Ezekiel 3:16-27: Ezekiel the Watchman
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Introduction
Introduction
Succinct Summation
Succinct Summation
Outline
Outline
Ezekiel 1-24 - Oracles against God’s People
Ezekiel 1-24 - Oracles against God’s People
Ezekiel 1:1-3 - Ezekiel the Priest
Ezekiel 1:4-28 - The Glory of the Lord
Ezekiel 2:1-3:15 - Ezekiel Commissioned
Ezekiel 3:16-27 - Ezekiel the Watchman
Ezekiel 3:16-21 - The Watchman’s Job
Ezekiel 3:22-27 - Ezekiel’s Rejection
Purpose of Book
Purpose of Book
The purpose of Ezekiel is Yahweh rebukes His people for their sinfulness and He promises to restore His glory so all nations will know He is the one true Lord. In short, the purpose of Ezekiel is the glory of God.
The purpose of Ezekiel is Yahweh rebukes His people for their sinfulness and He promises to restore His glory so all nations will know He is the one true Lord. In short, the purpose of Ezekiel is the glory of God.
Main Point
Main Point
Yahweh gives Ezekiel his specific role for his prophetic ministry - He is a watchman warning the house of Israel of their wicked ways and sin
Yahweh gives Ezekiel his specific role for his prophetic ministry - He is a watchman warning the house of Israel of their wicked ways and sin
Ezekiel 3:16-21 - The Watchman’s Job
Ezekiel 3:16-21 - The Watchman’s Job
16 And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel.
16 And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel.
16 And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me:
After the seven days the word of the Lord comes to Ezekiel
17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel.
Ezekiel’s prophetic calling becomes more specific - he is a watchman for the house of Israel
Furthermore, the word for “made” carries a sense of divine appointment
A watchman was responsible to warn a king, city, or field of an oncoming enemy - they would strategically watch the enemies movements
Ezekiel’s call was to warn the people of Israel regarding their wickedness and sin
This word of being a watchman is not meant for public, but private
There are still watchman today
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.
Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.
As a watchman, Ezekiel was responsible to warn the house of Israel of the enemy - God YET God issues the warnings as well
The warnings are defined by God as lamentations, mournings, and woes
18 If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.
18 If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.
18 If I say to the wicked
The wicked are those who blatantly disobey Yahweh and willfully violates the covenant
Though the wicked person is “in” the covenant community he has shown that he is not in the covenant and is in fact the enemy of Yahweh
‘You shall surely die,’
Here Ezekiel is delivering a death sentence to the wicked who has been found guilty of a capital offense
The result of the warning is an untimely death - Ezekiel is delivering a death sentence from Yahweh Himself
17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
The wicked person has repeated the sin of Adam and Eve deciding for himself what is life-giving, but his true path is to death
And you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand
The death penalty is still enacted regardless if Ezekiel fulfills his watchman role
Ezekiel will suffer the same fate the wicked person will - a death sentence
19 But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.
19 But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.
This is the same scenario as vs. 18, but Ezekiel does not face the death sentence because he is an obedient watchman
20 Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die.
20 Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die.
The righteous person - language used here is judicial in nature revealing the person upholds the covenant and Yahweh is his supreme desire
Notice there are only wicked and righteous in the eyes of God - no middle ground
20 Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die.
Four stages of backsliding:
Righteous (In appearance)
Turns to evil
God puts calamity before him equivalent to the death penalty
Death
Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand.
Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand.
Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin
The death of the backslider comes because he was not warned by Ezekiel
And his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand.
The backsliders “righteous” life will not be remembered, but the way he ends his life will
Ezekiel is once again held responsible for a lack of obedience for his God-given responsibility as a watchman
21 But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul.”
21 But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul.”
21 But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning
Here the response of the righteous person is positive and instead of receiving the death sentence he receives the life sentence
And you will have delivered your soul.
Ezekiel’s role as watchman is in view here once again
Christ Connection - Jesus is the Ultimate Watchman
Christ Connection - Jesus is the Ultimate Watchman
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Those who reject the Gospel (the good news) of Jesus receive the death sentence, but those who repent and believe in the Gospel receive a sentence of eternal life
Ezekiel 3:22-27 - Ezekiel’s Rejection
Ezekiel 3:22-27 - Ezekiel’s Rejection
22 And the hand of the Lord was upon me there.
22 And the hand of the Lord was upon me there.
3 the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the Chebar canal, and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.
This repetition reveals this section is still part of his commissioning
The Spirit of God comes upon Ezekiel and more than all others he is a man possessed by the hand of God
And he said to me, “Arise, go out into the valley, and there I will speak with you.”
And he said to me, “Arise, go out into the valley, and there I will speak with you.”
And he said to me, “Arise, go out into the valley
The valley is the broad Mesopotamian plain in Babylon and was a wasteland where Ezekiel 37 occurs
And there I will speak with you.
The purpose for this command was so that Yahweh could speak to Ezekiel
23 So I arose and went out into the valley, and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory that I had seen by the Chebar canal, and I fell on my face.
23 So I arose and went out into the valley, and behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory that I had seen by the Chebar canal, and I fell on my face.
23 So I arose and went out into the valley
Ezekiel on his own power goes out to the valley
And behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, like the glory that I had seen by the Chebar canal
And I fell on my face.
The scene from Ezekiel 1:4-28 plays itself over again
24 But the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and he spoke with me and said to me, “Go, shut yourself within your house.
24 But the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and he spoke with me and said to me, “Go, shut yourself within your house.
24 But the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet
Once again, the glory of God is so overwhelming that a mortal cannot stand in it’s presence - the Spirit of God has to pick Ezekiel up
And he spoke with me and said to me, “Go, shut yourself within your house.
After the Spirit sets Ezekiel on his feet the Lord is able to speak with him
God does not give Ezekiel the ability to have a public ministry yet - He must stay within his own home for a period of time
25 And you, O son of man, behold, cords will be placed upon you, and you shall be bound with them, so that you cannot go out among the people.
25 And you, O son of man, behold, cords will be placed upon you, and you shall be bound with them, so that you cannot go out among the people.
25 And you, O son of man, behold, cords will be placed upon you, and you shall be bound with them
Fellow exiles will tie Ezekiel up with cords/robes physically binding him because of their hostility towards him
So that you cannot go out among the people.
Ezekiel is unable to interact with the exiles as he is bound by cords
26 And I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and unable to reprove them, for they are a rebellious house.
26 And I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and unable to reprove them, for they are a rebellious house.
26 And I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth
So that you shall be mute and unable to reprove them, for they are a rebellious house.
Ezekiel’s speechlessness is lifted only when Jerusalem falls
27 On that day your mouth will be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”
27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’
27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’
27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them
Ezekiel is only able to speak what Yahweh speaks - words of judgment and warning
This fills Ezekiel 1-24 - he is only able to pronouncement judgment upon the house of Israel… until Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians
The role of Ezekiel is not to intercede to God on behalf of the people, he can only issue judgments and warnings at this point and time
‘Thus says the Lord God.’
The only words Ezekiel is allowed to speak to the house of Israel are those directly from God Himself
He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.
He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.
Though it appears as though there are two groups of people, those who hear vs those who refuse to hear, the reality is the whole house of Israel is in rebellion
Christ Connection - Christ Rejected
Christ Connection - Christ Rejected
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.
In rejected and crucifying Jesus, those who killed Jesus sinned against God and ultimately fulfilled Psalm 118:22
How Should we Live in Light of Ezekiel 3:16-27?
How Should we Live in Light of Ezekiel 3:16-27?
Church leaders are called to be watchmen over their flocks AND all Christians are called to be watchmen for one another
Church leaders are called to be watchmen over their flocks AND all Christians are called to be watchmen for one another
Be aware of the backslide process (1. Appearance of righteousness, 2. Turning toward sin, 3. Stumbling block, 4. Death) and joyfully receive warnings from others without defensiveness
Be aware of the backslide process (1. Appearance of righteousness, 2. Turning toward sin, 3. Stumbling block, 4. Death) and joyfully receive warnings from others without defensiveness
Remember that Christ is the ultimate watchman who gives warnings AND who died for ultimate forgiveness
Remember that Christ is the ultimate watchman who gives warnings AND who died for ultimate forgiveness
Main Point
Main Point
Yahweh gives Ezekiel his specific role for his prophetic ministry - He is a watchman warning the house of Israel of their wicked ways and sin
Yahweh gives Ezekiel his specific role for his prophetic ministry - He is a watchman warning the house of Israel of their wicked ways and sin