Looking Out for Others
Opening Prayer
Loving Father, speak Your Word to me in love today. I want to be near You and hear from You.
Read EZEKIEL 3:16-27
[16] 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; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. [18] When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. [19] 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. [20] “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. [21] But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself.” [22] The hand of the LORD was upon me there, and he said to me, “Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.” [23] So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the LORD was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. [24] Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: “Go, shut yourself inside your house. [25] And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people. [26] I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, though they are a rebellious house. [27] But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says.’ Whoever will listen let him listen, and whoever will refuse let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
Reflect
What grave responsibility was Ezekiel given by the Lord?Ezekiel is appointed as a watchman for his own people. In time of war a watchman was stationed on the city wall to watch for the enemy and warn his fellow inhabitants using a blast of the trumpet. That sound that would inspire fear but allow people to prepare for what was coming. As a prophetic watchman, Ezekiel’s job is to watch for spiritually significant events. He has a personal and pastoral responsibility towards the people whom he is called to serve as prophet. He must warn them of the consequences of their sins—or better still, to turn away from them.
As a prophet, Ezekiel is not personally exempt from suffering; he is an exile himself. In this passage God warns him of future suffering he will experience personally. A righteous life does not protect us from suffering. Some suffering will apparently be accidental, part of living in a fallen world and identifying with people around us. Other suffering may be for a particular purpose, as Ezekiel experiences here. What is clear is that when suffering comes it does not mean that God is not sovereign in our lives, or that he is in some way displeased with us.
Apply
Name a suffering friend before God, asking for his grace for them in the trial that they face.
Closing prayer
Lord, I thank You that You are with me in any suffering I face. Help me to always remember that.
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