Ezekiel’s Vision by Raphael (1518)

NOTE: Years ago, I served as a curriculum writer for the Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, where I developed Spanish-language lessons to help adult Sunday School teachers prepare their classes. One series of lessons focused on the book of Ezekiel, which was published in 1986. I have since translated these lessons into English, updated the content, and reformatted them as essays. The complete series of Ezekiel studies can be found in my post “Studies on the Book of Ezekiel.” This post examines the prophetic calling of Ezekiel as recorded in Ezekiel 1–3 (read Part 1 here).

God’s commission to Ezekiel includes several key elements that define his prophetic role. First, he is specifically sent “to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me” (Ezek 2:3). The Hebrew word for “rebels” usually refers to political insurrection, indicating that Israel’s sin involves not just moral failure but also treasonous rebellion against their divine sovereign.

The description of the audience as “impudent and stubborn” (Ezek 2:4) indicates that Ezekiel’s ministry will encounter significant resistance. The Hebrew expression literally means “hard of face and strong of heart,” suggesting both shameless defiance and obstinate will. This characterization prepares Ezekiel for the opposition he will face and establishes realistic expectations for his ministry’s reception.

Significantly, the success of Ezekiel’s mission is not measured by popular acceptance or immediate results. Rather, God declares, “Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them” (Ezek 2:5). This criterion of success—recognition of prophetic presence rather than message acceptance—redefines ministerial effectiveness in terms of faithful proclamation rather than audience response.

Divine Encouragement and Protection

Recognizing the difficulties inherent in Ezekiel’s calling, God provides explicit encouragement and promises of protection. The metaphorical language of verses 2:6–7 vividly describes the hostile environment: “And you, O mortal, do not be afraid of them, and do not be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns surround you and you live among scorpions.”

This imagery draws on Israel’s wilderness tradition, in which people faced physical dangers that threatened their survival. Applying this language to prophetic ministry, the text suggests that opposition to God’s word presents real spiritual danger to both the prophet and the audience. However, divine protection accompanies the prophetic call, as shown by God’s promise to make Ezekiel’s forehead “like the hardest stone, harder than flint” (Ezek 3:9).

The emphasis on fearlessness appears throughout the commissioning narrative, suggesting that courage constitutes an essential prophetic virtue. This courage, however, derives not from human bravery but from confidence in divine protection and the authority of the message itself.

The Scroll: Symbolic Appropriation of Divine Word

Perhaps the most distinctive element of Ezekiel’s commissioning is the symbolic act of eating the scroll (Ezek 2:8–3:3). This unusual command serves multiple theological functions within the narrative structure.

First, the scroll eating demonstrates the prophet’s complete identification with the divine message. Unlike other prophetic figures who receive oral communication, Ezekiel must literally internalize God’s word. This internalization suggests that effective prophetic ministry requires not merely intellectual understanding but existential appropriation of the divine message.

Second, the scroll’s contents, “words of lamentation and mourning and woe” (Ezek 2:10), indicate the predominantly judgmental nature of Ezekiel’s early ministry. The fact that writing appears on both sides of the scroll suggests the comprehensive nature of divine judgment against Jerusalem and the temple.

Third, the taste experience, “in my mouth it was as sweet as honey” (Ezek 3:3), reveals the paradoxical nature of prophetic calling. Although the message contains bitter judgment, the prophet experiences sweetness in divine communion. This paradox reflects the complex emotions inherent in prophetic ministry: grief over necessary judgment coupled with joy in divine fellowship and commission.

The scroll eating also establishes Ezekiel’s prophetic authority through divine authentication. His message originates not from human wisdom or political analysis but from direct divine revelation, symbolically incorporated into his very being.

Prophetic Authority in Crisis Context

Ezekiel’s commissioning narrative addresses fundamental questions about religious authority during periods of institutional crisis. With the Jerusalem temple still functioning and established prophetic figures like Jeremiah active in Judah, Ezekiel’s emergence in Babylon might appear to represent competing or secondary authority. However, the elaborate nature of his inaugural vision and the explicit divine commissioning establish his prophetic credentials independent of institutional validation.

This aspect of Ezekiel’s calling provides insight into how divine communication functions during periods of social and religious upheaval. Rather than relying on established structures, God raises up new voices to address the specific needs of displaced communities. This principle has significant implications for understanding religious leadership in contexts of cultural transition and institutional disruption.

The Relationship Between Faithfulness and Success

Ezekiel’s commission explicitly redefines prophetic success in terms of faithful message delivery rather than audience acceptance. This redefinition challenges contemporary assumptions about effective ministry that emphasize quantifiable results or popular approval. Instead, Ezekiel’s calling establishes faithfulness to the divine word as the primary criterion for ministerial evaluation.

This emphasis on faithfulness rather than success offers an important perspective for religious leaders dealing with resistant or hostile audiences. The text indicates that prophetic responsibility includes proclaiming messages but does not guarantee outcomes, which are left to divine authority. This understanding can help prevent discouragement when facing opposition and arrogance when experiencing apparent success.

Divine Presence in Displacement

Perhaps most significantly, Ezekiel’s vision demonstrates divine accessibility beyond traditional sacred spaces. The appearance of God’s glory by the Chebar River challenges any theology that limits divine presence to specific locations or institutions. This mobility of divine presence offers hope to displaced communities while undermining false confidence in external religious structures.

For contemporary application, this principle suggests that divine encounter remains possible regardless of geographical location, institutional affiliation, or social circumstance. The vision thus provides a theological foundation for ministry in diverse cultural contexts and changing social conditions.

Conclusion

Ezekiel’s prophetic commissioning narrative presents a paradigmatic account of divine calling that addresses both immediate historical circumstances and enduring theological principles. Through his elaborate inaugural vision, explicit divine commissioning, and symbolic preparation, Ezekiel receives authority and encouragement for ministry to a resistant exile community.

The narrative establishes several crucial principles for understanding prophetic ministry: the primacy of divine initiative in calling, the necessity of spiritual empowerment for effective service, the redefinition of success in terms of faithfulness rather than results, and the accessibility of divine presence beyond traditional sacred boundaries. These principles extend beyond Ezekiel’s immediate context to inform contemporary understanding of religious vocation and ministerial practice.

Ultimately, Ezekiel’s commissioning narrative reveals a God who remains actively involved in human history, calling individuals to serve as divine messengers regardless of social circumstances or audience reception. This understanding provides both challenge and encouragement for contemporary religious communities seeking to maintain faithful witness in increasingly complex cultural contexts.

The theological richness of Ezekiel’s calling continues to provide insight into the nature of divine communication, prophetic authority, and ministerial faithfulness. As such, it remains a crucial text for understanding both ancient Israelite prophecy and contemporary religious vocation, demonstrating the enduring relevance of biblical literature for theological reflection and practical ministry.

Claude Mariottini
Emeritus Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary

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