If I say to the wicked man, 'You will surely die,' but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood. If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’This phrase highlights God's direct communication and judgment. The certainty of death for the wicked is a consistent theme throughout Scripture, reflecting the consequences of sin ( Romans 6:23). The prophetic role involves conveying God's messages, often including warnings of judgment. This echoes the warnings given to Nineveh through Jonah, where the message of impending doom was meant to lead to repentance ( Jonah 3:4). but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, The responsibility of the prophet or believer is emphasized here. Ezekiel, as a watchman, is tasked with warning the wicked, reflecting the broader biblical principle of accountability (James 4:17). The cultural context of ancient Israel placed significant importance on communal responsibility, where failing to warn someone of danger was seen as neglectful. This also parallels the New Testament call for believers to be ambassadors for Christ, urging others to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20). that wicked man will die in his iniquity, The inevitability of judgment for unrepentant sin is underscored. The phrase "die in his iniquity" suggests not just physical death but spiritual separation from God, a theme prevalent in both Old and New Testaments (Ezekiel 18:4, John 8:24). The concept of dying in one's sins is a sobering reminder of the eternal consequences of rejecting God's ways. and I will hold you responsible for his blood. This phrase indicates the serious responsibility placed on those who are called to warn others. The imagery of blood guilt is rooted in the ancient Near Eastern understanding of justice and responsibility (Genesis 4:10). In the New Testament, Paul reflects this principle when he declares himself innocent of the blood of all men because he did not hesitate to proclaim the whole will of God (Acts 20:26-27). This underscores the importance of faithfully delivering God's message to others. Persons / Places / Events 1. EzekielA prophet called by God to deliver His messages to the Israelites during their Babylonian exile. He is known for his vivid visions and symbolic acts. 2. The Wicked ManRepresents individuals living in sin, who are warned by God through His prophets or messengers. 3. GodThe sovereign Lord who communicates His will and warnings through His prophets, holding them accountable for delivering His messages. 4. Israelites in ExileThe primary audience of Ezekiel's prophecies, living in Babylon due to their disobedience to God. 5. BabylonThe place of exile for the Israelites, where Ezekiel delivered his prophecies. Teaching Points Responsibility of the MessengerAs believers, we are called to share God's truth and warnings with others. Failing to do so makes us accountable for their spiritual state. The Urgency of WarningThe message to the wicked is urgent. We must not delay in sharing God's warnings, as lives are at stake. God's Justice and MercyGod is just in holding the wicked accountable for their sins, but He is also merciful in providing warnings through His messengers. Personal AccountabilityEach person is responsible for their response to God's warnings, but messengers are accountable for delivering the message. The Role of Prophets and BelieversLike Ezekiel, believers today are called to be watchmen, sharing God's truth with a world in need. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Ezekiel's role as a watchman apply to Christians today in sharing the Gospel? 2. In what ways can we ensure that we are faithfully delivering God's message to those around us? 3. How does understanding the original Hebrew context of "warn" deepen our understanding of our responsibility? 4. What are some practical steps we can take to overcome fear or hesitation in warning others about sin? 5. How do the themes of justice and mercy in Ezekiel 3:18 relate to the broader account of the Bible, and how can they be applied in our daily lives? Connections to Other Scriptures Ezekiel 33:8-9This passage reiterates the responsibility of the watchman to warn the wicked, emphasizing the accountability of the messenger. Acts 20:26-27Paul speaks of being innocent of the blood of all men because he did not hesitate to proclaim the whole will of God, paralleling the responsibility of delivering God's message. James 5:19-20Highlights the importance of turning a sinner from the error of their ways, which aligns with the responsibility to warn the wicked. People EzekielPlaces Chebar, Tel-abibTopics Accountable, Blood, Certainly, Clear, Danger, Death, Die, Dieth, Dissuade, Evil, Evil-doer, Evil-doing, Fate, Givest, Hast, Hold, Iniquity, Nothing, Order, Require, Responsible, Safe, Save, Saying, Sin, Speak, Speakest, Spoken, Surely, Warn, Warned, Warning, WickedDictionary of Bible Themes Ezekiel 3:16-19 6027 sin, remedy for Ezekiel 3:16-21 5054 responsibility, examples Ezekiel 3:17-18 8492 watchfulness, leaders Ezekiel 3:17-19 5978 warning Ezekiel 3:17-20 8426 evangelism, motivation Ezekiel 3:17-21 7773 prophets, role Library Cæsarius of Arles. He was born in the district of Chalons-sur-Saone, A. D. 470. He seems to have been early awakened, by a pious education, to vital Christianity. When he was between seven and eight years old, it would often happen that he would give a portion of his clothes to the poor whom he met, and would say, when he came home, that he had been, constrained to do so. When yet a youth, he entered the celebrated convent on the island of Lerins, (Lerina,) in Provence, from which a spirit of deep and practical piety … Augustus Neander—Light in the Dark PlacesBoniface, Apostle of the Germans. BONIFACE, or Winfried, as they called him in Anglo-Saxon, born at Crediton in Devonshire, in 680, deserves to be honoured as the father of the German Church, although he was by no means the first who brought the seeds of the Gospel to Germany. Many had already laboured before him; but the efforts which had been made here and there did not suffice to secure the endurance of Christianity amongst the many perils to which it was exposed. Christianity needs to be linked with firm ecclesiastical institutions, … Augustus Neander—Light in the Dark Places Epistle xxxiv. To Venantius, Ex-Monk, Patrician of Syracuse . To Venantius, Ex-Monk, Patrician of Syracuse [1331] . Gregory to Venantius, &c. Many foolish men have supposed that, if I were advanced to the rank of the episcopate, I should decline to address thee, or to keep up communication with thee by letter. But this is not so; since I am compelled by the very necessity of my position not to hold my peace. For it is written, Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet (Isai. lviii. 1). And again it is written, I have given thee for a watchman … Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great The Greatness of the Soul, AND UNSPEAKABLENESS 0F THE LOSS THEREOF; WITH THE CAUSES OF THE LOSING IT. FIRST PREACHED AT PINNER'S HALL and now ENLARGED AND PUBLISHED FOR GOOD. By JOHN BUNYAN, London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1682 Faithfully reprinted from the Author's First Edition. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. Our curiosity is naturally excited to discover what a poor, unlettered mechanic, whose book-learning had been limited to the contents of one volume, could by possibility know … John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 The Servant's Inflexible Resolve 'For the Lord God will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set My face like a flint.'--ISAIAH l. 7. What a striking contrast between the tone of these words and of the preceding! There all is gentleness, docility, still communion, submission, patient endurance. Here all is energy and determination, resistance and martial vigour. It is like the contrast between a priest and a warrior. And that gentleness is the parent of this boldness. The same Will which is all submission … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Iranian Conquest Drawn by Boudier, from the engraving in Coste and Flandin. The vignette, drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a statuette in terra-cotta, found in Southern Russia, represents a young Scythian. The Iranian religions--Cyrus in Lydia and at Babylon: Cambyses in Egypt --Darius and the organisation of the empire. The Median empire is the least known of all those which held sway for a time over the destinies of a portion of Western Asia. The reason of this is not to be ascribed to the shortness of its duration: … G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9 The Prophet Jonah. It has been asserted without any sufficient reason, that Jonah is older than Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Obadiah,--that he is the oldest among the prophets whose written monuments have been preserved to us. The passage in 2 Kings xiv. 25, where it is said, that Jonah, the son of Amittai the prophet, prophesied to Jeroboam the happy success of his arms, and the restoration of the ancient boundaries of Israel, and that this prophecy was confirmed by the event, cannot decide in favour of this assertion, … Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament Ezekiel To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully … John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Ezekiel 3:18 NIVEzekiel 3:18 NLTEzekiel 3:18 ESVEzekiel 3:18 NASBEzekiel 3:18 KJV
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