WHERE ARE THE WATCHMEN?
Ezekiel 3:17-21
Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel:therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.
Notes For Verse 17...[I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel]
Three Things God Made Ezekiel:
(1). I have made your face strong against their faces ( Ezek. 3: 8).
(2). Your forehead strong against their foreheads. As an adamant harder than flint have I made your forehead ( Ezek. 3: 9).
(3). I have made you a watchman ( Ezek. 3: 17).
Watchman-- one who looks out or sees from a height, with the view to warning of impending danger or to give any information, good or bad ( Ezek. 33: 2- 7 1Sam. 14: 16; 2Sam. 18: 24- 27 2Ki. 9: 17- 20 17: 9; 18: 8; Song 3: 3; 5: 7; Ps. 127: 1; Isa. 21: 6- 12 52: 8; 56: 10
Priests and prophets of the Lord were often called watchmen.
Ezekiel was especially distinguished with this title (Ezek. 3:17; 33:7).
The duties of a watchman were threefold:
1. To wait and watch for what God would command and give in warning (Ezek. 3:17- 21).
2. To watch over and superintend the people (Ezek. 3:17- 21 Isa. 56:10).
3. To warn the people for God (Ezek. 3:17- 21).
1. Death is the penalty for sin, all sin, every sin, regardless of who the person is or what connection with God he used to have (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 1:29- 32 6:14- 23 8:12- 13 1Cor. 6:9- 11 Gal. 5:19- 21).
2. If the prophet does not warn the wicked man and he dies in his sin, his blood will be required of the prophet.
3. If the wicked man is warned and he repents and turns from sin, his life will be saved.
4. If the prophet warns the wicked man and he does not turn from sin, then the prophet is clear from his blood and all responsibility (Ezek. 3:19).
5. If a wicked man who is warned or not warned does not turn from his sin, he will die in sin-- be lost (Ezek. 3:19).
6. If a righteous man turns from his righteousness, commits sin again, and God lays a stumblingblock before him and he dies in his sin, all his righteousness which he has done will not be remembered (Ezek. 3:20; 18:24- 26 33:12- 13 Rom. 8:12- 13).
7. If the prophet has warned the righteous man and he remains in righteousness, both he and the prophet will be saved (Ezek. 3:20- 21).
8. If the prophet has not warned the righteous man and he turns from his righteousness to live in sin again, the prophet will be held responsible for his being lost (Ezek. 3:20).
9. If the righteous man turns from his righteousness to live in sin again, he will be lost if he dies in his sin whether he has been warned or not (Ezek. 3:20- 21 18:24- 26 33:12- 13 Rom. 8:12- 13 Gal. 5:19- 21).
10. The righteous man can and will die in his sins if he goes back into them again and does not repent again (Ezek. 3:20- 21 18:24- 26 33:12- 13 Rom. 8:12- 13).
11. The righteous man who does die in his sins will be as much lost as he would have been had he never turned from them (Ezek. 3:20- 21 Rom. 6:14- 23 8:12- 13 Gal. 5:19- 21).
12. The only way a righteous man can be saved is by continuing in his righteousness instead of sin (Ezek. 3:20- 21).
