Book of Ezekiel: Chapter 33
We are now past the seven prophesies against the nation of Egypt. The book of Ezekiel now takes a slight turn towards hope. In chapter 33, God speaks of Ezekiel and compares him to the watchman; the one who keeps an eye out for danger and warns those of its coming. The second half of this chapter has God addressing the fall of Jerusalem.
When one is meant to be a lookout for a town or a village, it is a role filled with responsibility. You are in charge of looking for danger coming to your group. You are charged with warning them so they may prepare to face the evil coming. God speaks to Ezekiel and addresses him as Israel’s watchman. Ezekiel warns of Israel’s sins and begs them to repent and save their souls. But unfortunately, Ezekiel can only do what he can and pass on the message. If one ignores the message, then the watchman cannot be blamed.
In the second half of this chapter we see how Ezekiel learns of Jerusalem’s fall. A survivor from the fall of Jerusalem arrives to tell Ezekiel of the city’s demise. Ezekiel can hardly expect less. In fact, God has returned Ezekiel’s ability to speak now that his prophesy has been fulfilled. Ezekiel’s warnings went unheeded. These ignored messages caused the Israelites to miss an opportunity to right the wrongs in their society.
A couple of points can be taken from this chapter. First is that as we embark on a journey to spread the word of the Lord, we cannot be held responsible for those who ignore the truth. We can only do our best to spread the message as best as we can. Second, we must not ignore any warnings ourselves. If we do so, then we could end up like the Israelites: spending our lives hearing God’s truth, only to pass it up and continue to sin.
Key Verses:
“For again I say, when righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and turn to evil, they will die. But if wicked people turn from their wickedness and do what is just and right, they will live.” ~ Ezekiel 33:18-19 NLT
Question to ponder:
- How easy is it to forget and ignore the message of God’s forgiveness and continue to live with sin in our lives?
