The Watchman and His Message

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Ezekiel 33:1-11

Ezekiel 33:7

“So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.

(NKJV)

 

Ancient cities like Jerusalem would have stone walls surrounding them to protect them from enemy attack. On these walls, they would appoint watchmen who would blow a trumpet to warn those in the city of an approaching enemy attack. Ezekiel 33:1-11 has the heading of the Watchmen and his message with Ezekiel receiving the calling of a watchman for the house of Israel. However, the message of warning God instructs Ezekiel to give is not just a warning message but one warning them of their sins separating them from God and bringing spiritual death. Revival will only come when the Church fulfills its role as the watchman of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

Ezekiel receives another word from the Lord, this time regarding the appointment of watchmen over the city (Ezekiel 33:1-2). The watchman has the responsibility to blow the trumpet in warning when he sees an enemy coming to attack the city (Ezekiel 33:3). If the people in the city ignore the trumpet’s warning and die from the sword, their blood is on their own head because they ignored the warning from the watchman, but one heeding the warning shall save his or her life (Ezekiel 33:4-5). However, If the watchman fails to blow the trumpet in warning, the blood of those taken in their iniquity will be on the watchman’s hand since the watchman did not warn them (Ezekiel 33:6).

 

The Lord then makes Ezekiel the watchman for the house of Israel with God instructing him to take the words he hears from the Lord and warn the house of Israel (Ezekiel 33:7). If Ezekiel fails to warn the wicked of their transgressions, the wicked man shall die in his iniquities but his blood will be on the hands of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 33:8). However, if Ezekiel warns the man and the man does not heed the warning, the man will die in his iniquity but Ezekiel will be delivered (Ezekiel 33:9).

 

Ezekiel then receives specific instructions to warn the house of Israel of their transgressions saying that if they continue in their sin, how can they live (Ezekiel 33:10). Ezekiel is then to tell the house of Israel that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but wants them to turn from their wicked ways and live (Ezekiel 33:11). As the watchman, Ezekiel is warning the house of Israel to turn back to God and live.

 

This passage provides instruction for the watchman and their duty to warn the people of harm (Ezekiel 33:1-6), Ezekiel’s calling as Israel’s watchman (Ezekiel 33:7-9), and Ezekiel’s message from the Lord for Israel (Ezekiel 33:10-11)

 

• The watchman’s duties and responsibilities (Ezekiel 33:1-6) – The watchman must watch for danger coming upon God’s people (Ezekiel 33:2-3). The watchman’s duty is to blow the trumpet in warning when he sees danger coming upon the people of Israel (Ezekiel 33:3). The watchman’s responsibility is to blow the trumpet for failure to do so brings guilt upon him for their death because they were killed without warning (Ezekiel 33:6).
• Ezekiel to be a watchman for Israel (Ezekiel 33:7-9) – After giving Ezekiel the duties and responsibilities of the watchman, He calls Ezekiel to be Israel’s watchman.
• The watchman’s message to Israel (Ezekiel 33:10-11) – Ezekiel is instructed by the Lord to warn Israel about their transgressions and that if they continue transgressing the Lord’s commandment to have no other god’s (Exodus 20:1-3), they will die. God is a just God and must not allow Israel to live in their transgressions but has a heart of mercy, not wanting any of them to die but live.                                                                                                                                                                                                    

As the salt and light of the earth, the Church has the same calling of a watchman with the same duties and responsibilities as the watchman of Israel (Matthew 5:13-16). In the time of Christ, there was no modern refrigeration or freezing so they used salt to preserve food. The Church has the truth contained in the Word of God acting as a preservative protecting culture from moral decay. The Church is also light because each believer in the Church has the Holy Spirit within them to bring an understanding of God’s word, counsel on living a Godly life, and to convict us of our sin, like Daniel (Daniel 5:11-12).

 

Unfortunately, many modern Churches are lukewarm, failing to be a preservative of Godly truth from the Bible and stifling the Holy Spirit due to their sin (Revelation 3:14-22; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22). Many of these Churches compromise with the transgressions of the world to gain more membership and contributions. This stifles the movement of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives so they do not receive Godly counsel and understanding of scriptures or conviction of sins (John 14:26, 16:5-11). The Church must repent of its lukewarmness and return to being the watchman God called it to be.

If you are reading this and have not prayed for the forgiveness of your sins making Jesus the Lord of your life, or have drifted away from your relationship with Christ, I invite you to pray with me now,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

May God challenge, convict, and bless everyone reading this post.