3 And He saith unto me, `Son of man, thy belly thou dost feed, and thy bowels thou dost fill with this roll that I am giving unto thee;' and I eat it, and it is in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
Thy words have been found, and I eat them, And Thy word is to me for a joy, And for the rejoicing of my heart, For Thy name is called on me, O Jehovah, God of Hosts.
How sweet to my palate hath been Thy saying, Above honey to my mouth.
and I went away unto the messenger, saying to him, `Give me the little scroll;' and he saith to me, `Take, and eat it up, and it shall make thy belly bitter, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet -- as honey.' And I took the little scroll out of the hand of the messenger, and did eat it up, and it was in my mouth as honey -- sweet, and when I did eat it -- my belly was made bitter;
They are more desirable than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; and sweeter than honey, Even liquid honey of the comb.
And with the fury of Jehovah I have been filled, (I have been weary of containing,) To pour `it' on the suckling in the street, And on the assembly of youths together, For even husband with wife are captured, An elder with one full of days,
For I have been full of words, Distressed me hath the spirit of my breast, Lo, my breast `is' as wine not opened, Like new bottles it is broken up.
In my heart I have hid Thy saying, That I sin not before Thee.
For wisdom cometh into thy heart, And knowledge to thy soul is pleasant, Thoughtfulness doth watch over thee, Understanding doth keep thee,
And I said, `I do not mention Him, Nor do I speak any more in His name,' And it hath been in my heart As a burning fire shut up in my bones, And I have been weary of containing, And I am not able.
Jesus, therefore, said to them, `Verily, verily, I say to you, If ye may not eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and may not drink his blood, ye have no life in yourselves; he who is eating my flesh, and is drinking my blood, hath life age-during, and I will raise him up in the last day; for my flesh truly is food, and my blood truly is drink; he who is eating my flesh, and is drinking my blood, doth remain in me, and I in him. `According as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, he also who is eating me, even that one shall live because of me; this is the bread that came down out of the heaven; not as your fathers did eat the manna, and died; he who is eating this bread shall live -- to the age.' These things he said in a synagogue, teaching in Capernaum; many, therefore, of his disciples having heard, said, `This word is hard; who is able to hear it?' And Jesus having known in himself that his disciples are murmuring about this, said to them, `Doth this stumble you? if then ye may behold the Son of Man going up where he was before? the spirit it is that is giving life; the flesh doth not profit anything; the sayings that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life;
he who is believing in me, according as the Writing said, Rivers out of his belly shall flow of living water;'
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezekiel 3
Commentary on Ezekiel 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
In this chapter we have the further preparation of the prophet for the work to which God called him.
Eze 3:1-15
These verses are fitly joined by some translators to the foregoing chapter, as being of a piece with it and a continuation of the same vision. The prophets received the word from God that they might deliver it to the people of God, furnished themselves that they might furnish them with the knowledge of the mind and will of God. Now here the prophet is taught,
Eze 3:16-21
These further instructions God gave to the prophet at the end of seven days, that is, on the seventh day after the vision he had; and it is very probably that both that and this were on the sabbath day, which the house of Israel, even in their captivity, observed as well as they could in those circumstances. We do not find that their conquerors and oppressors tied them to any constant service, as their Egyptian task-masters had formerly done, but that they might observe the sabbath-rest for a sign to distinguish between them and their neighbours; but for the sabbath-work they had not the convenience of temple or synagogue, only it should seem they had a place by the river side where prayer was wont to be made (as Acts 16:13); there they met on the sabbath day; there their enemies upbraided them with the songs of Zion (Ps. 137:1, 3); there Ezekiel met them, and the word of the Lord then and there came to him. He that had been musing and meditating on the things of God all the week was fit to speak to the people in God's name on the sabbath day, and disposed to hear God speak to him. This sabbath day Ezekiel was not so honoured with visions of the glory of God as he had been the sabbath before; but he is plainly, and by a very common similitude, told his duty, which he is to communicate to the people. Note, Raptures and transports of joy are not the daily bread of God's children, however they may upon special occasions be feasted with them. We must not deny but that we have truly communion with God (1 Jn. 1:3) though we have it not always so sensibly as at some times. And, though the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven may sometimes be looked into, yet ordinarily it is plain preaching that is most for edification. God here tells the prophet what his office was, and what the duty of that office; and this (we may suppose) he was to tell the people, that they might attend to what he said and improve it accordingly. Note, It is good for people to know and consider what a charge their ministers have of them and what an account they must shortly give of that charge. Observe,
Eze 3:22-27
After all this large and magnificent discovery which God had made of himself to the prophet, and the full instructions he had given him how to deal with those to whom he sent him with an ample commission, we should have expected presently to see him preaching the word of God to a great congregation of Israel; but here we find it quite otherwise. his work here, at first, seems not at all proportionable to the pomp of his call.