PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Ezekiel 3-4
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people.” (Ezekiel 3:17)
The sins Israel is committing are not interpretive differences in the text.
The people are not sincerely but mistakenly going against the Law.
They are willfully, eagerly and carelessly defying God and hurting people.
They are not just sinful by nature, they are willfully evil, choosing to be bad.
Some Christians use this ‘watchman’ idea to defend their condemning others.
They claim to be warning people because not warning them makes them guilty too.
This makes sense when you are dealing with wicked, rebellious people.
But it does not make sense when you are dealing with lost sheep.
It does not make sense when you are dealing with differences of bible interpretation.
Who are the wicked that need to be warned today – the selfish, the violent, the cruel?
Who are the ones that are hurting the lost or struggling or misguided sheep?
This passage does not give me permission to warn everyone I think is wrong.
It does remind me to keep stressing how we need to love, not hurt or hinder others.
It does remind me to keep watch that I am not guilty of hurting or hindering others.
PRAYER
Lord, we are all sinners, but we are not all willfully rebellious or wicked. Help us to lovingly help those who are lost or misguided, and lovingly warn those who are recklessly cruel and unloving.
The age old question: am I my brother’s keeper? In many ways yes I am – I someone who has been with Jesus – enlightened. Shouldn’t i point others to Jesus in whatever way I can? Am I delinquent when I just ignore and let them be? Do I bear some responsibility? This is difficult for me as I do not like to confront people or tell them what they should do. Help me Lord to be a faithful witness – willing to speak in loving ways to others so that they too may seek to find you Lord Jesus. Help me to be a good watchman!
Once again the people went their own way, not listening to the Word of the Lord nor living in His ‘SonShine.’ They did what was right in their own eyes. This is also true today among the nations and even in my own family. By my words and deeds I need to continue to show them the love of God and help them see the light of Life. I need to be an instrument of peace to them that they too experience the love of Christ and walk in His ‘SonShine.’
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace;
Where there is hatred,
Let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;
And all for thy mercy’s sake.
O divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as o console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving hat we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.