Ezekiel 3
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3:1 Moreover he said to me, Son of man, eat what thou findest; a eat this scroll, and go speak to the house of Israel.
3:8 Behold, I have made thy b face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.
(a) By which is meant that no one is fit to be Gods messenger before he has received the word of God in his heart, as in ( Ezekiel 3:10 ) and has a zeal to it, and delight in it, as in ( Jeremiah 15:16 ; Revelation 10:10 ).
3:10 Moreover he said to me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to thee c receive in thy heart, and hear with thy ears.
(b) God promises his assistance to his ministers, and that he will give them boldness and constancy in their calling, ( Isaiah 50:7 ; Jeremiah 1:18 ; Micah 3:8 ). (c) He shows what is meant by the eating of the book, which is that the ministers of God may speak nothing from themselves, but only that which they have received from the Lord.
3:12 Then the spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, [saying], d Blessed [be] the glory of the LORD from his place. (d) By which he signifies that Gods glory would not be diminished, although he departed out of his temple, for this declared that the city and temple would be destroyed.
3:14 So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I e went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me. (e) This shows that there is always an infirmity of the flesh which can never be ready to render full obedience to God, and also Gods grace who ever assists his, and overcomes their rebellious affections.
3:15 Then I came to them of the captivity at f Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there overwhelmed among them g seven days. (f) Which was a place by Euphrates where the Jews were prisoners.
3:17 Son of man, I have made thee a h watchman to the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
(g) Declaring here that Gods ministers must with advisement and deliberation utter his judgments.
3:20 Again, When a i righteous [man] doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a k stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his l righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thy hand.
(h) Of this read ( Ezekiel 33:2 ). (i) If he that has been instructed in the right way turn back.
3:22 And the m hand of the LORD was there upon me; and he said to me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.
(k) I will give him up to a reprobate mind, ( Romans 1:28 ).
(l) Which seemed to have been done in faith, and was not. (m) That is, the Spirit of prophecy.
3:23 Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the n glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face. (n) Meaning, the vision of the cherubims and the wheels.
3:24 Then the spirit entered into me, and o set me upon my feet, and spoke with me, and said to me, Go, p shut thyself within thy house.
3:26 And I will make thy tongue q cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they [are] a rebellious house.
(o) Read ( Jeremiah 2:2 ).
(p) Signifying that not only would he not profit, but they would grievously trouble and afflict him. (q) Which declares the terrible plague of the Lord, when God stops the mouths of his ministers and that all such are the rods of his vengeance that do it.