Think of our use of ‘one’ when referencing ourselves. It’s a humble way of doing so – less challenging than ‘I believe you should listen to me’ would be ‘one ought to pay attention’. That is how the Old Testament uses the phrase we see so often – “the son of man”. Jesus continues to use the term in the New Testament, when talking about himself as being like us, because he did take on our form, humbling himself to be human.
Today Ezekiel is asked in that humble way to take and eat the scroll of God’s message to His people. It would therefore be possible for Ezekiel to refuse to do so. God asks him to eat the words – not for example to read them, or to drink them in. Eating is a more active exercise, one has to chew over the words and digest them. We too are asked to eat the word of God, to ponder it, to work with it. Scripture does then taste as sweet as honey, it becomes a delight to explore and consume.
Like Ezekiel we are then asked to go and share the news with others. Unlike Ezekiel, we have the riches of the Old Testament and the Good News, the New Testament of salvation promised and provided for all who will take and eat.