Ezekiel
Chapter 2
Vocation
He said to me: “Son of man, stand up; for I am about to speak to you.”
A spirit came upon me as he spoke and kept me standing;
then I heard him say: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, a people who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have sinned against me to this day.
Now I am sending you to these stubborn and defiant people to tell them, ‘This is the Lord’s word.’”
So, whether they listen or not, this group of rebels will know there is a prophet among them.
But you, son of man, do not fear them or what they say, for they will be thorns for you and you will be sitting on a nest of scorpions. Don’t be afraid of their words when you are facing this group of rebels.
Tell them what I say, whether they choose to listen or not, for they are rebels.
Listen then, son of man, to what I say, and don’t be a rebel among rebels. Open your mouth and take in what I’m about to say.”
I looked and saw a hand stretched out in front of me holding a scroll.
He unrolled it before me; on both sides were written laments, groaning, and woes.
Commentaries
Vocation.
There is no such profession as a prophet, nor is it a status anyone in Israel can aspire to. It is a calling that depends solely on God’s choice and summons. The name “Son of Adam,” with which the Lord addresses the prophet and which recurs throughout this book, contrasts him with the reality of God and the sacred, setting him apart from other creatures in creation. God assigning him a very difficult task: he must sit “among scorpions” (6). To do this, the Lord gives him the life force of the “breath,” “wind,” or “spirit” that enters him and enables him to stand and actively listen to God’s Word. Active listening is what predisposes us to obey and carry out what the Lord asks of us.