the throne, the living creatures, and the wheels. As he departs he hears behind him the sound of a great “rushing” (LXX, “earthquake”). The sound is intelligible. It is an ascription of praise. There is no definite mention of the source, but perhaps, as in Isa. 6 and Rev. 4, the praise originates from the beings surrounding the throne.

The RSV translation, “and as the glory of the Lord arose from its place,” is obtained by changing the Heb. baruk, “blessed,” to berum, literally, “while rising.” The change is without support from the ancient versions.

14. Heat. Heb. chemah, frequently translated “wrath” (Num. 25:11; etc.); or “fury” (Gen. 27:44; etc.); three times rendered “hot displeasure” (Deut. 9:19; Ps. 6:1; 38:1). The call of God, which had been so sweet to Ezekiel (Eze. 3:3), is now at its performance turned to bitterness. Ezekiel’s anger may have been partly over the sins of his people; but beyond that, the disclosure of the hopelessness and difficulty of the task, the dread of failure, and, perhaps, the consciousness of unfitness doubtless added to overwhelm the prophet with discouragement. Compare a similar experience in the life of Jeremiah (Jer. 20:8, 9; cf. Jer. 9:2).

15. Tel-abib. Heb. Tel Хabib, “mound of green ears of corn,” but the name is believed to represent the Akkadian Til abuµbi, “mound of the storm flood.” Such sand mounds, produced by the action of wind and water, are reported common in the vicinity of Nippur (see on ch. 1:1) and are popularly believed to be relics of the Flood. However, Tel-abib cannot be definitely located.

Seven days. Some have compared this seven-day period of silence to a time of retirement in the experiences of other great religious leaders; for example, to Elijah’s 40 days in Mt. Horeb (1 Kings 19:4–8); Paul’s retreat to Arabia (Gal. 1:17); and our Lord’s withdrawal into the wilderness after His baptism. Others suggest that Ezekiel’s conduct was the result of his surprise at the conditions he encountered or the attitudes he met. Still others compare Ezekiel’s silence to the conduct of Job’s friends who sat with the patriarch on the ground for “seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word” (Job 2:13). However, the context seems to suggest that God intended no such delay. The muteness may instead have been caused by Ezekiel’s bitterness and heat of spirit. The prophet’s conduct was probably one of deliberate postponement if not of settled refusal. The mercy of God waited seven days. When at the end of that period there was no response by Ezekiel, the word of the Lord came to him in solemn warning. We are reminded of a similar reluctance on the part of Ellen G. White to make known to others what the Lord had revealed to her (1T 62–64).

17. A watchman. The figure is that of a military sentinel on the lookout tower whose work it is to warn men of approaching dangers (see 2 Sam. 18:24–27; 2 Kings 9:17–20). The word describes the special characteristic of Ezekiel’s work. The prophet was to watch personally for souls.

18. Givest him not warning. When the watchman saw the danger coming, he was to blow the trumpet. When Ezekiel saw the wicked going heedlessly on to perdition, he was to speak to them, warning them of the sure results of their course. These words may be taken in their wider application to refer, not merely to physical danger and death, but to spiritual danger that might bring a verdict of eternal death before the judgment bar of God. The decisions of that court mean either eternal life or eternal death for every soul that has ever lived. Annihilation is the ultimate fate of all who persist in transgression. The watchman is charged with the responsibility of warning men of this inevitable doom. His failure may result in the loss of souls.

The question is often raised, “Is it fair for God to permit the salvation of a soul to be dependent upon whether another individual discharges his responsibility of warning or not?” The answer is that God is fair, but that sin is exceedingly unfair. God works for the salvation of men in a manner consistent with His character and with reference to the issues of the great controversy. He does not use coercion. This places a limit on what He can do directly for the salvation of a soul. Yet when others cooperate with God in His effort to save that soul, immediately there is an increase of influences now operating upon the individual, and a greater likelihood that he will accept the divine plan for him. This consideration lies at the basis of foreign mission endeavor. Let us consider an island untouched by Christian influence. God, who through Jesus “lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9), is doing all He can to save its every inhabitant. Any greater effort would be charged by the adversary as coercion. However, with the arrival of the missionary the opportunities become much greater. As a result many more are saved. Thus the charge of unfairness, instead of being directed at God, must be directed at us. It is we who have been unfaithful watchmen, and our own souls will be lost unless genuine repentance removes the guilt.

19. Delivered thy soul. The responsibility of the watchman ends when the warning has been adequately given. However, the watchman may well inquire, “Was the warning given with the greatest effectiveness possible and was it extended for a sufficient length of time?”

Those who are warned are left free to choose whether they will hear or whether they will forbear. Every soul who is lost will be in such a state through his own choice. No blame can rest upon God, who has provided adequate opportunity to all.

Men live or die according to their own personal choice. Ezekiel is emphasizing personal responsibility rather than national. The individual Israelites were not to regard themselves as lost because their nation was suffering punishment. On the other hand, they were not to assume that repentance would be unnecessary for them individually because they had Abraham as their father (Matt. 3:9).

20. Stumblingblock. The purpose of the stumbling block is to arrest the sinner in his downward course and to arouse him to a sense of his danger. When sinners are thus interrupted, the voice of the watchman is needed. A warning at the appropriate moment may cause them to turn from their evil course. Failure to utter the warning may result in their rushing headlong to destruction; hence their blood will be required at the watchman’s hand. Again it is seen how largely God depends upon the cooperation of human beings in His work of salvation (see on v. 18).

And his righteousness. Literally, “and his righteousness,” that is, righteous acts. There is no support here for the widespread belief that the man who is really and truly righteous cannot fall away so as to be eventually lost. Only those who endure unto the end shall be saved (Matt. 24:13).

Not be remembered. In the plan of God rewards are not calculated on the basis of righteous deeds minus sins, or vice versa. In the case of the righteous man who endures unto the end, the entire record of guilt is blotted out and his reward is determined on the basis of his good deeds; the sinner, on the other hand, finds that none of his righteous deeds are taken into account, when his punishment is assigned (see ch. 18). This explains why, when sins are forgiven, there is not an immediate blotting out. A record is retained until the time of judgment, for if the righteous man should fall and be lost, all his iniquities, whether or not at any time forgiven, are taken into account in calculating his final reward (see COL 251).

22. Hand of the Lord. What Ezekiel had heard evidently filled him with an overwhelming and crushing sense of his responsibility.

23. Glory of the Lord. The impressive vision that Ezekiel had seen (ch. 1) returned to him. The grand display of God’s glory that had inspired him to accept his mission, now doubtless filled him with renewed assurance. He accepted the rebuke for his silence. Henceforth Ezekiel appeared as a humble and obedient servant.

24. Shut thyself. Probably that he might have time for meditation preparatory to entering upon his work.

25. Bands. Possibly not actual imprisonment; at least there is no record of it in any part of the book. If figurative bands are meant, they may refer to the stubborn refusal of the people to hear, making it practically impossible for Ezekiel to declare his prophecies. He would thus be as if he were bound.

26. Thy tongue cleave. As with Zacharias (Luke 1:22), who disbelieved the words of the angel, there seems to be a rebuke here of Ezekiel’s refusal to speak when bidden. Yet the Lord used the experience for good. The dumbness of the prophet and the ability to speak only when the Lord opened his mouth was a further sign to that rebellious house that the words were indeed the words of the Lord.

27. Let him hear. Compare the words of Jesus in Matt. 11:15 and 13:9. The LXX translates the second phrase “Let him who is disobedient be disobedient,” which finds an echo in Rev. 22:11.

A rebellious house. In earlier times God had referred to Israel as a “stiffnecked people” (Ex. 32:9). The same spirit that led to the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness had now made the Captivity inescapable.

Ellen G. White comments

1–27TM 214

7     GC 459

17   CT 165; GW 207; RC 55; 1T 469; 2T 708; 5T 234; 8T 304

17–191T 313

18   6T 286

19   2T 53

21        1T 313