Ezekiel 33

Ezekiel 33 introduces Ezekiel as a watchman over Israel, emphasizing the prophet’s responsibility to warn the people of impending judgment. In this chapter, God explains the duty of a watchman, holding him accountable for warning others about potential danger. It also underscores themes of personal responsibility, repentance, and God's fairness in dealing with humanity. Toward the end, a message reaches Ezekiel that Jerusalem has fallen, fulfilling earlier prophecies and marking a pivotal moment in Israel’s history. The chapter encourages reflection on repentance, righteousness, and accountability.

Ezekiel 33:1-6 (NKJV)
1 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman,
3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people,
4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head.
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life.
6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’”

These verses illustrate the role of a watchman, responsible for alerting others of danger. If a watchman warns people and they ignore it, their fate is their own fault. But if he fails to warn them, he bears responsibility. God uses this analogy to emphasize Ezekiel’s role as a spiritual watchman, accountable for delivering His message. If the people do not heed the warning, they are responsible for their actions. This metaphor establishes the seriousness of Ezekiel’s prophetic mission and the urgency of Israel's repentance.

Ezekiel 33:7-9 (NKJV)
7 “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.
8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.
9 Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

God directly commissions Ezekiel as a watchman over Israel, placing the responsibility on him to relay God’s warnings. If Ezekiel warns a sinner, he fulfills his duty, regardless of the outcome. However, if he fails to deliver God’s message, he becomes accountable for the sinner’s fate. This emphasizes the prophet’s duty to speak God’s words faithfully, reflecting the principle that each person is responsible for their own response to God’s message.

Ezekiel 33:10-11 (NKJV)
10 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?”’
11 Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’

Here, God addresses the despair of the Israelites, who feel trapped in their sins. God assures them that He does not desire their death but urges them to turn from their wickedness and find life. This passage reveals God’s heart of compassion and His willingness to forgive those who repent, contrasting His justice with His desire for mercy. The appeal for repentance underscores that salvation is always possible through a sincere return to God.

Ezekiel 33:12-16 (NKJV)
12 “Therefore you, O son of man, say to the children of your people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous man shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall because of it in the day that he turns from his wickedness; nor shall the righteous be able to live because of his righteousness in the day that he sins.’
13 When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die.
14 Again, when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right,
15 if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has stolen, and walks in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
16 None of his sins which he has committed shall be remembered against him; he has done what is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

These verses emphasize the importance of continual faithfulness and repentance. A person’s righteousness does not guarantee salvation if they later choose sin, nor does past wickedness prevent a person from receiving forgiveness if they turn back to God. This teaching on personal responsibility stresses that each person’s relationship with God is dynamic, requiring active commitment and repentance. It also underscores the fairness of God, who judges each person by their present actions.

Ezekiel 33:17-20 (NKJV)
17 “Yet the children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ But it is their way which is not fair!
18 When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it.
19 But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right, he shall live because of it.
20 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair.’ O house of Israel, I will judge every one of you according to his own ways.”

Here, the Israelites complain that God’s ways are unjust, feeling it unfair that the righteous can fall and the wicked can be saved. God rebukes this accusation, declaring that His judgments are perfectly just, as He judges each person by their actions. This passage highlights God’s unwavering justice, emphasizing the individual’s accountability and the fairness of divine judgment.

Ezekiel 33:21-22 (NKJV)
21 And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, that one who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has been captured!”
22 Now the hand of the Lord had been upon me the evening before the man came who had escaped. And He had opened my mouth; so when he came to me in the morning, my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.

This moment marks a turning point, as news of Jerusalem’s fall confirms the prophecies Ezekiel had given. The loss of the city fulfills God’s earlier warnings and signals the consequences of Israel’s disobedience. Ezekiel’s regained speech symbolizes a new phase of his prophetic mission, one focused on hope and restoration for the exiles after judgment.

Ezekiel 33:23-29 (NKJV)
23 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
24 “Son of man, they who inhabit those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one, and he inherited the land. But we are many; the land has been given to us as a possession.’
25 Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “You eat meat with blood, you lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood. Should you then possess the land?
26 You rely on your sword, you commit abominations, and you defile one another’s wives. Should you then possess the land?”’
27 Say thus to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “As I live, surely those who are in the ruins shall fall by the sword, and the one who is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and caves shall die of the pestilence.
28 For I will make the land most desolate, her arrogant strength shall cease, and the mountains of Israel shall be so desolate that no one will pass through.
29 Then they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.”’”

Ezekiel 33:30-33 (NKJV)
30 “As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’
31 So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.
32 Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them.
33 And when this comes to pass—surely it will come—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

In these final verses, God reveals the superficiality of the people’s response to Ezekiel’s prophecies. Although they show interest in listening to him, their hearts remain unchanged, and they do not act upon his words. The people are likened to listeners entertained by a singer, appreciating the sound but disregarding the message’s depth. God warns that when the prophecies are fulfilled, the people will recognize Ezekiel’s true role as a prophet. This passage underscores the importance of genuine response to God’s word, calling for inner transformation rather than empty admiration.