The Watchman

Ezekiel 3, 18, 33 – The Watchman

Ezekiel 3

Four Things God Made Ezekiel

1.    I have made your face strong against their faces (Ezk_3:8).

2.    Your forehead strong against their foreheads.

3.    As an adamant harder than flint have I made your forehead (Ezk_3:9).

4.    I have made you a watchman (Ezk_3:17).

b    [watchman] 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 (Ezk_33:2-7; 1Sa_14:16; 2Sa_18:24-27; 2Ki_9:17-20; 2Ki_17:9; 2Ki_18:8; Sng_3:3; Sng_5:7; Psa_127:1; Isa_21:6-12; Isa_52:8; Isa_56:10; Isa_62:6; Jer_6:17; Jer_31:6; Jer_51:12; Hos_9:8; Mic_7:4). Priests and prophets of the Lord were often called watchmen. Ezekiel was especially distinguished with this title (Ezk_3:17; Ezk_33:7). The duties of a watchman were threefold:

1.    To wait and watch for what God would command and give in warning (Ezk_3:17-21).

2.    To watch over and superintend the people (Ezk_3:17-21; Isa_56:10).

3.    To warn the people for God (Ezk_3:17-21).

die] Referring to the death penalty for sin. No sinner escapes this penalty unless he repents and is forgiven by God (Mrk_16:15; 1Jn_1:9). Death was the penalty for original sin (Gen_2:17), and it is the present penalty for sin under grace as it always was under the law (Rom_1:29-32; Rom_8:12-13; Gal_4:19-21). When one sins he immediately incurs the penalty of the broken law, and sincere repentance and forgiveness are necessary to avoid the penalty. There is no automatic work of grace offering forgiveness without repentance and putting the sin away by faith in the blood of Christ. Any other way would be a mock of sin and give one a license to continue in it if he wanted to do so. Every time one commits a death-penalty sin it will have the same effect on him. This is why Ezekiel was told to warn the wicked to meet the conditions of grace, or they would be lost (Ezk_3:17-21; Ezk_18:1-32; Ezk_33:1-20).

b    [to save his life] Twelve great truths here:

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 (cp. Gen_2:17; Rom_1:29-32; Rom_6:14-23; Rom_8:12-13; 1Co_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 (Ezk_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 (Ezk_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 (Ezk_3:20; Ezk_18:24-26; Ezk_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 (Ezk_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 (Ezk_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 (Ezk_3:20-21; Ezk_18:24-26; Ezk_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 (Ezk_3:20-21; Ezk_18:24-26; Ezk_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 (Ezk_3:20-21; Rom_6:14-23; Rom_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 (Ezk_3:20-21).

c    [his blood will I require at thine hand] To save himself from responsibility of having the blood of a lost man on his hands, the prophet must warn the wicked (Ezk_3:18).

Ezekiel 18 - God’s law governing individual responsibility (vv.1-4)

a. The common but false proverb: Children suffer because of the sins and failures of their parents [v.2]

b. The LORD’s response to the proverb [v.3]

1) The people must erase the misguided belief [v.3]

2) The truth: Every living soul [v.4]

• Is important to God [v.4]

• Is accountable to God for his behavior and will be punished by Him [v.4]

2. God’s law governing the consequences of both good and bad individual behavior (vv.5-20)

a. The righteous believer [v.6]

1) His behavior [v.6]

• Does not engage in false worship [v.6]

• Does not commit adultery nor any other immoral act [v.6]

• Does not oppress people [v.7]

• Returns borrowed items and any collateral he took for loans [v.7]

• Does not steal [v.7]

• Gives to the poor, hungry, and naked [v.7]

• Does not charge excessive interest [v.8]

• Turns away from sin (wrongdoing) [v.8]

• Executes true justice [v.8]

• Obeys God and His commandments [v.9]

) God’s verdict: The man is righteous; consequently, he will live [v.9]

b. The wicked son of a righteous believer [v.10]

1) His behavior [v.10]

• Commits murder [v.10]

• Engages in idol worship [v.11]

• Commits adultery [v.11]

• Oppresses people [v.12]

• Robs people [v.12]

• Does not return what he borrows [v.12]

• Looks to idols for help [v.12]

• Does detestable things [v.12]

• Charges excessive interest [v.13]

2) God’s verdict: He will not live (neither in this world nor in the next) [v.13]

• He will die [v.13]

• He is personally responsible [v.13]

c. The righteous son of a wicked father [v.14]

1) His behavior: He lives in the midst of sin but does not participate in it [v.14]

• Refuses to engage in false worship [v.15]

• Does not commit adultery [v.15]

• Does not oppress people [v.15]

• Is fair to debtors [v.16]

• Does not rob people [v.16]

• Feeds the hungry and clothes the naked [v.16]

• Does not charge excessive interest [v.17]

• Obeys God, keeping His commandments [v.17]

2) God’s verdict: He will not die, but live (abundantly, both now and eternally) [v.17]

d. The threefold conclusion [v.18]

1) The wicked will die for his own sin: Because he is the one who lived in sin, he is the one who will be punished for it [v.18]

2) The son does not naturally share the guilt of his wicked father: If the son is righteous and seeks to obey God’s commandments, he will live abundantly, both now and eternally [v.19]

3) The law of individual accountability governs human life [v.20]

• The soul who sins will die [v.20]

• The guilt of father and son will not be shared [v.20]

• The righteous will be given righteousness and life and the wicked punishment [v.20]

3. God’s laws governing changes in individual behavior (vv.21-32)

a. The law governing repentance [v.21]

1) The case: A wicked man who repents [v.21]

• He will live, not die [v.21]

• He is forgiven all sin: No sin is remembered because of his righteous behavior [v.22]

) The loving heart of God [v.23]

• He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked [v.23]

• He longs for people to repent [v.23]

b. The law governing apostasy [v.24]

1) The case: The righteous man who turns away and continues in his sin [v.24]

2) The sad fact: None of his righteous deeds will be remembered [v.24]

3) The result: The man will die—because his profession was proven false due to continued sin and lack of repentance [v.24]

c. The charge that God is not just [v.25]

1) God’s thoughtful question: Are God’s ways or man’s ways unjust? [v.25]

2) God’s law governing apostasy is just, fair [v.26]

• A righteous person turns away from God and lives in sin [v.26]

• This person will die [v.26]

3) God’s law governing repentance is just, fair [v.27]

• A wicked person repents and lives righteously [v.27]

• This person will save his life and live abundantly, both now and eternally: He will not die [v.28]

4) God’s way is just and man’s ways are unjust: The fact reemphasized [v.29]

. The plea of God [v.30]

1) Know that He is going to judge each one according to his behavior [v.30]

2) Repent—turn away from sin [v.30]

3) Cast away all sin to receive a new heart and a new spirit, 11:19-20; 36:26-27 [v.31]

4) Ask why you should die when you can live [v.31]

5) Know God’s heart: He takes no pleasure in the death of anyone [v.32]

6) Repent and live [v.32]

The Proverb

[The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge] This proverb expresses the idea that the fathers are responsible for the sins of the children, but God proceeds to show that all men are equal, that no one man is responsible for the sins of another, that the soul who sins will die for his own sin, and that the soul who quits sin will live for his own righteousness, which naturally includes the will of God in salvation (Ezk_18:3-32)

The Issue Of Righteousness

a    [unclean] Hebrew: tame’ (H2931), foul in a religious sense; defiled; infamous; polluted; unclean in a ceremonial and moral sense. It refers to anything regarded as polluted and abominable by the law of Moses (Isa_6:5; Isa_35:8; Lev_5:2; Lev_7:19, Lev_7:21; Lev_11:4-8, Lev_11:26, Lev_11:28-31, Lev_11:35, Lev_11:47; Lev_13:15, Lev_13:45-55; Lev_14:40-45; Deu_14:7-19). The meaning here is: All of us are ceremonially and morally unclean and abominable before God; and all our righteousness (our deeds, prayers, sacrifices, alms) are as filthy rags. The Hebrew for "filthy" is ‛ed (H5708), to set a period; it refers to the menstrual fluid and the rags used by women in their monthly periods.

b    [as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away]