UNROLL
First light over the wide flat Babylonian plain: one thin silver line of canal across the lower third, a few far palms, and a pure brightness low on the horizon.

Visions of glory

Ezekiel 3

Would you warn someone even if they never thanked you?

27 verses≈ 6 minBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

Tap any post to go deeper

Where we are

  1. 1–3Visions of gloryBy the Kebar, about 593 BC: the throne, the scroll, the watchmanChapter 3
  2. 4–7Signs of the siegeA brick, a ration, a razor: the end has come
  3. 8–11The glory departsAbout 592 BC: the temple’s abominations, the mark, the glory goes east
  4. 12–15False hopesExile acted out, false prophets, a useless vine
  5. 16–19Parables and lamentsAn unfaithful bride, two eagles, the one who sins
  6. 20–24The sword drawnRebellion retold; the siege begins, about 588 BC
  7. 25–32The nations judgedAmmon to Egypt: the LORD is Judge of all the earth
  8. 33–36A new heartThe city falls; the Good Shepherd; cleansed and made new
  9. 37–39Dry bones liveOne people raised up, and Gog of Magog defeated
  10. 40–48The LORD is thereAbout 573 BC: the new temple, the river, the land

Ezekiel Eats the Scroll

Ezekiel
Close on a flat stone by a canal in warm low light: a broken piece of wild honeycomb, golden honey running from its cells, beside a rolled leather scroll tied with a cord.

“Son of man,” He said to me, “eat what you find here. Eat this scroll, then go and speak to the house of Israel.”

So I opened my mouth, and He fed me the scroll.

“Son of man,” He said to me, “eat and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you.” So I ate, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

God

Then He said to me, “Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak My words to them. For you are not being sent to a people of unfamiliar speech or difficult language, but to the house of Israel— not to the many peoples of unfamiliar speech and difficult language whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.

God

But the house of Israel will be unwilling to listen to you, since they are unwilling to listen to Me. For the whole house of Israel is hard-headed and hard-hearted.

God
Close on a broken nodule of dark flint lying in pale chalky ground, its glassy curved faces and sharp edge catching hard white light, a few chips beside it.

Behold, I will make your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. I will make your forehead like a diamond, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or dismayed at their presence, even though they are a rebellious house.”

God

“Son of man,” He added, “listen carefully to all the words I speak to you, and take them to heart. Go to your people, the exiles; speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says,’ whether they listen or refuse to listen.”

Ezekiel

Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me: “Blessed be the glory of the LORD in His dwelling place!”

Ezekiel
Ezekiel

It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against one another and the sound of the wheels beside them, a great rumbling sound.

Ezekiel
A strong wind sweeping across the reed beds of a Babylonian canal at gray morning, the reeds bent flat in long waves, palms tossing, the water ruffled; no one in sight.

So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me.

Ezekiel
Ezekiel

I came to the exiles at Tel-abib who dwelt by the River Kebar. And for seven days I sat where they sat and remained there among them, overwhelmed.

Kebar canalChaldeansEuphratesJerusalemBabylon

Stylised map · locations approximate

On the map

Among the exiles

The road of 597 BC: from Jerusalem to the canals near Babylon, where Ezekiel lived among the exiles.

Question

Quick question

The scroll was full of lamentation, mourning and woe. Think about what happened when Ezekiel ate it.

How did the scroll taste to Ezekiel?

A Watchman for Israel

God
Dawn on the flat walkway of a town wall: a watchman seen from behind stands looking out over a wide misty valley, a long ram’s horn hanging at his side.

At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.

God

If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood. But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself.

God

Now if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. If you did not warn him, he will die in his sin, and the righteous acts he did will not be remembered. And I will hold you responsible for his blood. But if you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he will indeed live because he heeded your warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

The watchman’s four cases

silentwarnsThe watchman3:17: hear, then warnWicked, notwarned3:18: dies; blood onyouWicked, warned3:19: you are clearRighteous turnsaway3:20: not warned;blood on youRighteous,warned3:21: he lives; youare clear

Whiteboard

The watchman cannot make anyone listen. He must make sure everyone hears.

Ezekiel
The wide empty Babylonian plain at midday from a low rise: far out a tiny figure lies facedown, and over him and the whole plain a brilliant column of white-gold light and cloud stands to the sky.

And there the hand of the LORD was upon me, and He said to me, “Get up, go out to the plain, and there I will speak with you.”

So I got up and went out to the plain, and behold, the glory of the LORD was present there, like the glory I had seen by the River Kebar, and I fell facedown.

Then the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet.

God
Inside a dim mud-brick room: a plain plank door shut and barred with a wooden bar, a coil of rough rope on the beaten-earth floor, a clay lamp on a ledge, a reed mat; no one seen.

He spoke with me and said, “Go, shut yourself inside your house. And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes, and you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people. I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, and you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, though they are a rebellious house.

God
From inside a dim mud-brick room, a plank door stands wide open on bright morning light and a beaten-earth lane, a few exiles far off in the lane looking toward it.

But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you are to tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’ Whoever listens, let him listen; and whoever refuses, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.

0:13

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Pray

Pray

LORD, Your words are sweet; let me take them to heart. Make me a faithful watchman for the people around me, warning in love, and open my mouth when You speak. Amen.

You’ve experienced

Ezekiel 3

0 of 48 chapters read

A verse to carry with you

Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.

Ezekiel 3:17

or swipe left