The fear of the Lord is a profound biblical truth, but many people struggle with it due to confusion about what it means to be afraid of God. A helpful definition of the fear of the Lord includes three key aspects:
(1) Living in a loving relationship with God.
(2) Humbly listening to God for His guidance.
(3) Following the directions He gives.
Ezekiel’s encounter with God exemplifies this kind of fear—a deep respect and reverence for the Lord.
“But you, mortal, hear what I say to you; do not be rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”
I looked, and a hand was stretched out to me, and a written scroll was in it.
He spread it before me; it had writing on the front and on the back, and written on it were words of lamentation and mourning and woe (Ezekiel 2.8-10).
When we fail to revere or live in awe of God, we risk becoming rebellious toward Him. However, when we have a profound encounter with God that reveals His reality, love, and power, we are eager to listen to Him.
It’s important to note that truly hearing God implies a willingness to obey. Although God’s command to Ezekiel may have seemed unusual, he was willing to respond positively because he lived in the fear of the Lord.
Henry Blackaby observes that God assigns people God-sized tasks, which create a crisis of faith, forcing us to choose whether to obey or disobey.
The message Ezekiel was instructed to consume and later share with his fellow exiles in Babylon was not a pleasant one. It spoke of lamentation, mourning, and woe, foretelling the fate that awaited them from 593 BC onward.
In today’s American culture, Ezekiel would not have been a popular preacher given the message he was called to deliver. However, his purpose was not to please the people, but to faithfully proclaim the message God had entrusted to him.
Eat the Scroll
In the book of Ezekiel, we see that he is a true prophet. He passively receives God’s word without making any additions or changes, and then delivers it to the people exactly as given.
This is symbolized by the command for him to eat the scroll.
He said to me, “O mortal, eat what is offered to you; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.”
So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. He said to me, “Mortal, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.”
Then I ate it, and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey (Ezekiel 3.1-3).
The only way that words written on papyrus, filled with lamentation, mourning, and woe, could become sweet is because they came from the very hand of God. God’s presence transforms even the most troubling circumstances into something sweet, simply because He is truly with us.
Reflections
The best choice a human can make is to live in the fear of the Lord as outlined above. When we do that, we will be quick to adjust our lives to God’s guidance with faithful obedience.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 