What is the meaning of Ezekiel 13:1? Then • This simple time marker links back to the warnings of chapter 12 and shows that God’s revelations unfold in an ordered sequence (Ezekiel 12:28). • It reminds us that none of God’s words are random; every “then” fits into His sovereign timeline, just as in Genesis 1:3 (“Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’) and Acts 1:6–8 where Jesus moves the disciples from questions to mission. • The verse therefore launches a fresh message that grows out of what has just happened—Judah’s ongoing unbelief and the prophet’s enacted signs. the word of the LORD • What follows is not Ezekiel’s opinion; it is God’s authoritative revelation. Compare Numbers 22:38, “The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak”. • Scripture repeatedly underscores that God speaks with clarity and purpose (Psalm 33:4; 2 Timothy 3:16). • Here, “the word of the LORD” signals absolute reliability—an anchor in a culture swayed by false prophets (v. 6). • It also anticipates the New Testament affirmation that “the word of God is living and active” (Hebrews 4:12), a sharp contrast to deceptive human speech. came to me • God initiates; Ezekiel receives. Just as the call narrative in Ezekiel 2:2 shows the Spirit entering him, so every subsequent oracle is divinely delivered (cf. Jeremiah 1:4–9). • This phrase highlights the personal nature of revelation—God doesn’t merely drop information; He engages His servant. • It underscores Ezekiel’s accountability. Like Paul declaring, “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:16), Ezekiel must pass on what he hears. saying • The participle signals that content is about to pour forth. God’s speech is never empty rhetoric; it accomplishes what He intends (Isaiah 55:11). • What He is about to say (vv. 2–23) will expose counterfeit prophecy and affirm His covenant faithfulness. • For readers, this final word in the verse invites us to lean in expectantly, much like Jesus’ repeated “Truly, truly, I say to you” (John 3:3). summary Ezekiel 13:1 is more than a heading; it is a four-fold declaration that God is speaking at His chosen moment, with absolute authority, to a specific messenger, and with a purposeful message. It prepares the reader to receive the coming rebuke of false prophets as the very voice of the LORD, underscoring that every subsequent word is trustworthy, timely, and binding. |
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