Ezekiel 3:16–27 / Warnings Against Disobedience
📘 Scripture
16 At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me:
17 “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.
18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.
19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.
20 “Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.
21 But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”
22 The hand of the Lord was on me there, and he said to me, “Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.”
23 So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown.
24 Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: “Go, shut yourself inside your house.
25 And you, son of man, they will tie with ropes; you will be bound so that you cannot go out among the people.
26 I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be silent and unable to rebuke them, for they are a rebellious people.
27 But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ Whoever will listen let them listen, and whoever will refuse let them refuse; for they are a rebellious people.
🔍 Scripture Summary
God makes Ezekiel a watchman for the people of Israel. He must warn the wicked and the righteous. If he fails to warn a wicked person, the Lord will hold him accountable for their blood, but if he warns them, he saves himself. The Lord will make Ezekiel mute except when given a message. When the Lord speaks, He will open Ezekiel’s mouth to proclaim His word.
💬 Reflection
Looking Out for One Another (3:16–21)
God makes Ezekiel a watchman for His people. A watchman’s role, in the traditional military sense, is to protect soldiers and civilians by keeping watch from a tower and blowing the trumpet when danger is approaching. Likewise, as a spiritual watchman, Ezekiel is to personally warn people whose souls are in danger due to disobedience and rebellion. Believers today should be willing to do the same for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. If we truly care about their well-being, then we should warn them when they are straying away from God’s commands. We should also be grateful when we receive warnings from others, taking them to heart instead of being defensive, because even those who are righteous are in need of such warnings.
Think about the people you help keep watch over and the people who help keep watch over you. How do you respond when a fellow brother or sister in Christ warns or rebukes you?
The Stubbornness of Our Hearts (3:22–27)
God tells Ezekiel to get up and go out to the plain so that He can give the prophet some specific instructions. He then tells Ezekiel that he is to shut himself inside his house. The prophet will no longer declare God’s message to His people and will instead become mute. Ezekiel’s silence is related to the stubbornness of the people. They have been rebellious, hearing God’s words and yet refusing to obey. Sometimes we have this attitude when we allow selfishness to rule our hearts. We forget that we have been blessed with hearing the good news of God’s grace. Let us hear, understand, and respond with faithfulness to the Lord. May we take stock of our hearts and ensure nothing prevents us from receiving God’s Word.
Examine your heart and confess any rebelliousness. Ask God to help you become a person who responds with faithful obedience.
💡 Today’s Inspiration
“Do not overlook the miracle of love that God has shown us in the wonderful incarnation, office, life, death, and resurrection, ascension, and reign of our Redeemer. Rather, steep your thoughts most of all in these wonders of mercy, ordained by God to be the primary substance of your thoughts.”
– Richard Baxter
🙏 Prayer
Heavenly Father, I confess that I am sometimes stubborn and rebellious, wandering and making excuses instead of following You. Soften my heart so that I may obey Your commands and faithfully watch over my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. In Your Son’s name I pray, amen.
✍ Essay
A Painting for Today
Even though Norman Rockwell created his painting “Lift Up Thine Eyes” in 1957, it could be even more appropriate for our day and age. In the background of the painting towers St. Thomas Church in New York City. In the foreground, people walk by with their faces bent down, completely oblivious to the church they are passing. The painting has several features that point upward, such as the railings and arches of the church, doves flying around, and even a ladder that a man ascends in order to finish the marquee that states the painting’s name. The passersby are looking downward when everything around them is pointing upward. If we wanted to modernize this painting, there is one modification we could make: stick a smartphone in the hand of each person, whose downward position is already perfectly aligned for a seamless fit.
When my wife and I go to New York City, I am still blown away by how many pedestrians walk around looking down at their phones, even while navigating crosswalks. They are not alert, and they end up putting themselves in dangerous situations. Thankfully, many of us know the importance of focusing on God to gain greater perspective. We realize that He is in control, and all of our daily concerns seem to diminish. We remember that we can experience a full life when we lift up our eyes and pay attention to what He is doing rather than what the world says we should do.
Written by Bob Koo
📖 Memory Verse
Ezekiel 2:8 | “But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”