BLOG

Ezekiel, part 8, Feeding God's Children

Ezekiel 2:6 says,

⁶ And you, son of man, neither fear them nor fear their words, though thistles and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions; neither fear their words nor be dismayed at their presence, for they are a rebellious house.

These divine metaphors refer back to the story of Adam’s sin in Eden, where “thorns and thistles” (Genesis 3:18) were part of the curse of the law for sin. Adam became the archetype of the “old man” (KJV) or the “old self” (NASB) that follows the law of sin (Romans 7:23). Adam was the first “son of God” (Luke 3:38), and when he rebelled, God judged him with the death penalty (Genesis 2:17). So Paul says in Romans 6:23, “the wages of sin is death.”

This was later codified in the law of Moses in Deuteronomy 21:18-21, applicable to the “old man” that all mankind became when born through the flesh. In the broadest sense, we are all children of God, as Paul tells the pagan Greeks in Acts 17:27-29,

²⁷ … He is not far from each of us, ²⁸ for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, “For we also are His children.” ²⁹ Being then the children of God…

Paul was quoting Aratus of Cilicia (270 B.C.), who wrote this phase in his Phenomena. Yet the fleshly Greek were mortal, coming under the overall judgment of the law of stubborn sons. In Hebrew thought, however, a “son” was not only a biological descendant; a true son was one who is obedient to the nature and ideals of his father. Hence, a son of Abraham is one who exhibits the faith of Abraham (John 8:39; Galatians 3:26). It is apparent, then, that these two definitions point to two different types of sons: rebellious and obedient, those who follow the law of sin and death versus those who follow the law of the Spirit of life.

The point is that the law, which is the expression of God’s nature and the righteous standard for all mankind, does not bless anyone until he has repented. God intends to restore all things, not by giving immortality to stubborn and rebellious sons, but to cause them to repent first. This is, in fact, the meaning of the Abrahamic blessing, as we see in Acts 3:25, 26,

²⁵ It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, “And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” ²⁶ For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of your from your wicked ways.

The true seed of Abraham—beginning with Jesus Christ and extending to those who have faith in Him—are, like Ezekiel, called to bless the rebellious children of the flesh by causing them to repent. Hence, we are ambassadors for Christ carrying “the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:18, 19). Ezekiel thus guarantees the success of that full reconciliation, though it takes thousands of years to finish.

See The Restoration of All Things.

https://godskingdom.org/studies/books/the-restoration-of-all-things/

Ezekiel was told not to fear these rebellious children. God was with him and would protect him for as long as it took to fulfill his calling. By extension, many others since his day have carried this ministry of reconciliation even to the present day. Therefore, this word applies to all who bring the word of God that is “living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). The word of reconciliation is opposed by those who are in various stages of rebellion and obstinacy, but it will find success in the end.

Eating the Scroll of God’s Word

God gives the prophet two responsibilities: he must not fear the people’s resistance, and he must receive God’s word without sharing their rebellion. Before he can speak faithfully, he must listen faithfully. God does not promise that the assignment will be comfortable; He commands Ezekiel to remain faithful to the Word of God. Opposition may take the form of accusations, ridicule, threats, or visible contempt.

Ezekiel is not commanded to be combative, but he cannot soften the message merely to secure acceptance. He is commissioned to speak God’s words, which places a limit upon his authority as well as establishing it. Though few may respond positively, and though his ministry may remain small, the prophet must not allow the audience’s hostility to determine his message.

In Ezekiel 2:7, 8 He tells the prophet,

⁷ But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious. ⁸ Now you, son of man, listen to what I am speaking to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you. ⁹ Then I looked, and behold, a hand was extended to me; and lo, a scroll was in it. ¹⁰ When He spread it out before me, it was written on the front and back, and written on it were lamentations, mourning, and woe.

The command to eat introduces the means of preparation. God’s message must enter the prophet before it proceeds from him. He is called to receive and assimilate it, allowing it to shape his own understanding and conduct. It is often said that we are what we eat. More accurately, we are what we assimilate. We must also eat things that we cannot digest, in order that we may know the falsehoods that others believe. A healthy body assimilates truth but treats man-made traditions as fiber (Matthew 15:17).

In the end, we are to eat the flesh of Christ (John 6:53-56). To eat His flesh is the believe the gospel. The Hebrew word basar means “flesh” in Genesis 2:23, 24, but in Isaiah 61:1 it also means “good news” (i.e., the gospel—Luke 4:18). The gospel of Christ is the flesh of Christ. Therefore, to eat the flesh of Christ is to believe the gospel and to become the body of Christ.

Good Taste, Then Heartburn

The scroll presents the message as something already given, which Ezekiel must receive. His task is to understand and faithfully communicate it. The actual eating occurs in Ezekiel 3:1–3, where the scroll tastes sweet as honey. That sweetness will stand in striking contrast to the painful judgments written upon it.

Ezekiel 3:1-3 says,

¹ Then He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” ² So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll. ³ He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you.” Then I ate it, and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.

Jeremiah had a similar revelation. In Jeremiah 1:9, God tells him, “Behold, I have put words in your mouth.” Later, in Jeremiah 15:16, we read,

¹⁶ Your words were found and I ate them, and your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart…

There are those who find the word of God to be “sweet as honey” and “a joy” and “delight.” Others consider it to be quite bland. They prefer junk food. Yet a love for the word is necessary to fulfill a ministry of reconciliation, because without such motivation, it might be difficult to handle the bitterness of heartburn caused by the opposition and the word of divine judgment. In Ezekiel 3:14 we read, “So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away; and I went embittered.”

The problem with the word is that it tastes so good, but it also can require a forehead made of flint (Ezekiel 3:9). The word on the scroll included words of “lamentations, mourning, and woe” (Ezekiel 2:10) on account of their rebellion and stubbornness. It is clear that the word of reconciliation does not eliminate divine judgment; in fact, judgment is the means of causing rebellious sons to repent so that they can be reconciled to God.

There are some who teach that God put away His law in order to eliminate all judgment for sin, because “where no law, there is also no violation” (Romans 4:15). But Christ did not die to eliminate the law as the standard of righteousness that defines sin (1 John 3:4). Neither did He die to put an end to all divine judgment for sin. He honored the law and its judgments by paying the price for the sin of the world.

When He died on the cross, He did not eliminate all sin in the world (as some teach). Instead, He ensured that all will eventually be blessed by repenting and coming into full agreement with Him. A few have faith in their lifetime; the majority will bow their knees and profess Christ at the White Throne judgment. Even then, there will be an age of judgment in which they will “learn righteousness” (Isaiah 26:9). Hence, this is still an ongoing work.