When there is danger ahead it’s always good to have a warning. If the bridge is out it’s good to have a warning sign along the road warning us that it is dangerous to continue further. Tornadoes occur every spring and summer around my part of the country. Each village has warning sirens to warn if one is coming. It is the highway department’s responsibility to put up warning signs, and the village’s responsibility to warn of severe weather conditions. If you saw an apartment building on fire in the middle of the night when all of the tenants would be asleep, wouldn’t you try and warn them to wake up and get out as fast as they could? As a fellow human being we have a moral responsibility to warn others of a fire or some other danger. Giving a warning is the important message today from the Prophet Ezekiel.
In ancient times, during the days of the prophets from the Old Testament, most cities and villages had walls built around them. This gave the residents of the city protection from invasion by an enemy. It also offered protection from marauding wild animals. These walls often had several watchtowers built and there were men whose job it was to keep a lookout for an approaching enemy. If they saw something that looked threatening, they were to sound an alarm to warn the people. That way there was time to either organize a counter-attack or flee for safety.
What if the watchman was slacking off in his responsibility to watch for danger? What if he was napping on the job, reading a book, or playing cards with the other watchmen? Or perhaps he saw the enemy army approaching, but didn’t think it was that serious. He failed to give a warning, the city was invaded and many people died. The people died because they didn’t flee, but the responsibility lay with the watchman who failed in his duty. Their blood is upon his hands. However, if the watchman was doing his job, saw a danger, and then sounded a warning, yet the people ignored his warning, their fate was their own fault. He did his job, and was not guilty of their blood.
God had given the prophets of the Old Testament a responsibility to warn the people of their impending doom if they failed to obey His Word and also worshipped false pagan gods. Like the watchmen who failed to sound a warning, sometimes the religious leaders failed in their duty to faithfully give God’s Words and warnings to the people. They preferred to give “feel-good” messages, telling the people there was nothing wrong with their lifestyles and idolatry. God’s judgment came and these religious leaders would be judged by Him for failing to warn. There were also some faithful prophets who brought God’s message to the people, warning them of their sins and the need to return to the Lord. The people ignored these watchmen, and their dire fate was their own responsibility.
Today, God’s faithful messengers again have the responsibility to bring His message and to give people warning. Just as in the days of the Old Testament where many of the religious leaders were false prophets and did not give God’s message faithfully, there are preachers and pastors who do not proclaim His Word faithfully. Like a worthless watchman, they fail to give the message, and people will die in their sins. Fortunately there still are a few good and faithful messengers, who speak God’s Word truthfully.
Will the people heed their warnings today? If they do not, their fate is their own responsibility, and their blood will be upon their own head. If we don’t speak God’s message, we will have their blood on our hands. Once we give the warning, the responsibility passes to each person. They can heed and repent, or die in judgment (vs. 4). If we fail to give the warning to the people of repentance for sin, we will be held accountable (vs. 8-9).
In closing we need to know that God has no desire or pleasure in seeing the wicked die in their sins (vs. 10-11). He desires them to repent and live (II Peter 3:9). God will never reject anyone with a truly repentant heart. Will you heed God’s watchmen’s warnings, and repent before your day of judgment comes? If you are already a Christian, are you being a faithful watchman, faithfully giving God’s message to the lost, or are you letting their destruction come upon them without one word of warning? God asks His children to warn the people for Him (vs. 7).
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