TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
Babylon had already taken the nation of Judah captive when the prophet Ezekiel burst on the scene. He was called by the Lord to inform, encourage, and warn the Judean who had been taken into captivity, but also those who had been left in Judah. The Bible says he was like a “watchman” on a city wall to guard and warn the people lest they be destroyed. And, we need watchmen today who will stand up for God and sound the alarm when our nation is thwarting God’s will. So, as you read the scripture passage below in Ezekiel 33, determine that you will be watchman – watching in prayer and warning in words for our sinful culture to turn back to the Lord.
(Ezekiel 33) 1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, 4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. 5 Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’
7 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 9 But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.
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