Why did God tell Ezekiel to eat a scroll?

In Ezekiel 2:1 through 3:15, God commissions the prophet by handing him a scroll — and telling him to eat it. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt explains this strange command and what it teaches about God’s Word.

God calls Ezekiel to preach to a stubborn, rebellious people who likely will not listen. He gives him a scroll filled with “lamentations and mourning and woe,” and commands him to eat it — to take God’s Word fully into himself before speaking it. Amazingly, the scroll tastes sweet as honey. God promises no easy success; instead He makes Ezekiel’s forehead “harder than flint” to stand firm. Dr. Holt shows how Ezekiel, repeatedly called “son of man,” foreshadows Christ — sent to His own people, and rejected.

Questions this study answers:

1. Why did God tell Ezekiel to eat the scroll? To picture taking God’s Word deep within himself before proclaiming it. A true messenger must first internalize the message.

2. Why did the scroll of “woe” taste sweet? Because God’s Word, even when it warns of judgment, is good and life-giving. Its truth is sweet to those who receive it.

3. How is Ezekiel like Christ? Both are called “son of man” and sent to God’s own rebellious people. Ezekiel’s hard calling foreshadows the Savior who would also be rejected.

“Son of man, eat what you find; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” — Ezekiel 3:1 (NKJV)

Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio.

Listen and go deeper: This sermon is part of the Ezekiel Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.