The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 3 and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.
7 “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8 If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.
Why Will You Die, Israel?
10 “And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’ 11 Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?
12 “And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins. 13 Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. 14 Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, 15 if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live.
17 “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just,’ when it is their own way that is not just. 18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it. 19 And when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by this. 20 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.”
Jerusalem Struck Down
21 In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has been struck down.” 22 Now the hand of the Lord had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came; and he had opened my mouth by the time the man came to me in the morning, so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.
23 The word of the Lord came to me: 24 “Son of man, the inhabitants of these waste places in the land of Israel keep saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he got possession of the land; but we are many; the land is surely given us to possess.’ 25 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: You eat flesh with the blood and lift up your eyes to your idols and shed blood; shall you then possess the land? 26 You rely on the sword, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife; shall you then possess the land? 27 Say this to them, Thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in strongholds and in caves shall die by pestilence. 28 And I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and her proud might shall come to an end, and the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that none will pass through. 29 Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations that they have committed.
30 “As for you, son of man, your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, ‘Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ 31 And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. 32 And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it. 33 When this comes—and come it will!—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.” Ezekiel 33 ESV
Ezekiel 33 Watchman
Ezekiel 3 ties well to this chapter, here are the links below:
…25Now I know that none of you among whom I have preached the kingdom will see my face again. 26Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27For I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole will of God.… Acts 20: 25-27
1-9 The word of the Lord came to me - These were not the thoughts or words of Ezekiel's own mind and invention. God does not need to say anything to us, as you will see when we look further, but now this He had recorded and kept preserved, the very words of God. Reading the Bible is as eating food and drinking water, it is to the regeneration and preservation of the soul. Now I approach with a sense of wonder and awe, this is God's word, superior to any of my own, and so I shall not be the same hereafter.
If I bring the sword upon a land - Watchmen for a city stood in a watch tower, not to be confused with the watchtower society of Jehovah's Witnesses, for God's true watchmen would look out for and warn against such a cult. As we have seen and heard warning of in the past chapters, God brings judgment on a land for it's sins. Lot warned the men of Sodom, yet they did not listen, whereas Jonah warned the people of Nineveh (against his wishes), and they were saved in their repentance.
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”
5 Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. 6 Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” 10 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” Jonah 4: 1-11
Does not take warning - Now this is the job of the watchmen, and people are very familiar with it in the material sense. I have to go to a doctor for check ups once a year, and she likes to use xrays, scales, blood and urine test, which allow her to see further, predict what's coming better. If she sees I am overweight then she warns me about the diseases associated with this, like diabetes. An inspector looks at my house, and he tests for such organisms as termites, because as small as they are and unseen as their work may be, yet they can eventually bring down the whole house. If he sees sign of them then he warns me and we come up with a plan to combat them. Many men throughout the ages have studied the great civilizations, their rise and fall, and what did each have in common in each instance. The Bible makes clear to us that pride comes before a fall, and that God hates sin. If the doctor diagnoses something in my body that requires a surgical procedure, but I don't go because it's inconvenient or I am in denial, well she has done her part as a watchman, and what follows is on my head. The same when I don't listen to the inspector, he offers to treat the house, but I don't like the smell of bug spray, so now the value of the house depreciates, and the structure becomes less sound. Whether he says something or not the termites will eat the house, but if tells me then it is on my own head, he is without guilt, he has done his job. It is the same spiritually, Christ says, "I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me", and we are warned that there will be many false Christ, warned of our sin and unbelief, but we are still tempted not to warn others. Some we think deserve judgment more than we do, like Jonah felt about Nineveh, some we want to like us and we are afraid they won't when they hear how narrow the gate is, some we fear the wrath of, because we know they won't like the message and will likely blow up on us, or do things behind our backs. Be innocent of the blood of all men, tell them the truth, live the truth, be honest of your shortcomings and gracious even to your enemies.
…7The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true, being altogether righteous.…
…10They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11By them indeed Your servant is warned; in keeping them is great reward. 12Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults.… Psalm 19: 7-12
…19The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; 20idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.… Galatians 5: 19-21
Does not blow the trumpet - What good is it to be a watchman if you will not give the warning? The people will still die in their sin, yet you also will be a wicked servant and accountable for their blood. What good is the parent who will not discipline and give direction? What good is the one who thinks he knows God, reads God's word, but is unwilling to share, even when God has laid it upon his heart to do so? Your friends will still bust hell wide open, yet you will be held accountable for not warning them, for not loving them, for love is never separated from the truth.
They set watchmen to guard their houses, and sentinels to warn of the enemies' approach, but where the everlasting happiness or misery of the soul is at stake, they are offended if ministers obey their Master's command, and give a faithful warning; they would rather perish, listening to smooth things. - Matthew Henry
10-11 I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked - This is a loss, how much more beautiful is salvation. God's glory is on display in His justice, but mercy, redemption, even angel's desire to look in upon and understand such a miracle. The Just dying for the unjust, what a concept, and so many think they have it grasped, but I am more awestruck everyday. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but look at this, look real hard at this:
9He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. 10Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. 11After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities.… Isaiah 53: 9-11
…31What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.… Romans 8: 31-33
At the end of verse 9, it says, "why will you die Israel?"
…13If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, 14and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. 15Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.… 2 Chronicles 7: 13-15
12-20 Yet if he trust in his righteousness - The one trust in past works, yet goes into sin thinking himself justified, the other sees his wickedness and turns from it to righteousness.
17For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.… Romans 1: 17-19
When the wicked turns from his wickedness - It is always and forever the first part of the gospel that men are made to know of sin, that they are sinners, and that God's just wrath is coming, so repent.
Those who despaired of finding mercy with God, are answered with a solemn declaration of God's readiness to show mercy. The ruin of the city and state was determined, but that did not relate to the final state of persons. God says to the righteous, that he shall surely live. But many who have made profession, have been ruined by proud confidence in themselves. Man trusts to his own righteousness, and presuming on his own sufficiency, he is brought to commit iniquity. If those who have lived a wicked life repent and forsake their wicked ways, they shall be saved. Many such amazing and blessed changes have been wrought by the power of Divine grace. When there is a settled separation between a man and sin, there shall no longer be a separation between him and God. - Matthew Henry
…31Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” 33Then they said to Him, “John’s disciples and those of the Pharisees frequently fast and pray, but Yours keep on eating and drinking.”… Luke 5: 31-33
The city has been struck down - Here comes a runner to testify of all that Ezekiel, Jeremiah and Isaiah have been warning of, for they have been watchmen, true to their calling.
The land is surely given us to possess - The religious say, but God rebukes them, "you must be born again." Don't trust in heritage, culture, or the religion you made up in your mind, not even if you call it Christianity, but trust in Christ alone, hunger for the pure milk of His word.
Those are unteachable indeed, who do not learn their dependence upon God, when all creature-comforts fail. Many claim an interest in the peculiar blessings to true believers, while their conduct proves them enemies of God. They call this groundless presumption strong faith, when God's testimony declares them entitled to his threatenings, and nothing else. - Matthew Henry
Then they will know that a prophet has been among them - They hear him, acknowledge that there is some truth to what he is saying, coming to sit and listen together, but he is an orator to them, for they will leave forgetting what manner of people they were in the mirror he held before them. Yet, when everything comes to pass and they are there 70 years, and the voices of the false prophets have proven poisonous, they will know that a prophet was among them. Future generations will acknowledge this even in their hardness of heart.
…18I will pursue them with sword and famine and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse, a desolation, and an object of scorn and reproach among all the nations to which I banish them. 19I will do this because they have not listened to My words, declares the LORD, which I sent to them again and again through My servants the prophets. And neither have you exiles listened, declares the LORD.” 20So hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.… Jeremiah 29: 18-20
…51You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. 52Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— 53you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”… Acts 7: 51-53
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