Ezekiel 33:1-20 The Lord tells Ezekiel that he has been appointed "a watchman for the house of Israel".  The duty of a watchman is to warn the people of the coming battle.... "If I bring a sword upon the land and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman; and he sees the sword coming upon the land, and he blows the trumpet and warns the people then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood is on his own head."  The responsibility of those who hear the warning, is to heed the warning. 

However, if the watchman fails to sound the trumpet and give the warning.. then the blood of those who are taken will be on that watchman. 

Ezekiel was given the ministry of warning Israel of their wickedness, "O wicked man, you shall surely die.. " If that man turns from his sin then all is well.. if not, it is on his own head.  But, if Ezekiel failed to give the warning.. then he would take the responsibility on his own head. 

The warning that Ezekiel gave was very clear, " As I live! declares the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then do you die, O house of Israel?"

The next verses are so powerful.. the Lord tells us that we cannot count on our past righteousness to save us from our present sinfulness...the penalty of sin is death...  But.. if we turn from sin and "practice justice and righteousness".. if we restore a pledge, pay back what we stole, walk by the Word of life.. we will live. In the end the Lord says, " I will judge each of you according to your ways."  

Verses 21-33 Refugees arrived that day from Jerusalem, which had fallen.  They still felt as though they deserved to possess the land.. but the Lord spoke to them sternly.. "You eat meat with the blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols as you shed blood. Should you possess the land?  You rely on your sword, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife. Should you possess the land?" 

The Lord does not accept their arguments.. He does not accept ours either.. our excuses or explanations.. our selfish and prideful thinking does not hold water with Him!  Israel saw with their own eyes what happens to a land that does not heed the warnings that God sends..  They came to hear what Ezekiel said, but they still  did not turn from their "lustful desires" and their hearts continues to seek their own gain.  ".. for they hear your words; but they do not practice them.." the Lord tells Ezekiel.   

James echoed this in his epistle, " But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves." ( James 1:22) 

Oh gracious Father, You are  God.. who has given us warning after warning that we must turn back.. turn back to You and know that You alone are the Lord and that You will judge every sin.  You call us to Yourself.. to find the righteousness that You require in the Son, who came to restore us to Yourself.  You call us to be hearers and doers of Your Word. You have given to us Your Spirit to help us to hear and to do Your good pleasure. Thank You for giving us the warnings... for the watchmen that You commissioned who recorded Your Words of life that we might find salvation from our sins.   May our hearts seek You always and may we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.