3:1 Moreover he said to me, Son of man, eat what thou findest;
a eat this scroll, and go speak to the house of Israel.
(a) By which is meant that no one is fit to be God's
messenger before he has received the word of God in his
heart, as in (Eze 3:10) and has a zeal to it, and
delight in it, as in (Jer 15:16, Re 10:10).
3:8 Behold, I have made thy b face strong against their faces,
and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.
(b) God promises his assistance to his ministers, and that
he will give them boldness and constancy in their
calling, (Isa 50:7, Jer 1:18, Mic 3:8).
3:10 Moreover he said to me, Son of man, all my words that I
shall speak to thee c receive in thy heart, and hear with
thy ears.
(c) He shows what is meant by the eating of the book, which
is that the ministers of God may speak nothing from
themselves, but only that which they have received from
the Lord.
3:12 Then the spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a voice
of a great rushing, [saying], d Blessed [be] the glory of
the LORD from his place.
(d) By which he signifies that God's glory would not be
diminished, although he departed out of his temple, for
this declared that the city and temple would be
destroyed.
3:14 So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I e
went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand
of the LORD was strong upon me.
(e) This shows that there is always an infirmity of the
flesh which can never be ready to render full obedience
to God, and also God's grace who ever assists his, and
overcomes their rebellious affections.
3:15 Then I came to them of the captivity at f Telabib, that
dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and
remained there overwhelmed among them g seven days.
(f) Which was a place by Euphrates where the Jews were
prisoners.
(g) Declaring here that God's ministers must with
advisement and deliberation utter his judgments.
3:17 Son of man, I have made thee a h watchman to the house of
Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them
warning from me.
3:20 Again, When a i righteous [man] doth turn from his
righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a k
stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast
not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his l
righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered;
but his blood will I require at thy hand.
(i) If he that has been instructed in the right way turn
back.
(k) I will give him up to a reprobate mind, (Ro 1:28).
(l) Which seemed to have been done in faith, and was not.
3:22 And the m hand of the LORD was there upon me; and he said
to me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there
talk with thee.
(m) That is, the Spirit of prophecy.
3:23 Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold,
the n glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I
saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.
(n) Meaning, the vision of the cherubims and the wheels.
3:24 Then the spirit entered into me, and o set me upon my
feet, and spoke with me, and said to me, Go, p shut
thyself within thy house.
(o) Read (Jer 2:2).
(p) Signifying that not only would he not profit, but they
would grievously trouble and afflict him.
3:26 And I will make thy tongue q cleave to the roof of thy
mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a
reprover: for they [are] a rebellious house.
(q) Which declares the terrible plague of the Lord, when
God stops the mouths of his ministers and that all such
are the rods of his vengeance that do it.
