Ezekiel's Responsibility

November 23, 2025 Background Scripture: Ezekiel 18:1 32; 33: 1 - 20 Lesson Passage: Ezekiel 33:7 - 16a We touched on part of Ezekiel's responsibility in last week's lesson. God used the example of a watchman for a city. Ancient cities protected themselves by erecting a wall around the perimeter of the city. The walls contained gates that were used for entering and exiting the city by day—or when it was safe to do so, Those walled cities also erected towers strategically placed upon the wall. A person, called a watchman, was charged with occupying each tower and using it to survey the horizon to ensure no enemy was attempting a surprise attack against the city. The watchman's responsibility was simple: If the watchman sees an army approaching, he was to sound an alarm for the people to come into the city and secure the gates. Those protecting the city from the inside would go atop the walls with weapons to defend the city. If when the watchman sounded the alarm, a person on the outside refused to come into the city, that person could be captured or killed. That person would be solely responsible for the consequences of their decision to not heed the warning. All who came into the city was protected because they heeded the warning of the watchman. On the other hand, if the watchman saw an army approaching and failed to sound an alarm, anyone outside of the city could face capture or death at the hands of the enemy. Their blood would be on the hands of the watchman who had failed to execute his duty of warning them. God told Ezekiel that He made him a watchman over the souls of His people. God would show Ezekiel when there was impending danger coming against His people because of their transgressions against God. Ezekiel's responsibility as a watchman was to sound the alarm for the people of God. All who heeded Ezekiel's warning and repented and turned from their transgressions would be spared God's judgment against their souls. God declared that He would not remember their transgressions committed prior to the warning and their repentance. Their repentance allowed them to again be in right standing with God. Put another way, when the people of God repented of their unrighteousness and obeyed God's instructions, God counted their obedience as righteousness. Contrariwise, all who ignored Ezekiel's warning and continued in their transgressions against God would be condemned by God. In either case, Ezekiel's warning kept him in right standing with God. Ezekiel was not responsible for whether a person repented or not. Ezekiel was only responsible for warning them, so they would have the option to repent and be spared. On the other hand, if Ezekiel failed to warn the people after God instructed him to do so, transgressors would die in their transgression, but their blood would be on Ezekiel's hands. God holds the watchman accountable for warning the people. God also holds each individual responsible for the decisions they make to either obey Him or not. God does not condemn a person for the transgressions of their ancestors. Neither does God reward an unrighteous person for the righteous deeds of their ancestors. The soul that sins without repenting shall die. Repentance of the wicked leads to life. Transgressions of the righteous without repentance will lead to death. God does not rejoice in the death of the wicked. God desires to spare the repentant. Therefore, He sends a warning to the people through His watchman. Ezekiel's responsibility to the people of God was to be their watchman. C. Hudson November 7, 2025