Ezekiel 2:8-3:3

2:8 But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people; open your mouth and eat what I give you. 9 Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, 10 which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe. 3:1 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.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. 3 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 2:8-3:3, NIV)

According to the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary of the Old Testament, there is a prophetic text from eighteenth-century B.C. Mari, an ancient Mesopotamian city situated on the right bank of the Euphrates River in what is now Syria. A prophet in the service of the god Dagan assembled the elders in front of the gate of Sagaratum, a town on the lower Ḫabūr River. Performing a symbolic action, he ate a lamb alive (akālu) and then prophesied that a plague (lit., “a devouring,” ukultum) had been ordained on the region. The prophet’s prophecy was based on the play of words between “to eat” and “pestilence (that devours).”

Ezekiel’s prophecy is not exactly of something that devours, but of things lamentable and woeful, warnings of judgment, as we will see in the messages Ezekiel is to proclaim. But when he eats God’s words written on the scroll, rather than the bitterness we might expect, they are sweet as honey. When the apostle John takes from the scroll of judgment offered him by the angel, it is sweet as honey in his mouth but turns bitter in his stomach (Revelation 10:9-10). But we’re not told how it sat on Ezekiel’s stomach. God does different things with different prophets. For John the pronouncement of judgment starts sweet but ends bitter. For Ezekiel, it is all sweet. God’s judgment is deserved and brings glory to His Name. Not that God (or Ezekiel) likes it, but it is just and fair.

We too are called to eat God’s Word. With Jeremiah we are to say, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16 ESV). Or with the psalmist, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103, ESV). In fact, we are called upon to feast on Jesus (“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day,” John 6:53,54, ESV).

Ezekiel’s eating of God’s word gave him a healthy gut biome that enable him to preach this difficult message. Our eating of Jesus and His word likewise equips us to serve Him. So Scott Tolhurst has encouraged us to eat (meditate on Scripture) like his mama taught him:

• “Chew Your Food.” Scripture is to be chewed. Spend time with it.
• “Take Small Bites.” Gulping chapters of Scripture may provide chunks of information, but meditation is not about data. It’s about heart change, which is often incremental. Small bites will go a long way.
• “Eat Slowly.” The way we hurry our devotional space, God must wonder if we have somewhere better to be. Meditation by its nature can’t be rushed. Take time to be present. There is no spiritual fast food.
• “Don’t rush after eating.” Indigestion results from eating and running. Let the pace of meditation guide your day. It invites us to rest in the truth God has given. Our feet may scurry but our souls don’t have to.
• “Eat frequent small meals.” David turned his soul Godward seven times in a day (Psalm 119:164). Seven times may be more than you can handle, but meditation is a discipline that flourishes with repetition.
• “Don’t skip the table.” Loss of appetite signals ill health.