Ezekiel 3:10
"Son of man," He added, "listen carefully to all the words I speak to you, and take them to heart.
Son of man,
This title, "Son of man," is used frequently in the book of Ezekiel, emphasizing the prophet's humanity and his role as a representative of the people. It underscores the distinction between God and man, highlighting the humility and frailty of human nature. This title is also significant in the New Testament, where Jesus frequently refers to Himself as the "Son of Man," linking His mission to the prophetic tradition and emphasizing His role as the ultimate mediator between God and humanity.

He added,
The phrase indicates a continuation of God's direct communication with Ezekiel. It suggests the importance of the message that follows, as God is personally ensuring that Ezekiel understands the gravity and significance of His words. This direct divine communication is a hallmark of prophetic literature, where God often speaks directly to His chosen messengers.

listen carefully to all the words I speak to you,
This command emphasizes the importance of attentiveness and obedience to God's word. In the historical context, prophets were expected to convey God's messages accurately and faithfully. Listening carefully implies a deep, active engagement with God's instructions, which is crucial for Ezekiel's role as a prophet. This mirrors the broader biblical theme of the importance of hearing and obeying God's word, as seen in passages like Deuteronomy 6:4-9, where the Shema calls for Israel to hear and obey.

and take them to heart.
Taking God's words to heart implies internalizing and fully embracing the message. It goes beyond mere intellectual understanding to a deep, personal commitment to live out the divine instructions. This phrase highlights the necessity of transformation and alignment with God's will, a theme echoed throughout Scripture, such as in Psalm 119:11, where the psalmist treasures God's word in his heart to avoid sin. It also foreshadows the New Covenant promise in Jeremiah 31:33, where God writes His law on the hearts of His people, indicating a profound internalization and personal relationship with God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ezekiel
A prophet and priest during the Babylonian exile, called by God to deliver His messages to the Israelites.

2. God
The speaker in this verse, instructing Ezekiel on how to receive His words.

3. Babylonian Exile
The historical context in which Ezekiel prophesied, where the Israelites were in captivity in Babylon.

4. Israelites
The primary audience of Ezekiel's prophecies, who were in need of repentance and restoration.

5. Vision of God
The broader context of Ezekiel's calling and commissioning, where he receives visions and instructions from God.
Teaching Points
Listening with Intent
Just as Ezekiel was instructed to listen carefully, believers are called to approach God's word with attentiveness and a readiness to understand.

Internalizing God's Word
The phrase "take them to heart" suggests a deep internalization of God's message, encouraging believers to meditate on and cherish Scripture.

Obedience to God's Instructions
Ezekiel's role as a prophet required obedience to God's words, reminding us of the importance of aligning our actions with God's will.

The Role of the Heart in Faith
The heart is central to our relationship with God, serving as the seat of our emotions, will, and understanding. We are called to engage our hearts fully with God's word.

Preparation for Service
Ezekiel's preparation involved listening and internalizing God's words, which is essential for anyone called to serve in ministry or share God's message.
Bible Study Questions
1. How can we ensure that we are truly listening to God's word in our daily lives, as Ezekiel was instructed to do?

2. What practical steps can we take to internalize Scripture and "take it to heart" in our spiritual journey?

3. In what ways does the context of the Babylonian exile enhance our understanding of Ezekiel's mission and message?

4. How do the additional scriptures connected to Ezekiel 3:10 deepen our understanding of the importance of God's word in our lives?

5. Reflect on a time when internalizing God's word helped you in a challenging situation. How can this experience encourage others in their faith journey?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 6:6
This verse emphasizes the importance of keeping God's words in one's heart, similar to the instruction given to Ezekiel.

Psalm 119:11
Highlights the value of internalizing God's word to avoid sin, paralleling the call for Ezekiel to take God's words to heart.

James 1:22
Encourages believers to be doers of the word, not just hearers, which aligns with the directive for Ezekiel to listen and internalize God's message.

Jeremiah 15:16
Describes the joy and nourishment found in God's words, reflecting the deep engagement Ezekiel is called to have with God's message.

Hebrews 4:12
Speaks to the living and active nature of God's word, which Ezekiel is to listen to and internalize.
The Heart the Treasury of TruthW. Greenhill, M. A.Ezekiel 3:10
The Inpouring of Divine FulnessJ.R. Thomson Ezekiel 3:10
AmbassadorshipJ.D. Davies Ezekiel 3:4-14
People
Ezekiel
Places
Chebar, Tel-abib
Topics
Carefully, Closely, Ears, Heart, Listen, Moreover, Open, Receive, Speak
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 3:10-11

     5548   speech, divine

Library
Cæsarius of Arles.
He was born in the district of Chalons-sur-Saone, A. D. 470. He seems to have been early awakened, by a pious education, to vital Christianity. When he was between seven and eight years old, it would often happen that he would give a portion of his clothes to the poor whom he met, and would say, when he came home, that he had been, constrained to do so. When yet a youth, he entered the celebrated convent on the island of Lerins, (Lerina,) in Provence, from which a spirit of deep and practical piety
Augustus Neander—Light in the Dark Places

Boniface, Apostle of the Germans.
BONIFACE, or Winfried, as they called him in Anglo-Saxon, born at Crediton in Devonshire, in 680, deserves to be honoured as the father of the German Church, although he was by no means the first who brought the seeds of the Gospel to Germany. Many had already laboured before him; but the efforts which had been made here and there did not suffice to secure the endurance of Christianity amongst the many perils to which it was exposed. Christianity needs to be linked with firm ecclesiastical institutions,
Augustus Neander—Light in the Dark Places

Epistle xxxiv. To Venantius, Ex-Monk, Patrician of Syracuse .
To Venantius, Ex-Monk, Patrician of Syracuse [1331] . Gregory to Venantius, &c. Many foolish men have supposed that, if I were advanced to the rank of the episcopate, I should decline to address thee, or to keep up communication with thee by letter. But this is not so; since I am compelled by the very necessity of my position not to hold my peace. For it is written, Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet (Isai. lviii. 1). And again it is written, I have given thee for a watchman
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

The Greatness of the Soul,
AND UNSPEAKABLENESS 0F THE LOSS THEREOF; WITH THE CAUSES OF THE LOSING IT. FIRST PREACHED AT PINNER'S HALL and now ENLARGED AND PUBLISHED FOR GOOD. By JOHN BUNYAN, London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1682 Faithfully reprinted from the Author's First Edition. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. Our curiosity is naturally excited to discover what a poor, unlettered mechanic, whose book-learning had been limited to the contents of one volume, could by possibility know
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

The Servant's Inflexible Resolve
'For the Lord God will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set My face like a flint.'--ISAIAH l. 7. What a striking contrast between the tone of these words and of the preceding! There all is gentleness, docility, still communion, submission, patient endurance. Here all is energy and determination, resistance and martial vigour. It is like the contrast between a priest and a warrior. And that gentleness is the parent of this boldness. The same Will which is all submission
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Iranian Conquest
Drawn by Boudier, from the engraving in Coste and Flandin. The vignette, drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a statuette in terra-cotta, found in Southern Russia, represents a young Scythian. The Iranian religions--Cyrus in Lydia and at Babylon: Cambyses in Egypt --Darius and the organisation of the empire. The Median empire is the least known of all those which held sway for a time over the destinies of a portion of Western Asia. The reason of this is not to be ascribed to the shortness of its duration:
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9

The Prophet Jonah.
It has been asserted without any sufficient reason, that Jonah is older than Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Obadiah,--that he is the oldest among the prophets whose written monuments have been preserved to us. The passage in 2 Kings xiv. 25, where it is said, that Jonah, the son of Amittai the prophet, prophesied to Jeroboam the happy success of his arms, and the restoration of the ancient boundaries of Israel, and that this prophecy was confirmed by the event, cannot decide in favour of this assertion,
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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