The Watchmen of Our City

The Watchmen of Our City

Ezekiel 33:1-33

Main Idea: God provides the means, the message, and the motivation for us to serve as watchmen for the world.

Late one night in fall of my senior year in college, I was studying for an exam. My roommate was asleep in his room upstairs, and I was jealous. While studying, I began to notice a strange aroma but was uncertain of its origin. While investigating the smell, I began to hear some commotion outside our apartment. There was a light tap on our back door. As I opened it, I barely heard someone’s voice trailing away in the distance say the word, “Fire!” I stepped out on the sidewalk and saw the apartment with which we shared a common wall was engulfed in flames.

My first thought was of my sleeping roommate. I ran upstairs as quickly as I could only to find him sound asleep. I began to yell for him to wake up. He did not budge. I yelled more. He still did not budge. As a last resort I went to his bed, shook him, and screamed, “Wake up!”

He finally rose from his slumber and said, “I smell smoke.”

I said in the most sarcastic of tones, “You think so? It’s a fire bro. We’ve got to get out of here.”

I can point to many graces of the Lord on that night. First are the people who helped us get some of our belongings. Second was a friend who gave up his bed for me that night and slept on the floor so I would have a place to stay. A third blessing was that the ceiling did not fall in my roommate’s room until we had gotten out. A fourth blessing was that my professor let me postpone my exam . . . for a day. (Sure I am homeless now, but taking your exam is top on my priority list.)

As I have had time to process the events of that night, it has occurred to me of all the sounds we heard one was glaringly absent: our smoke detector in our apartment never made a single sound. Smoke was slapping it in its plastic face but still not a peep. The smoke taunted it and even hit it, but nothing. The smoke alarm failed to do what it was created to do.

Warning can be a matter of life and death. The sailors who slept on the USS Arizona and other Navy vessels at Pearl Harbor had no warning on the morning of December 7, 1941, that pilots from Japan were on their way to attack. As a result, 2,335 U.S. servicemen were killed and 1,143 were wounded. People working in the two towers of the World Trade Center in New York had no warning that planes were going to slam into their buildings on the morning of September 11, 2001. As a result, 2,606 people would lose their lives in the collapse of the buildings. More would die in the planes and at the Pentagon. Yes, warning can be a matter of life and death.

More importantly, however, warning can be a matter of eternity. We live in a world where at least two billion people currently lack access to the gospel. The only knowledge they have of God is enough to condemn them to hell for all eternity. How many die each day having never been warned to flee to Christ? How many in our cities will die lacking the same knowledge? There is no plan B for how God will spread His gospel globally. His church is His plan. We are the watchmen who are called to sound the warning in our cities and in the nations.

In Ezekiel 33, themes we encountered in Ezekiel 3 and Ezekiel 18 will be brought back to our attention. Ezekiel will be reminded of his responsibility as a watchman for the house of Israel (33:7). Israel will be reminded of God’s call to repent and live (v. 11). Ezekiel will finally be set free from the muteness the Lord imposed on Him (v. 22), which means he will have more to share than just judgment. When all is said and done at the close of the chapter, God’s people will know that a prophet has been among them (v. 33).

Will We Share the Word?

Ezekiel 33:1-9

My greatest failures in evangelism have not been in saying the wrong things but in saying nothing. Few things are worse than having an opportunity to speak up for the gospel but letting it pass. We should be ready and eager to share the good news of Christ. Peter said, “But honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet 3:15). If we just sit and wait, however, until everyone asks us why we are so hopeful, then few people will hear the gospel. We are called to be proactive in our proclamation (Acts 1:8).

Perhaps one reason many do not share the gospel is fear of rejection. We have to get over this apprehension. Finding our acceptance and approval in the cross of Christ frees us from seeking it in other places and persons. Emboldened by what God has done for us in Jesus, we should share His good news freely. Of course, if the gospel is not in our hearts and on our mind, then it will not come out of our mouths. I often tell the people I shepherd that, if we are going to love God passionately and others rightly, we must meditate on the cross constantly. As we delight in the cross, we are moved to declare its glorious message. Remember, our task is to bring the gospel to our listeners’ ears, and the Spirit is tasked with bringing it to their hearts.

What also aids our overcoming a fear of rejection is the knowledge of two truths. First, as God makes His appeal through us (2 Cor 5:20), He is the One who is ultimately rejected and not us. Second, we need not fear rejection because we are not held accountable for how they respond to our message. They are. As a watchman, Ezekiel is informed that he is not responsible for the reactions of the people but for warning them (33:7-9). If God tells Ezekiel to warn a wicked person to turn from his iniquity but the prophet refuses to pass along the message, then the prophet will be held responsible for the blood of the wicked one (v. 8). If, however, Ezekiel warns the wicked one but he ignores or rejects the warning, then the prophet will be released from accountability for the wicked man’s decision. What Ezekiel is warned not to be is a watchman who sees the sword coming but doesn’t blow the trumpet, so that the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes and takes away their lives (v. 6).

Ezekiel’s position as watchman was not based on popular vote. God told the prophet, “I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel” (v. 7). The issue then is not whether Ezekiel is a watchman but whether he is a good one. He has been appointed and so have we. We are God’s watchmen as well (Acts 1:8; 2 Cor 5:20). There is no other plan. No one will be held more responsible for the cities we live in than us—particularly since God determines both when and where we live (Esth 4:14; Acts 17:26).

How then can we be the watchmen we need to be for our cities, our states, and the nations?

First, we should pray for opportunities to proclaim the gospel. Paul asks the church at Colossae to “pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the message, to speak the mystery of the Messiah, for which I am in prison” (Col 4:3). How many in our faith families are praying this and asking others to pray this for them on a daily basis? How many of our pastors are praying in this way? How would our cities be different if our churches asked God every day for opportunities to share the gospel?

Second, we should pray for opportunities to proclaim the gospel clearly. The next part of Paul’s request was, “so that I may reveal it as I am required to speak” (Col 4:4). As he had opportunity to share the message, his prayer was to be able to reveal the mystery of Christ clearly. One thing is certain: if the gospel is not clear to the church, then it will not be clear to the city. I have been amazed as a pastor to see how unclear the gospel is to some people who have spent years in faith families. I have heard longtime members struggle to articulate the good news of Christ.

One of the highest priorities of my ministry as a pastor is making sure our people know the gospel, have received the gospel, are growing in the gospel, and can clearly share the gospel. We use the four words—God, man, Christ, response—as key markers in our discussions of the gospel. We even have the gospel posted in every room where we meet as a faith family.

Third, we should trust God’s provision of the exact words to say. Paul will go on in Colossians to say, “Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person” (Col 4:6) Canned evangelism plans are fine, but I do not know any canned people. Every person is unique, and we must meet each in his or her situation. Our speech should be gracious. No one wants to hear about God’s grace from someone who demonstrates little of it. In each encounter pray not to remember the presentation you memorized, but trust “you will be given what to say at that hour, because you are not speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you” (Matt 10:19-20).

For our role as watchmen, the Lord has provided us with the message, the means, and the motivation for proclamation. God told Ezekiel, “When you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me” (33:7). The warning is not from Ezekiel but from the Lord because the word is not from Ezekiel but from the Lord. Nowhere in the book of Ezekiel is a failure recorded on the prophet’s part in delivering the message entrusted to him. No matter how difficult the message, Ezekiel proclaimed it exactly as he received it. In the gospel of Christ, we have been given the greatest word from God. Are we giving His warning from His word? May we be faithful watchmen for our world with the word entrusted to us as Ezekiel was for Israel.

Will We Believe the Word?

Ezekiel 33:10-20

As we share the word we have been given, not everyone will believe it. Some may even accuse God of wrongdoing. But nothing could be further from the truth. God knew His people were struggling beneath the weight of their sin. He listened to their cries, “Our transgressions and our sins are heavy on us, and we are wasting away because of them! How then can we survive?” (v. 10). God had a simple solution for them. He told Ezekiel,

Tell them: As I live . . . I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways! Why will you die, house of Israel? (v. 11)

All Israel had to do to be relieved of the burden of their sin was to turn away from their wickedness and turn to God.

The fact the prophet is given the same message in chapter 33 as he was in chapter 18 reveals that God’s people still did not get it. Despite years to consider the message, they were still having trouble believing God; and, worse, some were still accusing Him of being unfair (33:17,20). They could not seem to comprehend that grace is based on God’s mercy and not our merit. The one who turns to sin will die, and the one who turns from sin will live.

Once again Ezekiel is given two scenarios. The first one involves a righteous person who turns to wickedness and will die because of the iniquity he has committed (vv. 12-13). The second example is of a wicked person who repents of his sin and does what is just and right (v. 14). He will certainly live because none of the sins he committed will be held against him (v. 16). This does not seem like rocket science, but for God’s hardhearted people this message was difficult to accept.

Though they never say it plainly, it seems God’s people believe that the one who walked in righteousness but then turned to sin should be cut some slack by God. When you see grace as earned, there will always be a problem. We cannot trust in our righteousness and then commit iniquity (v. 13). Apparently, Ezekiel’s crew ignored the word from Isaiah that “all of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment” (Isa 64:6). Trusting in our righteousness means we are confident we have done enough good things to impress God. We may even be deluded enough to think He owes us because of the “righteous” acts we have achieved.

If anyone ever had “righteous points” it was Paul. He was from the right family and had done all of the right things—and with more zeal than any of his peers. But when he totaled his accomplishments and compared them with Jesus, he said,

But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I . . . consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ. (Phil 3:7-8)

Paul resolved, “But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal 6:14)—which should lead us to ask, whose righteous acts do you have the most confidence in: yours or Christ’s?

The one who turns to sin and forsakes the righteous path should always have fear before the Lord. No matter how many good things were accomplished prior to his bounding down the path of sin, none of his righteousness will be remembered (v. 13). God is not adding up our righteous points and then deducting wicked points and hoping we have more good than bad in the end. We do not want to be those who confess to be righteous for a season but those who continue on the path of righteousness with our Savior.

Admittedly, the gospel at times can sound too good to be true. That God would reconcile us to Himself and not count our sins against us should always amaze us (2 Cor 5:19). That “He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” should leave us shaking our heads in wonder (2 Cor 5:21). As unbelievable as it sounds, the exchange of our unrighteousness to Christ and His righteousness to us is completely true. But Ezekiel’s peers were struggling to believe what they were hearing.

God told them,

When I tell the wicked person, “You will surely die,” but he repents of his sin and does what is right . . . none of the sins he committed will be held against him. He has done what is just and right; he will certainly live. (33:14,16)

In reality repentance reveals righteousness. The one who was once wicked now “returns collateral, makes restitution for what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without practicing iniquity” (v. 15). This person is evidencing faith, not earning it. Turning and doing are good descriptors of genuine repentance. Righteousness is not just professed but practiced.

Ezekiel’s audience just could not fathom the outcome of God’s two illustrations. They believed the first person had earned God’s good treatment and the second person would never deserve God’s favor. The reality is that neither person deserved God’s mercy. Also, if their thinking was correct, then one had better be fortunate enough to start on the righteous path; otherwise there was no hope. To all this God asked, “And yet you think I’m the one being unfair?”

God’s pro-life stance is affirmed again. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but is begging for the wicked person to turn from his way and live (v. 11). God asks His people one more time, “Why will you die, house of Israel?” If we walk in wickedness, we will perish; but if we turn from it, we will live. There is not a person that is too wicked to be covered by the blood of Christ. Paul declared, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16).

What about us? Are we currently walking the righteous path, or are we turning from it and embracing sin? Do we believe we have earned enough points to impress God with our goodness? Are we doing all we can to encourage others to continue on the righteous path? Do we really believe the blood of Christ can cleanse our deepest sin? One thing is certain, God will judge each person according to his or her ways (v. 20). Let us believe what God says and turn from our sin and live.

Will We Listen to the Word?

Ezekiel 33:23-29

While Ezekiel’s peers are struggling to believe what they are hearing from God, we learn things are not any better in Judah. Those who were living in the ruins in the land of Israel were saying, “Abraham was only one person, yet he received possession of the land. But we are many; the land has been given to us as a possession” (v. 24). The difference between them and Abraham, however, was not in number alone but also in faithfulness. He was faithful, they were not. God’s promises work through faith and not apart from it (Duguid, Ezekiel, 388).

Those who remained in Israel certainly were not repentant, and they who lived in the ruins would soon be ruined themselves. Unfortunately, they were self-deceived and believed that just because they remained in the land, they would receive the land. God informed them they could not be more wrong. He said to them,

You eat meat with blood in it, raise your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. Should you then receive possession of the land? You have relied on your swords, you have committed detestable acts, and each of you has defiled his neighbor’s wife. Should you then receive possession of the land? (33:25-26)

In reality the remnant in Israel should have known better. Jeremiah had already told them that those who refused God’s plan of exile but remained in the land were not chosen but condemned. God would send “the sword, famine, and plague against them until they . . . perished from the land [He] gave to them and their ancestors” (Jer 24:10). Those who remained in Judah clearly did not listen to the word of the Lord, and not listening always comes with consequences. Refusing to see things as God sees them is the height of arrogance and insubordination.

Those in the ruins may have escaped the destruction of the temple, but they would not escape the discipline of the Lord. They would not be delivered. They were doomed (33:27,29).

Why are we so often like those who remained in Israel? Why do we ignore the Lord’s Word? Why do we refuse to see ourselves as He sees us? Why do we think we know better than the Ancient of Days? Why do we think that because of our position in Christ it does not matter what we practice in life? Why do we seek God’s blessings but withhold our obedience? Because they would not listen and receive God’s word, they perished, and so will we if we follow their path. If we ignore God’s Word, we do so at our own peril.

Will We Obey the Word?

Ezekiel 33:30-33

After all that has been covered in Ezekiel up to this point and the previous passage in particular, can you believe these four verses are what comes next? How in the world could there be people in Ezekiel’s group who were still only listening to the word but not obeying it? After hearing all that was happening to those in Judah who refused to do what God said, how was Ezekiel’s audience not lining up to be the first to obey? We are dull and depraved people indeed!

The Lord told Ezekiel His people were drawn to Ezekiel’s sermons much like one seeking to be entertained. They would encourage one another to come and hear the message of the Lord (v. 30). They would gather in crowds, sit in front of Ezekiel, and hear his words, but they would not obey them (v. 31). They would talk about how wonderful the sermons were, but in their hearts they pursued dishonest profit (v. 31). God told Ezekiel, “To them you are like a singer of love songs who has a beautiful voice and plays skillfully on an instrument. They hear your words, but they don’t obey them” (v. 32).

Like Ezekiel’s generation our problem is not access to God’s Word but acting on it. Unlike the crowd who heard Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, we should not want just to be amazed by His sermon but also to submit to His authority (Matt 7:28-29). Obedience is not optional. Jesus asks, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord’ and don’t do the things I say?” (Luke 6:46). The ones who refuse to do the will of the Father should not be surprised when they have to depart from the Son (Matt 7:23). It is not the one who just hears Christ’s words who is compared to the wise builder but the one who hears His words and does them (Matt 7:24).

As much as I marvel that any of Ezekiel’s peers would still lack obedience, we should be even more dismayed in our day. We, after all, are reading what they heard proclaimed and so much more. We have both testaments, and the mystery of Christ has been revealed. Their knowledge was but a matchstick compared to our sun.

How then are we approaching God’s Word? Are we treating it as an artistic piece to be placed on the wall but never touched? Are we entertained by it, or are we eating it? Do we receive it with parameters? Are our mouths saying one thing about the Word but our hearts another? In the end, how much of His Word we have heard will not be nearly as important as how much we have lived. When all was said and done, Ezekiel’s peers would know he had not been just some performer but a prophet who had been among them (33:33).

Will We Deliver the Word?

Ezekiel 33:21-22

For seven years Ezekiel has been faithfully delivering the Lord’s message of discipline to His people. In the twelfth year of the exile, in the tenth month, and on the fifth day of the month, a message is delivered to Ezekiel (v. 21). A fugitive from Jerusalem came to him and reported, “The city has been taken” (v. 21). Just as the Lord had told him three years previously (24:26), Ezekiel’s mouth was opened, and he was no longer mute (33:22).

Can you imagine for a moment what it was like for Ezekiel? For seven years he could only share with the people the messages the Lord had given him. He was not allowed to say anything more or anything less. There was no idle chatter. There was not even any small talk with his wife. On top of these burdens, the messages he was allowed to speak all consisted of God’s judgment. As fatigued as we may be of walking through these chapters filled with God’s wrath and discipline, imagine what it was like to preach that sermon series for seven years.

Of all the responses Ezekiel received from the listeners of his messages, repentance and appreciation are not recorded. How many of them dreaded to see Ezekiel come out of his house knowing he had another message of judgment for them? How many of them after seven years no longer even bothered to listen? One day the full story of Ezekiel’s ministry will be told in heaven, but for now it’s enough to know he was one of Israel’s most faithful watchmen. Our full story will be revealed as well. Will we be found faithful in delivering His Word?

Ezekiel’s tongue being set loose means the messages of discipline will now give way to sermons of deliverance. From this point forward in the text, hope and restoration will be proclaimed to those in exile. The midnight of condemnation has passed; the dawn of compassion is breaking.

Reflect and Discuss

1. In what ways are you serving as a watchman for your city?
2. How can we handle negative responses to the warnings we provide of God’s coming judgment?
3. Are you trusting in your righteous acts or in Christ’s? Are you thinking perseverance does not matter?
4. Do you think you are too dirty to be cleansed by God? Do you think Christ could atone for all sins except yours?
5. Are you refusing to listen to God’s truth about you and your situation?
6. Why do we often just hear the Word of God but not do it? How can we not only listen to the Word but also obey it?
7. In what ways are you helping others to have access to God’s Word and to act on it?
8. What’s your approach and response to God’s Word? How much is your heart and mind and body involved in your response?
9. How can we avoid looking just for immediate response and recognition for our faithful service to the Lord?
10. When you consider Ezekiel’s seven years of having to preach only judgment, what are your thoughts? How thankful are you to be able to proclaim God’s judgment but also His gospel?