◄ Ezekiel 3:21 ►
But if you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he will indeed live because he heeded your warning, and you will have saved yourself."
Study Bible
But if you warn the righteous man not to sin
This phrase emphasizes the responsibility of the prophet or spiritual leader to guide those who are already living righteously. The role of a watchman, as described earlier in Ezekiel 3, is to provide warnings and guidance. This reflects the broader biblical principle of accountability within the community of believers, as seen in passages like Galatians 6:1, where believers are encouraged to restore one another gently.

and he does not sin
The outcome of the warning is positive; the righteous person heeds the warning and refrains from sinning. This highlights the power of prophetic warning and the importance of obedience to God's commands. It also underscores the concept of free will, where the individual has the choice to respond to the warning. This aligns with the teachings in James 1:22, which encourages believers to be doers of the word, not just hearers.

he will indeed live
The promise of life is both physical and spiritual. In the Old Testament context, obedience often resulted in tangible blessings and protection, as seen in Deuteronomy 28. Spiritually, this points to eternal life, a theme that is further developed in the New Testament, particularly in John 3:16, where belief and obedience lead to everlasting life.

because he heeded your warning
The emphasis here is on the response to the warning. The righteous man's decision to heed the warning is crucial for his continued well-being. This reflects the biblical principle that God desires obedience over sacrifice, as stated in 1 Samuel 15:22. It also shows the effectiveness of the prophet's role when the message is delivered faithfully.

and you will have saved yourself.
This phrase underscores the dual responsibility of the prophet: to deliver God's message and to ensure his own accountability. By fulfilling his duty, the prophet is not held responsible for the potential sin of the righteous man. This concept is echoed in the New Testament in Acts 20:26-27, where Paul declares himself innocent of the blood of all men because he did not hesitate to proclaim the whole will of God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ezekiel
A prophet called by God to deliver His messages to the Israelites during their Babylonian exile. He is tasked with being a "watchman" for the house of Israel.

2. Righteous Man
Represents those who are living in accordance with God's laws and commands. The verse emphasizes the importance of warning even the righteous to prevent them from falling into sin.

3. God
The ultimate authority who appoints Ezekiel as a watchman and provides the message of warning and salvation.

4. Israelites
The primary audience of Ezekiel's prophecies, who are in exile due to their disobedience to God.

5. Babylonian Exile
The historical context in which Ezekiel is prophesying, a period of punishment and reflection for the Israelites.
Teaching Points
The Role of a Watchman
As Christians, we are called to be watchmen in our communities, warning others of the dangers of sin and guiding them towards righteousness.

Responsibility to Warn
It is our duty to lovingly correct and warn others, especially fellow believers, to help them stay on the path of righteousness.

The Power of Heeding Warnings
Listening to and acting upon godly warnings can lead to life and spiritual growth, both for the one warned and the one giving the warning.

Personal Accountability
Each individual is responsible for their response to warnings. The righteous man who heeds the warning will live, illustrating the importance of personal accountability in our spiritual walk.

Salvation Through Obedience
Obedience to God's warnings is a path to life, underscoring the connection between faith and works in the life of a believer.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Ezekiel's role as a watchman apply to our lives today in terms of warning others about sin?

2. In what ways can we ensure that our warnings to others are given in love and not judgment?

3. How can we cultivate a heart that is receptive to warnings and corrections from others?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to hold ourselves accountable to God's standards of righteousness?

5. How do the themes of warning and obedience in Ezekiel 3:21 connect with the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Ezekiel 33:7-9
Reinforces the role of Ezekiel as a watchman, emphasizing the responsibility to warn both the wicked and the righteous.

James 5:19-20
Highlights the importance of turning a sinner from the error of their ways, which parallels the responsibility of warning the righteous.

Proverbs 9:8-9
Discusses the wisdom in accepting correction, which aligns with the righteous man heeding the warning.
Sermons
ResponsibilityJ.D. Davies Ezekiel 3:15-21
The Prophet a WatchmanW. Jones Ezekiel 3:16-21
People
Ezekiel
Places
Chebar, Tel-abib
Topics
Certainly, Delivered, Evil, Hast, However, Nevertheless, Note, Righteous, Safe, Saved, Sin, Sinned, Soul, Surely, Upright, Warn, Warned, Warning
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 3:16-21

     5054   responsibility, examples

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 Places

Boniface, 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

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