The Watchman
"'Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.’” - Ezekiel 3:17
So begins a commission from God that Ezekiel is to speak truth into the lives of his fellow Israelites. Whether he is speaking a word of warning to those who are already on the wrong path or to those who are stumbling from righteousness, God makes it clear that He will hold Ezekiel responsible for speaking truth into their lives and that if he doesn’t, he will be held accountable for their blood.
While I believe Ezekiel held a special position in the story of God, I think there are lessons from this story we can all take away from it as we follow the example he set.
First, I think it’s important to notice that God called Ezekiel a watchman for the house of Israel, not for the world.
Too often we try to point out the myriad of flaws we see in the world and we miss the problems that are happening among our own brothers and sisters. God put each of us in a specific time and place so that we would have a sphere of influence there and we miss the point when we overlook our setting to try to affect everyone! To try to change the entire world is a daunting task and, more often than not, we run the risk of being overwhelmed to the point of defeat – and then we’re no good to anyone!
Instead, we should look first to our brothers and sisters in Christ and find ways to strengthen them on their walk, whether holding them to convictions they’ve been given or encouraging them in places where they feel weak. As for the rest of the world, I suggest we follow the directive Christ gave us to love them.
Second, I think it’s important to notice that God held Ezekiel responsible for speaking truth into the lives of the Israelites, but He didn’t hold him responsible for their responses.
"'But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.'" – Ezekiel 3:19
It’s hard to share a word of caution with someone only to see them do exactly what you’d warned them against. We can feel frustrated and blame ourselves for not saying or doing enough – particularly when the consequences are severe.
But wasn’t God warning about the severest consequences of all?
The fact is that we can’t be responsible for the way people will react to the truth. We can only do our best to speak out of love and trust that God is in control. It’s a difficult reality to face, but we can rest in the fact that God knows their hearts better than us and even when we think it’s a lost cause, God may know something more.
"'Whoever will listen to him let him listen, and whoever will refuse let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.'" – Ezekiel 3:27b
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