Scripture
"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. 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. 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 3:17-19
Observation
Ezekiel was to be a watchman for Israel, and, though he was not responsible for the Israelites response to God's messages, he was responsible to deliver the message God had given him.
Application
From my Life Application bible
God's description of Ezekiel as a watchman on the walls of the city captures the personal nature of his ministry. A watchman's job was dangerous. If he failed at his post, he and the entire city might be destroyed. His own safety depended on the quality of his work. The importance of each person's accountability before God was a central part of Ezekiel's message. He taught the exiles that God expected personal obedience and worship from each of them.
Just like Ezekiel, we are responsible to share the Good News with those around us. We are not responsible for their reaction to it, but we will be held accountability for our obedience (or disobedience) to God.
This is a bit of a wake up call for me. Witnessing is not something only some people are called to do. It's not optional.
Prayer
Lord, if we truly believe the Good News, and if we truly believe in a literal heaven and hell, then we should be passionate about sharing this Good News to those around us. But sometimes complacency, or fear or rejection, or any other excuse, causes us to be hesitant about speaking out. Give us the courage we need and give us the opportunity to share Your incredible news with those around us. Amen.
Tomorrow's passage: Ezekiel 5-9
1 comment:
About a year ago, I started journalling my Bible reading for the first time ~ and I just happened to be starting Ezekiel as well. Those exact verses hit me like a TON OF BRICKS! While we are not responsible for another's salvation, we ARE responsible to let them know what God's plan is. It is NOT optional.
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