How does "eat this scroll" in Ezekiel 3:1 symbolize internalizing God's Word? The Setting and the Scroll Ezekiel 3:1: “Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, eat what you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.’” Why Eating, Not Merely Reading? • Reading engages the mind; eating engages the whole person—mind, heart, will, and body. • Eating implies assimilation; the scroll is to become part of Ezekiel’s very being. • Physical digestion pictures spiritual absorption: the prophet must first receive before he can give. Internalizing God’s Word—Key Themes • Total Reception – Jeremiah 15:16: “Your words were found, and I ate them.” – Psalm 119:11: “I have hidden Your word in my heart.” – God’s message moves from ink on a scroll to life in the heart. • Sweetness and Nourishment – Ezekiel 3:3: the scroll was “as sweet as honey.” – Psalm 19:10: God’s judgments are “sweeter than honey.” – God’s Word delights and sustains the soul. • Transformation Before Proclamation – Ezekiel 3:4: “Go, speak…” comes after eating. – Revelation 10:9–11: John also eats a scroll, then prophesies. – Authentic ministry flows from internalized truth; we cannot speak what we have not first digested. Practical Picture of Internalizing 1. Hearing – attentive reading or listening. 2. Chewing – meditation, pondering line by line (Psalm 1:2). 3. Swallowing – accepting its authority, submitting the will. 4. Digesting – applying truth to choices and attitudes (James 1:22). 5. Energizing – Spirit-empowered obedience and witness. Results Highlighted in Ezekiel’s Experience • Steadfast Courage – verse 7: a hard-hearted audience demands a fortified messenger. • Spirit-Led Direction – verse 12: “The Spirit lifted me up.” • Clear Conscience – verse 17: appointed as watchman, accountable because he has first received the warning. Living It Today • Make Scripture your daily bread (Matthew 4:4). • Memorize and meditate until the text shapes instincts and speech (Colossians 3:16). • Expect both sweetness and, at times, bitterness (Ezekiel 3:14; Revelation 10:10) as God’s truth confronts sin. • Speak out of overflow, not mere obligation—when the Word fills the heart, it will flow from the mouth (Luke 6:45). |
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