a2:1-10
bIsa 6
cJer 1:4-19
dJon 1:1-2
e2:1-2
f37:4-10
g2:3
hGen 32:28
iDan 7:13-14
jRev 1:13-20
k2:4-5
l2:6
m2:7
n2:8
oGen 2:17
p2:9–3:1
qDeut 28:15-68
rZech 5:2-4
sEzek 1–24
t3:2-3
uPsalm 119:103
v3:4-7
w3:8-9
x3:10
y3:11
z3:12
aa3:14-15
ac11:1
ae40:1-3
af43:5
ag3:15
ahJob 2:13

‏ Ezekiel 2

Summary for Ezek 2:1-10: 2:1-10  a Being a prophet was neither a career choice nor an occupation passed down from father to son like the priesthood. God called prophets to their task, and the story of their call is often included in their writings (see, e.g., Isa 6  b; Jer 1:4-19  c; Jon 1:1-2  d).
Summary for Ezek 2:1-2: 2:1-2  e Stand up: God empowered Ezekiel by the Spirit so that he was able to obey this command as God set him on his feet. What God would later do for the people as a whole (cp. 37:4-10  f), he did first for the prophet.
2:3  g The Lord addressed Ezekiel regularly as son of man (Hebrew ben-’adam, “son of Adam”). This phrase reminded Ezekiel that he was profoundly different from the heavenly beings before whom he stood. In contrast to them, he was a child of the dust, a mere mortal. It also marked him out from the nation of Israel (literally the sons of Israel). They were a rebellious nation, true descendants of Jacob, whose defining characteristic was striving with God and man (Gen 32:28  h). As a son of Adam, Ezekiel represented a new community of faith, empowered by the Spirit to form a life of radical obedience. He was a sign of hope to the exiles. Jesus is the ultimate son of man who combines in himself the human aspect of the title with the exalted heavenly aspect (Dan 7:13-14  i; Rev 1:13-20  j). By obeying where Adam failed, Jesus became the first member of God’s new community of faith. All other children of Adam find hope in him.
Summary for Ezek 2:4-5: 2:4-5  k Israel was stubborn and hard-hearted—they would not heed Ezekiel, whose message would bear little immediate fruit. However, they would know that they had a prophet among them who was speaking God’s word.
2:6  l Ezekiel’s ministry would be as painful as traversing a thicket of nettles and briers and stinging scorpions.
2:7  m Ezekiel would not be accountable for the people’s response to the message, only for his own faithful delivery of God’s word.
2:8  n Ezekiel must not resemble the disobedient and rebellious people around him. The first Adam disobeyed God’s command not to eat the apparently desirable fruit of knowledge (Gen 2:17  o); Ezekiel was to obey by eating the apparently undesirable words of God.
Summary for Ezek 2:9-3:1: 2:9–3:1  p There was so much judgment on the scroll that both sides were covered with writing. Ezekiel had to declare the curses for covenant breaking (Deut 28:15-68  q) to a rebellious people (cp. Zech 5:2-4  r). The scroll covered with messages of judgment is an apt image of the content of Ezek 1–24  s.

‏ Ezekiel 3:1-15

Summary for Ezek 3:2-3: 3:2-3  t Although the scroll looked bitter, Ezekiel found it as sweet as honey when he ate it. Adam’s disobedience turned bitter, but Ezekiel’s obedience became pleasant and satisfying. Psalm 119:103  u also describes God’s words as “sweeter than honey.”
Summary for Ezek 3:4-7: 3:4-7  v Ezekiel was sent to God’s people, the people of Israel, whom one would expect to be eager to listen to the Lord. However, it would have been easier for the prophet if he had been sent to people with strange and difficult speech who could not understand him. This hard-hearted community refused to obey the Lord.
Summary for Ezek 3:8-9: 3:8-9  w God would make Ezekiel as thoroughly persistent in presenting God’s message as the people were in rejecting it.
3:10  x Ezekiel first had to internalize God’s messages himself before delivering them to the exiles among whom he lived.
3:11  y whether they listen to you or not: The Lord’s message was not subject to debate, negotiation, or rejection; things would happen as he said.
3:12  z May the glory of the Lord be praised in his place! In the Hebrew text, this exclamation of praise is odd in both placement and grammar. The alternate reading (see textual footnote) is based on emending a single Hebrew letter.
Summary for Ezek 3:14-15: 3:14-15  aa The Spirit lifted me up: Ezekiel was brought back from his visionary experience to the ordinary world of the exiles. Ezekiel regularly experienced the powerful impact of the Spirit’s transporting him to another location (see also 8:3  ab; 11:1  ac, 24  ad; 40:1-3  ae; 43:5  af).

• After the Spirit departed from him, Ezekiel experienced the conflicting emotions associated with his commission. As a prophet who spoke for God, he began to feel the bitterness and turmoil of God’s anger against the sins of his people.
3:15  ag The exact location of Tel-abib in Babylonia has not been determined.

• As one of the exiles, Ezekiel was overwhelmed by the prospect of this fearsome judgment. As with Job’s counselors, no words were possible at first, and he sat silently for seven days (see Job 2:13  ah).
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