Ezekiel 3:1-27

3:7-9 | Ezekiel means “God Strengthens.” Because Israel was so adamant in its rebellion against God, the Lord would make the prophet even more determined to faithfully declare divine judgment against the nation’s sin. Effective ministry requires not only compassion and empathy but also strength, conviction, and firm resolve.

3:10-11 | Conviction and strength proceed more from the heart than from the head. Hearing God’s Word is not enough; the message must penetrate the soul, where it takes root and branches out into a person’s being.

3:17-21 | In ancient times, cities placed watchmen on their walls to guard against any form of trouble – whether an invading army outside the city gates or a fire or disturbance within. These guardians were solemnly charged with sounding the alarm at the first sight of threat; to remain silent meant forfeiting one’s own life. God had made Ezekiel a watchman for the entire house of Israel, to warn that its continued disobedience to God would surely result in divine judgment (33:7-9; Isa. 52:8).

3:24-27 | Rather than freely moving among the people as other prophets did, God commanded Ezekiel to shut yourself inside your house and herald God’s message only when the Lord specifically told him to do so. The phrase he who hears, let him hear became one of Jesus’ favored statements to the crowds of His day (Matt. 13:20-23; John 5:24). The final phrase, he who refuses, let him refuse, is recalled in Revelation 22:11.