Ezekiel 33:7, 24-26

Well, Ezekiel 33 has so much in it I can hardly get through it all in one devotion. In fact, I might spread it out across 2. As I looked at what it had in it, I recognized on of the parts and I thought that would be the part that struck me most, but there was another part that really struck me today, so I am going to talk about that part. I’ll talk about the other part tomorrow perhaps, even though it comes before today’s part (if that makes sense!)

So Ezekiel is in Babylon (remember, by the river of Babylon…), well someone from Jerusalem comes to him all breathless to tell him that Jerusalem had been captured. Then God explains to him why the last few remaining Jews in the land had been captured. This is what he says:

‘Son of man, they who inhabit those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one, and he inherited the land. But we are many; the land has been given to us as a possession.’ Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “You eat meat with blood, you lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood. Should you then possess the land? You rely on your sword, you commit abominations, and you defile one another’s wives. Should you then possess the land?”’ (Ezekiel 33: 24-26)

Those left in Israel reasoned that since they were the seed of Abraham, who had been promised the land as one man, were obviously entitled to the land as many people. They, being the children of Abraham were obviously entitled to all of his blessings and promises.

But God gives them a wake-up call. While they remember Him in that He promised them the land, they forget Him in their daily lives, turning to idols and doing all sorts of abominable things. What right do they have to claim His promise when they had forgotten Him?

It causes me to stop and think of my own life, and our lives collectively. How often do we sit back and expect God’s promises to come to us while we forget all about and do exactly what He tells us not to? How often do we turn away and obey our own will and desires, expecting His blessing on our own plans? Always think of this story, where the Jews did the same thing. God says it is the reason for the captivity of the remainder of them.

Ezekiel 33 is one of the more well known parts of Ezekiel because of the first part of the chapter, which is about ‘watchmen’, and outlines some of God’s view of judgment. You probably all know the story. If a city appoints a watchman when there is war about, and that watchman sees the armies coming in and warns everybody, but they don’t listen, then when they die it is their own fault. But if the watchman doesn’t do his job and doesn’t warn them, they will still die but it will be upon the watchman’s head

‘So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.’ (Ezekiel 33:7)

Thus the same rules apply to Ezekiel as they do to the hypothetical watchman for the city. If he doesn’t warn them all of God’s judgment, they will still be judged, but their blood will be upon his head.

This is true of us, for in truth we are all prophets, spoken to by God through His son Jesus Christ, and with a message of utmost importance, one of judgment, but also one of grace. And whomever we do not reach, whomever we do not tell, they will still be judged. But their blood is on our heads. It is up to us to warn them. What a great motivation!