Ezekiel 33:1-9--Ezekiel Is Israel's Watchman

Ezekiel 33:1-9
English Standard Version

Ezekiel Is Israel's Watchman
33 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 3 and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.

7 “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8 If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

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"The watchman on the wall" may be one of the most well-known images and messages from the book of Ezekiel, though many may not know it is from the book of Ezekiel.  The watchman had a duty to always watch for danger--to always be sober, vigilant and ready to sound the alarm.  He did not sleep or slumber.  If the watchman was negligent in his duties and gave opportunity for the enemy to attack, he was help responsible and would pay with his life.  In this case, Ezekiel must give the message he has been given and sound the alarm.  He was to warn the people that the LORD gave him messages for, lest their blood be on his head.  However, if he warns the people and they ignore his warnings (as many will), then he will be guiltless before the LORD.  Anyone who listens to him and repents will be a life saved from eternal hellfire, and is a life worth saving, even if it is from among the Gentile nations.  The LORD desires all to come to repentance.

The LORD made Ezekiel a watchman specifically for Israel.  His responsibility extends beyond physical attack, but when he saw them in spiritual battle with attacks on their identity as the people of God and their morality and ethics.  The culture around them would try to reshape them and make them into a wicked people that God would cut off all ties with and would curse forever--the devil wanted the people of God to lose the covenant relationship and their covenant blessings.  In so doing, the devil would hope to stop God's plan of salvation through His Son, the Messiah that would be from the line of Judah, specifically from the line of King David, from coming and being able to save His people (even His people that were from the Gentile nations) from their sins.