The lesson continues the study of the book of Ezekiel by focusing on the prophet’s identity, his calling, and his commission. Ezekiel is presented as a priest, the son of Buzi, whose ministry begins at about thirty years of age, corresponding to the age at which priests entered service under the Law and paralleled with the beginning of Christ’s public ministry at about thirty. The teaching reviews Ezekiel’s inaugural vision by the river Chebar, where he sees the heavens opened and beholds terrifying yet righteous cherubim, wheels full of eyes, and the thunderous sound of their movement like many waters. Above the firmament over their heads he sees a throne with the appearance of sapphire, and upon it one having the likeness of a man, whose upper body appears like glowing amber and whose lower part appears like fire, surrounded by brightness comparable to a brilliant rainbow against a dark storm cloud. This is described as a manifestation of the glory of the Lord, producing true understanding in the light of who God is. Overwhelmed, Ezekiel falls on his face.
At this point, the one on the throne addresses Ezekiel and commands him to stand. A spirit then enters in relation to him and sets him on his feet so that he can hear. The lesson emphasizes that in the Hebrew text the word “spirit” here lacks the article and should not be capitalized; it is not a reference to the Holy Spirit indwelling him but more likely a created spirit being (such as an angel) acting at the command of the one on the throne. This distinction is contrasted with the New Testament teaching that, for pre-church saints, the Spirit was alongside them rather than indwelling them, whereas the church enjoys a unique indwelling relationship not shared by other dispensations.
God then formally commissions Ezekiel as “son of man” and sends him to the sons of Israel, who are described as a rebellious nation that, together with their fathers, has persistently transgressed up to that very day, even while in exile. They are characterized as impudent and stubborn, yet still called Israel (“prince of God”), indicating that they remain God’s people while being in open revolt against Him. Ezekiel’s responsibility is not to secure their response but simply to declare, “Thus says the Lord,” so that whether they hear or refuse, they will know that a prophet has been among them. He is warned not to fear their words, their hostile looks, or the danger they pose—likened to dwelling among briars, thorns, and scorpions—but to remain faithful in speaking God’s words.
Ezekiel is further admonished not to imitate Israel’s rebellion. He is told to open his mouth and eat a scroll presented to him by a hand extended toward him. The scroll is written on both sides with lamentations, mutterings, and woes—terms that the lesson explains as poetic expressions of grief, low murmurings or rumblings, and declarations of despair. When Ezekiel eats the scroll, it is sweet in his mouth like honey, indicating that, to the prophet, the words of God are intrinsically good and valuable, even though their content announces judgment upon a persistently rebellious Israel. God underlines that Ezekiel is not being sent to a people of strange speech but to his own nation; the difficulty of his ministry lies not in language but in the hardness of Israel’s heart.
