Hear God's Word, Act on it
Text Ezekiel 33 Time 09 09 07 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church
I want us to turn again to the Prophecy of Ezekiel and to begin on the final section of it, which is in Chapters 33-48. These chapters contain the third round of prophecies.
You may remember that chapters 25-32 are taken up with prophecies against the nations around Israel. Now in Chapter 33 Ezekiel begins to turn back to his own people again. Part of what he says in this chapter repeats what he said near the beginning of his ministry back in Chapter 3 and that he amplified in Chapter 18. It is ground worth covering again, however, as it reminds us of Ezekiel's work and of the basis on which God deals with people. We also hear in this chapter of the taking of Jerusalem and at the end judgement is announced on those who refused to listen to Ezekiel.
There are four things to consider here then
I want us to turn again to the Prophecy of Ezekiel and to begin on the final section of it, which is in Chapters 33-48. These chapters contain the third round of prophecies.
You may remember that chapters 25-32 are taken up with prophecies against the nations around Israel. Now in Chapter 33 Ezekiel begins to turn back to his own people again. Part of what he says in this chapter repeats what he said near the beginning of his ministry back in Chapter 3 and that he amplified in Chapter 18. It is ground worth covering again, however, as it reminds us of Ezekiel's work and of the basis on which God deals with people. We also hear in this chapter of the taking of Jerusalem and at the end judgement is announced on those who refused to listen to Ezekiel.
There are four things to consider here then
1. Understand what God's spokesmen do – that they are watchmen
God's Word comes once again to Ezekiel. He is told to speak again to his countrymen. First a picture is established then it is applied. So
1. Consider what a watchman does
God says When I bring the sword against a land, when there is an enemy attack then and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, that's what a watchman does – he sounds the alarm (4) then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. You need to listen for the alarm and act. Verse 5 Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself. I suppose a modern equivalent would be if in a hotel there was a fire officer whose job was to sound the alarm if there was a fire. If you heard the sound of the alarm but didn't do anything about it then your blood would be on your own head. You would be responsible.
Alternatively (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 the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood. To take our modern example again – if for some reason the fire officer failed to sound the alarm even though there was a fire then it is likely someone would be hurt, someone might even lose their life. Further, the fire officer would be accountable for that person's life – because he failed to warn them.
It is a simple picture then - the watchman has the responsibility to warn people. If they do not respond there will be repercussions. If the watchman himself falls down on the job then he will be held responsible.
2. See how a man who speaks for God is like a watchman
Now the point of all this comes from verse 7 on. Son of man, God addresses Ezekiel once more I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. Ezekiel the prophet is like a watchman to Israel. The very words he is speaking are to be delivered with this in mind. There are two possible outcomes here -
1 Not speaking
Verse 8 When I say to the wicked, O wicked man, you will surely die, says God and you (Ezekiel) do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. If Ezekiel should fail to speak, he would be like an ancient watchman seeing the enemy but not blowing his trumpet or a modern fire officer failing to set off the fire alarm even though there is a fire. That's true not only of Ezekiel and the other prophets but of all who are called to speak up in God's name. If I fail to warn you of the dangers ahead – of sin, of God's wrath, of Satan, of death, of judgement, of hell then I am letting you down, I am failing you – and God will hold me responsible for such a failure. Indeed, all who are Christians have a responsibility to some extent here. We must sound the alarm. We must let people know their danger
2 Speaking
2 Speaking
Alternatively (9) God says But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself. If the fire officer raises the alarm but people refuse to respond it is a tragedy but the officer cannot be blamed for it. We must let people know their danger – whether they then turn to the Lord or not. Some may turn but others will not. Nevertheless we must let them know the truth. We have a responsibility. Are we taking this responsibility seriously?
2. Understand God's basic outlook and the terms on which we stand before him
In verse 10 Ezekiel says that people were saying Our offences and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live? This sort of message is too much Ezekiel. We can't cope with it. But listen to these important and indeed wonderful words here.
1. A vital principle to understand concerning God
Verse 11 Say to them, As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. What a vital thing this is for us to grasp! Yes, God is a God of wrath, a God of judgement, a God who punishes but let us be absolutely clear about this – he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. No, he wants everyone to repent and to turn to him. When we speak to people about Jesus Christ this must be the conviction in our minds and thoughts. Now I know there are some difficulties in seeing how what appear to be to us conflicting ideas fit together yet this is the plain word of Scripture. God says I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. And if your theology has no place for this then your theology is wrong and needs to change. There are people with a morbid fascination with the sufferings of others, sadists who like to torture others and see them in trouble. Yet, this is the very opposite of what God is like. We had this foot and mouth outbreak in the summer and cattle were slaughtered wholesale. Did anyone take any pleasure in that at all? Only some sort of pervert could. No it was horrible but necessary. That is one way we can think of hell - horrible but necessary. There is such a place as hell but be in no doubt at all that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather longs for them to turn from their ways and live. If that is God's outlook, it should be ours too.
2. See how the vital principle is applied
The application is obvious Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Says the Lord Why will you die, O house of Israel? He urges Ezekiel to speak to his countrymen and say (12a) The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. What does that mean? It is very simple
1 See the need to persevere in righteousness
Verses 12b, 13 The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness. If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done. Here is a person, say, he is brought up to go to church, he says he agrees with it all, gets baptised and becomes a church member. Perhaps he is a deacon in the church. He has a good reputation with everyone. But he grows proud of his reputation and status and he begins to get careless and evil begins to creep into his life. That is not a godly man. That is not a man who is acceptable to God. He will die for the evil he has done.
2 See the need to turn from wickedness
Verses 14-16 And if I say to the wicked man, You will surely die, but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right - if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan, for example returns what he has stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will surely live; he will not die. None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live. Or suppose another person. He is not brought up to go to church, indeed he never goes there and says he disagrees with it all. He has a bad reputation with everyone and causes trouble wherever he goes. But say he the turns away from his sin. He cleans up his act, begins to come to church and to try and out right all his wrongs – returning stolen goods, paying back debts, etc. In short, he becomes a faithful Christian. Well, that is a man who is acceptable to God. God will forgive him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live.
3. Complaining is unacceptable
Yet people complained then and they still complain now that there is something unjust about God's ways. Verse 17 Yet your countrymen say, The way of the Lord is not just. The truth is that it is their way that is not just.
Think it through (18) If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it. Isn't that fair? Here's a person who says he'll be good and appears to be but then goes and does just what the wicked do. What is unjust about God punishing a person like that? Would you want to say that because the man started off okay then he should live? That would be like saying to a child if you are good all morning then there will be a reward at lunch time and then saying 'Ah well, you were good for the first hour but then you did something wrong but I'll still reward you'. No, an hour of good is a not a morning of good just as being good for a while, when you are young say, is not the same as a life time of righteousness.
Similarly (19) And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live by doing so. Isn't it to God's glory that he is willing to forgive? Surely it makes sense. Here's a child and you say 'Well, you've been bad all morning or all morning and afternoon but if you can be good for the rest of the day – until bed-time, I will forgive you and we'll forget about your naughtiness.' What is unjust there? Verse 20 Yet, O house of Israel, you say, The way of the Lord is not just. Then he adds But I will judge each of you according to his own ways. 'Oh how unfair God is' people complain but that is simply not true.
Are you righteous here this morning? Have you found the righteousness that comes through trusting in Christ and seeking to do his will? Well, then go on being righteous in him. Don't turn from it. If you do, it will simply prove that you were never the Lord's in the first place. It will show you never really did love the Lord. You will die in your sins. Don't trust in your own righteousness real or supposed. Trust only in Christ and look to him.
Or are you wicked this morning? Full of a sense of your own sin and evil? There's a sense in which we can all say that. Then turn from your sins now. If you turn away from your sins and do what is just and right then there is hope. You will surely live; you will not die. None of the sins you've committed will be remembered against you. You will live. Do not doubt it.
In verse 10 Ezekiel says that people were saying Our offences and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live? This sort of message is too much Ezekiel. We can't cope with it. But listen to these important and indeed wonderful words here.
1. A vital principle to understand concerning God
Verse 11 Say to them, As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. What a vital thing this is for us to grasp! Yes, God is a God of wrath, a God of judgement, a God who punishes but let us be absolutely clear about this – he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. No, he wants everyone to repent and to turn to him. When we speak to people about Jesus Christ this must be the conviction in our minds and thoughts. Now I know there are some difficulties in seeing how what appear to be to us conflicting ideas fit together yet this is the plain word of Scripture. God says I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. And if your theology has no place for this then your theology is wrong and needs to change. There are people with a morbid fascination with the sufferings of others, sadists who like to torture others and see them in trouble. Yet, this is the very opposite of what God is like. We had this foot and mouth outbreak in the summer and cattle were slaughtered wholesale. Did anyone take any pleasure in that at all? Only some sort of pervert could. No it was horrible but necessary. That is one way we can think of hell - horrible but necessary. There is such a place as hell but be in no doubt at all that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather longs for them to turn from their ways and live. If that is God's outlook, it should be ours too.
2. See how the vital principle is applied
The application is obvious Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Says the Lord Why will you die, O house of Israel? He urges Ezekiel to speak to his countrymen and say (12a) The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. What does that mean? It is very simple
1 See the need to persevere in righteousness
Verses 12b, 13 The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness. If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done. Here is a person, say, he is brought up to go to church, he says he agrees with it all, gets baptised and becomes a church member. Perhaps he is a deacon in the church. He has a good reputation with everyone. But he grows proud of his reputation and status and he begins to get careless and evil begins to creep into his life. That is not a godly man. That is not a man who is acceptable to God. He will die for the evil he has done.
2 See the need to turn from wickedness
Verses 14-16 And if I say to the wicked man, You will surely die, but he then turns away from his sin and does what is just and right - if he gives back what he took in pledge for a loan, for example returns what he has stolen, follows the decrees that give life, and does no evil, he will surely live; he will not die. None of the sins he has committed will be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live. Or suppose another person. He is not brought up to go to church, indeed he never goes there and says he disagrees with it all. He has a bad reputation with everyone and causes trouble wherever he goes. But say he the turns away from his sin. He cleans up his act, begins to come to church and to try and out right all his wrongs – returning stolen goods, paying back debts, etc. In short, he becomes a faithful Christian. Well, that is a man who is acceptable to God. God will forgive him. He has done what is just and right; he will surely live.
3. Complaining is unacceptable
Yet people complained then and they still complain now that there is something unjust about God's ways. Verse 17 Yet your countrymen say, The way of the Lord is not just. The truth is that it is their way that is not just.
Think it through (18) If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it. Isn't that fair? Here's a person who says he'll be good and appears to be but then goes and does just what the wicked do. What is unjust about God punishing a person like that? Would you want to say that because the man started off okay then he should live? That would be like saying to a child if you are good all morning then there will be a reward at lunch time and then saying 'Ah well, you were good for the first hour but then you did something wrong but I'll still reward you'. No, an hour of good is a not a morning of good just as being good for a while, when you are young say, is not the same as a life time of righteousness.
Similarly (19) And if a wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he will live by doing so. Isn't it to God's glory that he is willing to forgive? Surely it makes sense. Here's a child and you say 'Well, you've been bad all morning or all morning and afternoon but if you can be good for the rest of the day – until bed-time, I will forgive you and we'll forget about your naughtiness.' What is unjust there? Verse 20 Yet, O house of Israel, you say, The way of the Lord is not just. Then he adds But I will judge each of you according to his own ways. 'Oh how unfair God is' people complain but that is simply not true.
Are you righteous here this morning? Have you found the righteousness that comes through trusting in Christ and seeking to do his will? Well, then go on being righteous in him. Don't turn from it. If you do, it will simply prove that you were never the Lord's in the first place. It will show you never really did love the Lord. You will die in your sins. Don't trust in your own righteousness real or supposed. Trust only in Christ and look to him.
Or are you wicked this morning? Full of a sense of your own sin and evil? There's a sense in which we can all say that. Then turn from your sins now. If you turn away from your sins and do what is just and right then there is hope. You will surely live; you will not die. None of the sins you've committed will be remembered against you. You will live. Do not doubt it.
3. Consider the fall of Jerusalem and this final word of judgement on Judah
Three things here
1. Hear about the fall of Jerusalem
Have you ever received bad news? Bad exam results, a disappointment, a death? It is a terrible thing. Even if you're expecting it – that moment is not easy. As we come to verse 21 there is a change of pace. Ezekiel describes how one day he received bad news. Verse 21 In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month on the fifth day, a man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, The city has fallen! The very thing that Ezekiel has been prophesying has now come to pass. It has happened. Back in 24:5-7 it was described to him - And you, son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes, their heart's desire, and their sons and daughters as well - on that day a fugitive will come to tell you the news. At that time your mouth will be opened; you will speak with him and will no longer be silent. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD. The actual arrival of the news appears to be well over a year later but given the situation that is understandable.
Ezekiel then explains that (22) the evening before the man arrived, the hand of the LORD was upon me, and he opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer silent. The point here appears to be that Ezekiel began again to prophesy to the people (rather than the nations around) at just about the same time. Just as Ezekiel's prophecy came true here so all the prophecies in God's Word will come true. There is no need to doubt even one of them. Ezekiel spoke the truth – hear him!
2. Beware of false hopes
The rugby world cup has started. The hosts, France, are hotly favoured. Being the hosts they played the first game, against Argentina, a game they fully expected to win. But that's not how it turned out. They were beaten 17-12. Their hopes were great – but they were false.
Here in verse 23 we read how the word of the LORD comes to Ezekiel again (24) Son of man, the people living in those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as our possession. Incredibly, despite the fall of Jerusalem, people back in Judah were still confident of being able to get out of the situation. Ezekiel has a message for such people (25, 26) This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Since you eat meat with the blood still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, (in other words they were merrily sinning against God) should you then possess the land? You rely on your sword, you do detestable things, and each of you defiles his neighbour's wife. Should you then possess the land? They were typified by a lack of regard for religion, by idolatry and violence. They were proud, wicked and lustful. It was a false hope to think that they could retain the Promised Land. Are you entertaining false hopes? You hope to go to heaven – but do you know what heaven is like? Do you not see that your lifestyle is in conflict with that? Beware of false hopes.
3. Hear this word of judgement against sin
And so we have this word of judgement again from God in verses 27-29 As surely as I live, those who are left in the ruins will fall by the sword, those out in the country I will give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those in strongholds and caves will die of a plague. I will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end, and the mountains of Israel will become desolate so that no one will cross them. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land a desolate waste because of all the detestable things they have done. Yet again they are being warned because they still hadn't listened. Are you hardening your heart? Are you refusing to listen? Don't do it! Be in no doubt that God will judge you if you continue to resist him.
4. Are you in danger of hearing God's Word but not putting it into practice?
So once again I am declaring to you God's holy Word. But will it do any good? People heard Ezekiel in his day. They were present when this great and holy man of God spoke – but they are in hell now. Why? Because although they heard the words that Ezekiel spoke, they did not really listen. Look how it is described here at the end of the chapter, in verses 30-33. God says As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD. It sounds encouraging but look at verse 31 - My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. They seem to be good and holy people but they are not interested in religion only in making money unfairly. See verse 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. They're like people listening to someone singing a song, says God. Oh, they liked to hear Ezekiel prophesy, and may be you like to hear preaching too but it's like listening to the radio. You put the radio on, you enjoy the music but if I said to you – what was that man singing about or what was that woman singing about you would only have the vaguest of ideas, and even if you did know it would not be something that would affect your life. You wouldn't be changing your lifestyle because of something you heard in a song.
And is it any different when you listen to the preaching of the Word? Do you remember what is said? Do you do anything about it? Is the Word of God shaping your life? Is it having an impact? For many in Ezekiel's day the words they heard from him really made no difference. Let's not make that mistake.
Finally, the chapter ends not on a discouraging note but an affirmative one. Verse 33 When all this comes true - and it surely will - then they will know that a prophet has been among them. Just as it was in Ezekiel's day so in our own, the truth will out in the end. We can look back at Ezekiel's day and we can see that he spoke the truth, without question. So it will be in the future too. You can be assured that we are speaking the truth about sin, judgement, the world to come. Do not doubt it. Amen.
Finally, the chapter ends not on a discouraging note but an affirmative one. Verse 33 When all this comes true - and it surely will - then they will know that a prophet has been among them. Just as it was in Ezekiel's day so in our own, the truth will out in the end. We can look back at Ezekiel's day and we can see that he spoke the truth, without question. So it will be in the future too. You can be assured that we are speaking the truth about sin, judgement, the world to come. Do not doubt it. Amen.
