CHAPTER 33

1 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.

The "watchman" was a sentry. He was appointed a place on the wall surrounding the city. His duty was to keep watch over a certain area outside the city, and warn people of any impending danger he might see: storms, or invading troops, etc.

If the watchman warned the people of impending danger, and they didn't heed the warning, then any harm which came to them was because of their own sin.

However, if the watchman did NOT warn the people, then any harm that came to them was because of HIS sin!

7 So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. 8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

Now God explains to Ezekiel (as in Chapter 3:17) that he (Ezekiel) is called by God to be a spiritual watchman for the nation of Israel.

There is an impending danger approaching Israel. It is the danger of God coming for judgment and the people have not repented.

If people will HEAR Ezekiel's warning and repent, then they will be saved from/in the judgment of God (see verses 14-16).

If the people will NOT hear and repent, then they will be judged sinful and die.

If Ezekiel does not WARN the people, he will be counted guilty of their "blood!!"

Note two things of importance here:
First, if people do not hear a warning, and yet are caught at "judgment" without repentance, they STILL WILL DIE! For even though God has appointed watchman, every soul must account for his own sins before God. God has NEVER "left Himself without witness" in the world (see Acts 14:17).
Second, there is a tremendous responsibility on the part of the watchman to WARN the people! Yes, we ARE our "brother's keeper!" (See Matthew 22:37-40)

Every Christian is appointed an "ambassador" for Christ, and given the responsibility to WARN others of God's judgment that is to come!!

"18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2Corinthians 5:18-21 underline emphasis is my own)

Christians are indeed given a tremendous responsibility!!

10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? 11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

God has no desire that people should die without forgiveness. In fact, God's greatest desire is that people repent and be saved! It was this passion which brought God incarnate, Jesus Christ, to earth where He died to pay the price for all men's sins. Only through repentance and surrender to Christ can one be forgiven and saved from the judgment of eternal death.

12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. 13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

Man cannot be saved by works! All the "good" that any man might do is like "filthy rags" before our Holy God (see Isaiah 64:6). Works of goodness when committed in a man's own name are counted as NOTHING in the final judgment!

Without repentance and humble submission to Christ, a person cannot be saved from the judgment of eternal death.

14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; 15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. 16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

AFTER a person repents and surrenders to Christ, then his works are committed in the NAME of Christ. Works take on a whole new meaning then!!

Sins have been forgiven. There is a new JOY in the life of a believer in Christ. And the believer does not work for his own glory, but for the glory of the Christ Who has forgiven and saved him.

Christians do not work for Christ in order to BE saved; they work for Christ because of the JOY of BEING saved!

17 Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. 18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. 19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. 20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.

EVERY soul shall be accountable to God for his life! God will "measure" every soul by the "RULE" of Jesus Christ. And NONE of us measure up! (See Romans 3:23)

But if we have repented from self, and surrendered to Christ, we HAVE ALREADY received forgiveness, and will not face God's eternal judgment on our own merits. We will face Him "IN CHRIST," washed in the blood, sealed in the Spirit, counted spotless and blameless in that final day.

"5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 8 Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. (1Corinthians 1:5-9)

21 And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten. 22 Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb. 23 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 24 Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance. 25 Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land? 26 Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife: and shall ye possess the land? 27 Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence. 28 For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through. 29 Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.

In verse 21, the informer came to Ezekiel about six months after Jerusalem fell.

That evening, God spoke to Ezekiel (verse 22-23) and gave him a message to relay to the people.

Some of the people had escaped the Babylonian captivity. These people were saying (verse 24), that if Abraham could inhabit the land as ONE man, then they should be able to stay there because they were "many" people.

But God reminded them of their idol worship (verse 25) and sensual lifestyles (verse 26).

God informs them that, even though they have escaped for the present, they will be found and destroyed because they refused to repent.

Through this prophecy, and the destruction of those who had escaped, God will be known as the ONLY LORD GOD!

30 Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD. 31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. 32 And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. 33 And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.

Here, God tells Ezekiel that the people are considering him only as an "entertainer." They speak about him at home and in public places (verse 30). But in their speech, they are actually making fun of Ezekiel saying that he has "the Word of the Lord."

They even come to hear him speak. But they will not heed the Word of God and repent from their evil ways (verse 31).

But when "the Word of the Lord" has been fulfilled, THEN they will know that Ezekiel spoke the TRUE "Word of God" (verse 33).

Just as in Ezekiel's day, some attend churches today, but their lifestyles do not reflect a personal surrender to Christ as Lord of their lives. On Sunday morning, they are in the church; but during the remainder of the week they show no evidence of a personal relationship with Christ.

Let me reiterate: Without repentance and submission to Christ as LORD of our lives, there is NO SALVATION! ((See discussion on verses 7-9))

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.