“Son of man, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.”
—Ezekiel 3:3
Ezekiel was called by God to speak a difficult message to a difficult people. Israel had rebelled against God, and Ezekiel was being sent to warn them of coming judgment. But before Ezekiel could speak God’s Word to others, he had to receive God’s Word himself.
God told him, “Eat this scroll.”
It’s a strange command, but it makes an important point: God’s Word was not merely something Ezekiel was supposed to read. It was something he was supposed to take in.
Christopher Wright captures the significance of the image: “The whole experience indicated that he was to absorb the word of God totally. He did not just taste it, but it was to ‘fill his stomach’ (3:3) so that he had thoroughly digested it. It was to become part of him, nourishing, energizing and empowering him.”[1]
Commentator Craigie also adds value with these words, “We eat in order to live; food, when digested and absorbed by the body, provides the strength for the body to undertake its normal physical functions. And what food is for the body, the scroll was to be for Ezekiel’s ministry. As the divine words were absorbed into his very being, they would be converted into the strength necessary for the fulfillment of the prophetic task. It is a reminder that any ministry requires strength and sustenance; for us, as for Ezekiel, that food and strength may come from the ‘consumption’ of the word of God.”[2]
That is a beautiful picture of what God intends his Word to do in us.
And remarkably, Ezekiel says, “It was in my mouth as sweet as honey.”
The message Ezekiel was given contained some very bitter things. He would have to confront sin. He would have to announce judgment. He would have to say things people did not want to hear. Yet the Word of God was sweet because it was God who had spoken.
There is something here for every Christian.
We live in a world overflowing with words. Every day we take in thousands of messages—from our phones, social media, news, entertainment, advertisements, podcasts, conversations, and countless other voices. All of them are shaping the way we think about God, ourselves, the world, and what really matters.
So what are you putting into your heart?
The Bible is not simply a book we are supposed to know about. It is God’s Word given to us so that we might know him. We read it because God has spoken.
That means daily Bible reading is not primarily about checking a box on a spiritual to-do list. It is about coming before God and saying, “Speak, Lord. I am listening.”
Some days the Word will feel sweet. Other days it may feel difficult. Sometimes it will encourage you. Sometimes it will expose you. Sometimes it will give you comfort; sometimes it will confront your sin. Sometimes you will close your Bible feeling deeply moved. Other times you may wonder if you got anything out of it at all.
Keep eating.
Take it in.
Let God’s Word shape your mind, correct your thinking, expose your idols, strengthen your faith, comfort your soul, and direct your steps.
And don’t read merely to finish a chapter. Read to hear from God.
Maybe today your Bible has been sitting unopened. Maybe you’ve gotten out of the habit of reading God’s Word. Maybe you feel like you’re too busy, too distracted, or too spiritually dry.
Start again.
Open the book.
Read a paragraph. Read a chapter. Slow down. Ask what God is saying. Pray over what you read. Think about it throughout the day.
Eat this book.
Ezekiel had to receive God’s Word before he could faithfully speak God’s Word. And the same principle applies to us. We cannot faithfully live out what we have not allowed God to teach us.
God has spoken.
So let’s listen.
And let’s do more than taste his Word.
Let’s eat this book.
[1] Christopher J. H. Wright, The Message of Ezekiel: A New Heart and a New Spirit, ed. Alec Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 2001), 59.
[2] Craigie, 18, quoted in Mark Rooker, Ezekiel, ed. Max Anders, vol. 17 (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2005), 41.
