Last week we considered what it means to rebel against God and touched on the idea His Word tastes as sweet as honey to us.
In Ezekiel’s case, there’s a contradiction. The scroll tasted sweet, but it contained words of woe.
“Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe” (Ezekiel 2:9-10).
- God holds forth the Word of life to us.
- The scroll was in God’s mighty hand of strength.
- He unrolled the scroll before Ezekiel. Earlier we read that the Spirit came into Ezekiel.
- God’s Spirit “unrolls,” or presents and makes known God’s Word to us.
“…the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26).
- Words of woe to rebellious people can become words of dancing to those who repent and turn to God.
“To you, O Lord, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy… Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper! You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever! (Psalm 30:8, 10-12, ESV).
Perhaps these thoughts contributed to the honey flavor of the scroll for Ezekiel.
*How do sweet honey and words of lament and woe co-exist in the same Word?
*What do we learn about God in this scene with Ezekiel and the scroll?
God gave Ezekiel another charge:
“And he said to me, ‘Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, ‘Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.’ So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth” (Ezekiel 3:1-2).
- Partake in what God hands to us and places before us.
- Partake of God’s Word.
- Speak to God’s people.
Ezekiel found satisfaction and fulfillment in obeying God.1
- God’s Word filled him in his inmost part, at the core of his being, in his heart.2
- In the willingness to partake, go, and serve, Ezekiel found a sweetness even though he would deliver words of woe.
- He discovered the truth that God’s law—all of it—is sweet, not bitter or sour.3
I wonder if Ezekiel paused to sing Psalm 19 in praise and worship for who God is and how He works in the lives of His people. 
“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. … The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward (Psalm19:7, 9-11).
*How has God held out His Word to you?
*How can we partake of God’s Word?
*How has it changed your life?
What were the words of woe?
- God’s passionate expression of sorrow over the people, cattle, and land of Israel.4
- He mourned the destruction of His people and the disastrous fall of Jerusalem to come.5
- The distress would affect those who followed God as well as those who rebelled.
God instructed Ezekiel to go and speak the Word of God to His people.
Through these posts, we’re learning to listen to God and His Word. We’ve reflected on the glorious hope we have in God. Now we’re wading through a prophet’s writings to ancient Israel to know God better and worship Him. I wonder if next year’s word (and it’s only the second month of this year!) will be “speak,” or “obey” or a related concept. Since the first of the year, at least once or twice a week, my prayer has been, “God, You know the future.”
God, His strength, His Word, and His promises go with us.
Paul’s words to believers in Rome (without commentary on the Roman culture or ours) sum up this post well,
“… hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5, NASB).
*What hope and promise do you take away from this part of Ezekiel’s message?
*How will your learning lead you to worship God?
- Warren Baker, D.R.E., Eugene Carpenter, Ph.D. The Complete WordStudy Dictionary: Old Testament. (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003), 612
- Ibid., 129, 639
- Ibid., 691
- Ibid., 994
- Warren Baker, D.R.E., General Editor. The Complete Word Study Old Testament (King James Version). (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 1994) 1963.