June 27, 2011
BEING THE WATCHMAN
Ezekiel 3
Phillip Chumley
Central Truth
We who have trusted in Christ are messengers of God, and we are to share His Word with others.
Key Verse | Ezekiel 3:17
Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. (Ezekiel 3:17)
Ezekiel 3
1 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.
4 And he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them. 5 For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel— 6 not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. 7 But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. 8 Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. 9 Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” 10 Moreover, he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. 11 And go to the exiles, to your people, and speak to them and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ whether they hear or refuse to hear.”
12 Then the Spirit 1 3:12 Or the wind; also verse 14 lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice 2 3:12 Or sound of a great earthquake: “Blessed be the glory of the LORD from its place!” 13 It was the sound of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the sound of the wheels beside them, and the sound of a great earthquake. 14 The Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, the hand of the LORD being strong upon me. 15 And I came to the exiles at Tel-abib, who were dwelling by the Chebar canal, and I sat where they were dwelling. 3 3:15 Or Chebar, and to where they dwelt And I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.
A Watchman for 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. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 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 4 3:18 Or in; also verses 19, 20 his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 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. 20 Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. 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. 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.”
22 And the hand of the LORD was upon me there. And he said to me, “Arise, go out into the valley, 5 3:22 Or plain; also verse 23 and there I will speak with you.” 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. 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. 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. 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. 27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.
Dive Deeper | Ezekiel 3
I can still remember the day my wife informed me we were going to become parents. She was so excited that she could not believe it. She wanted to take multiple tests to confirm. So we did, and it was confirmed. In nine months we would have a child!
My wife and I wanted to wait until the baby was born to find out whether it was a boy or a girl. I had always wanted a boy, but was pretty sure I was going to be blessed with a little girl. Either way, we had to prepare for having a child. My wife and I began to read as much as we could about raising children. We knew that we were going to become watchmen over this amazing child. We were going to be responsible for teaching and informing this little one.
In a similar way the Lord appointed Ezekiel watchman over the Israelites. He was to watch over them and keep them safe from any threat. He was also to inform them of any messages the Lord gave to him whether they listened or not. If Ezekiel failed to inform them, then he would be held accountable. If the Israelites did not take warning, they could lose their lives, as well as Ezekiel's ability to speak to them.
As Ezekiel was commanded to take the Lord's Word to the Israelites, we are also instructed to teach God's Word to our children. "You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." (Deuteronomy 6:7) Similar to Ezekiel in this chapter, we as parents cannot know how our children will take and interpret the information we provide them. However, we must be a funnel of knowledge and an example to them.
Discussion Questions
1. Where and how is God using you as a watchman today?
2. Why is it difficult for us to wait on the Lord to work in others' lives?
3. In what areas of your life do you need to depend on the Lord today?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
EZEKIEL 3-7 (JUNE 27-JULY 1)
Read Ezekiel 3:1-11.
What did God have Ezekiel do in verses 1-3? What did Ezekiel say the scroll tasted like?
How does God say the people will respond to His truth? What does God tell Ezekiel to do anyway?
In verse 10, what does it mean to take God's words into your heart? Why should you know God's truth before you share it with others?
How is God's Word like the food that you eat for your body? How can you treat God's Word like food?
ACTIVITY: Get a package of tortillas, honey, cinnamon, and sugar. Read Psalm 1 and commit to memorizing it as a family. Now warm up your tortillas and write out Psalm 1:2 on them with honey, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, roll it up like a scroll and enjoy the sweetness of God's Word!