Ezekiel 33 "Watchman"

let's do a little review especially for those that may be finding us for the first time just in this segment we're in the Book of Ezekiel it's a prophetic book now prophecy books in the Bible have certain different things that you need to know then when you're reading just regular scripture let me tell you how to look at prophetic scriptures the Jewish mindset or the Hebrew mindset is the best way you're gonna hear certain words like this is a foreshadow of something to come it's a type cast of something that looks like that in the future or that you see a Hebrew pattern something that that's being repetitive in God did it back here and he's doing it again here and he may be doing it again out here in the future also when it comes to prophetic scriptures is that many times in the prophecy that God gives through his spirit he's dealing with a subject matter of the day and the time that the Prophet is writing but it's also sometimes speaking about their immediate future which could be anywhere from a couple years to 40 years or in our case in the Book of Ezekiel they're in a 70 year captivity part of it but yet we've seen different time periods for judgments that are taking place and yet there can be within a same passage area where God slips into a very far distant future for that day in time which means it could be around the time of Christ's birth pointing to certain things or it could be actually pointing in our future now that's a that's a futuristic jump from when he's speaking about something in 580 something BC to past 2019 okay all that comes into play when you're studying prophetic scriptures alright let's look at the last week where we cover chapters 31 and 32 and we gave you these seven things that you needed to know within that chapter what we did was we started looking is if you look at the as a big overview the first 24 chapters is about God going to judge Judah and especially the city of Jerusalem for all its sins and the warnings that this prophet gets and all the things that it does before God actually brings judgment chapters 25 to 32 is judgment of the nation's surrounding Jerusalem in Judea and in the last several chapters chapters 28 through 32 it's actually specifically been focused on Egypt and its allies within that that's where we saw in chapter 31 32 that Egypt is judged along with its allies we saw that a serious modern-day Iraq that Elam is Persia for modern-day Iran Meshach and tubal or modern-day Turkey Edom is the descendants of Esau which is very very important special note so we'll come back to him in a moment is modern-day Jordan the sidonians live in in what we call Lebanon today and they were all called so many repetitive times this is you see this in prophetic scriptures where God uses something that he's getting a message across by using the same word or the same phrase over and over and in those two chapters he referred to these allies of Egypt as uncircumcised people he wasn't talking just about them in a physical sense though all those nations were physically uncircumcised except for number five number five is Edom or the descendants of Esau Esau is a descendant from Abraham if you remember this story of all that lineage so they were circumcised so the uncircumcised number seven was an idiom for the covenant because that's what circumcision really represented so knowing that there was something tucked in there that Edom or eise alls lineage who is tucked in between all these that they have something in common there today all Muslim nations and yet within that is a descendent of Abraham and last week we said that some scholars allude to could that be where the Antichrist comes from that tribe or from those descendants where the Jews would be favourable because they are basically descendants of Abraham and yet they are affiliated with the Muslim people all right so that covers the last week in in a nutshell we're switching gears one more time here now chapters 33 to 37 is now a rebuilding and refocus on Israel's future and so a switch takes place here and something that I think Ezekiel myself has been waiting for is coming to pass here in this let's pick it up we're gonna look at the first 10 verses there's three sections here in chapter 33 and they're really in groups of ten verses 1 through 10 11 through 20 and then 21 through the end of the chapter okay here we go the word of the Lord came to me son of man speak to your people and say to them when i bring the sword against a land and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman oh that's a key phrase the watchman if you notice i put it in yellow there what is a watchman what's the role of a watchman is there a futuristic role in a watchman are there Watchmen even in the 21st century some great questions we'll get to it and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people really another important phrase since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning their blood will be on their head if they had heeded the warning they would have saved themselves but if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone's life that person's life will be taking because of theirs sin but I will hold the Watchmen accountable for their blood whoa this person has a high responsibility don't they son of man I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel this is he's reaffirming the call to Israel so since we know his call to Israel in his heart he wanted to be a priest but God called him to Israel to be a prophet so the role of a prophet is within the Watchmen but there are other men and women that could be within that role also all right son a man I made you a watchman for the people of Israel so here the word I speak and give them a warning from me when I say to the wicked you wicked person you will surely die and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways that wicked person will die for their sin and I will hold you accountable for their blood but if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so they will die for their sins though you yourself will be saved if you following along the consequences here verse number 10 the son of man say to the Israelites this is what you are saying our offenses and sins weigh us down and we are wasted away because of them how can we live great question how can we live this section he's introducing a a term here that's going to be a very important term for the future of Israel but also a term for the Church of Jesus Christ when Jesus establishes the church he gives a fivefold ministry he says some are going to be apostles some are going to be prophets some are going to be pastors so I'm going to be teachers and so I'm going to be evangelist all of them to equip the Saints so that you know what's going on so that you can be warned so you can be taught so you could be educated so that you can be a part of a community knowing what God's doing in his kingdom community all right so that's speaking towards the fivefold ministry as you can tell in this day and age the Watchmen is the Prophet so in your notes I put under here Watchmen and opportunities the number one task of the Watchmen is to warn people what they see coming from God how did they warn them in the Bible here with a trumpet blast it named hmm how interesting is there something in our future that there's a trumpet blast that's gonna warn that something's changing something's coming all right and isn't it even then after the seven seals of Revelation there are seven trumpets in Revelation now you know that the trumpets are actually seven warnings now there's some terrible things happening in the seven trumpets in our future but God's only considering those terrible things as warnings from heaven at that point it's not until the seven bowls which we they call the bowls of Wrath is really the wrath being poured out so the seals and the trumpets especially are warnings to the people and it's the job for modern-day pastors prophet evangelist teachers okay and all of us to be able to share with the people to warn them so the second thing is the watchman who doesn't warn people who is an evil watchman so you actually could have a job for God but you could be evil Watchmen this ties in all of what God was saying through Ezekiel about the false prophets when God was saying judgments coming to Jerusalem and the prophets saying God loves his people he'll never gods God of love he wouldn't bring judgment on Jerusalem and Judea these are his chosen people Wow does that kind of seem like a foreshadow of what we hear today that God is just a God of love he wouldn't judge you for your for your choices and sins but if you look at the first 10 verses here he deal with the righteous and the wicked so number three the people who don't heed the opportunities giving through warnings will be held accountable now remember it says the good Watchmen warns them that the bad Watchmen he's an evil watchman then he ends on this note sin weighs us down life is wasted by them and with a question I didn't put the question your notes but if you remember the question how can we live then how do we live he answers some of that here in verses 11 through 20 all right verse 11 say to them as surely as I live he's talking about himself God declares the sovereign Lord I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked but rather that they turn from their ways and live turn turn from your evil ways this is not the prophets begin this is the the mouth of God speaking through the Prophet here these are the words of God Himself saying turn turn from your evil ways why will you die people of Israel he's asking question why do you choose death life is before you okay verse 12 therefore son of men say to your people if someone who is righteous disobeys that person's former righteousness will count for nothing I put that up there it will count for nothing your righteousness at the beginning if you don't stay in it it'll count for nothing this is important he's building a case for you're gonna learn something here tonight prophetic teachings not only point to events in the future but future acts of God so that you can see actual doctrines that God says this is what I am all about and you're going to see the doctrine of grace and the need for a savior through this passage here in chapters 33 right here especially verse 13 if I tell Rachel person they they will surely live but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered they will dive for the evil they have done okay so it seems like seems like a fair thing here so far verse 14 and if I say to a wicked person you will surely die but they turn away from their sin and do what is just and right if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan return what they have stolen follow the decrees that give life and do no evil that person will surely live and not die so there's hope for a wicked person isn't her verse 16 none of the sins that the person has committed will be remembered against them they have done what is just and right they will surely live yet it's kind of like we go but yet that's that's that's God's word there yet your people say the way of the Lord is not just but it is their way that is not just this that's God answering if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil they will die for it and if a wicked person turns from their wickedness and does what is just and right they will live by doing so yet you Israelites say the way of the Lord is not just but I will judge each of you according to your own ways okay under your notes here I put this section as justice and God's message he's teaching justice here but he's also his within that is a message the message is the need of humanity so let's look at this again and let me pick it apart just a little bit for you one your righteousness counts for nothing if you're not perfect no one in this world is perfect right so all of a sudden there's a need out there that no one can be righteous and perfect the chance of us dying having still some kind of wickedness doesn't bring much hope right so number two your former wickedness may not condemn you hmm now he's saying if you were this type of wicked person but you changed and you did good things you won't be condemned but you've got to end in a good note right they are both contingent on your last actions this really is probably the key to this it's not what you say but what you do can you see how that's important for every generation every society you're not judged on what you say or even what you think but you're judged on your actions he's making that very clear but really again no one's going to be perfect right so number four God judges the righteous the wicked both on what they do in the latter part of life finishing strong is important I'm laying down a case for where God's going with all this if you can see this finishing strong is important for a Christian today isn't it have you ever watched a person's ministry or a church ministry we say wow what a powerful Church or a water powerful pastor then all of a sudden something hits that church some scandal or something with the pastor and you go it all ends up it seems like for naught it's telling you how fragile our life and our goodness is very very important this is where where God is going with all this so number five no one is perfect we all need a Savior yes can you believe that one of the things that he's setting up here in Ezekiel 33 when he's talking about the return of Israel it's the return of the watchman right now if you remember what happened to the watchman his wife dies on the same night that Jerusalem is destroyed and he's to be mute not able to talk about it until a messenger comes from Jerusalem with the message that Jerusalem was destroyed even though they'll find out it happened on the same day that Ezekiel's wife died so he's quiet about a lot of things God has restoring him as a prophet and give him the ability to speak truth that's going to be such powerful futuristic truth because the Savior won't be born for over 580 years but he's laying down the case that all of humanity needs a savior no one's going to be perfect you can see how easy it is that you go whoa if I'm going to live a very wicked life I hope I can end on a good note because according to God being just for those days different judgment if he weren't here on the night when we talked about the different judgment in eternity some great questions could be there tonight in that will tell you how how does God judge those that lived before Jesus was born and before salvation came in the world great question let's go on to verses 21 through 33 as we go in this you're going to see his full restoration of Ezekiel is here in the twelfth year of our exile in the tenth month and the fifth day a man who escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said the city has fallen now the Eden before the man arrived the hand of the Lord was on me and he opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning so my mouth was open and I was no longer silent when he closed his mouth way back when when Jerusalem actually did fall it be a long time before this man comes from Jerusalem and actually gives the message to all the people that are in captivity God opens up Ezekiel's mouth the night before so he knows what took place because God told him your mouth is going to be closed until the message comes Jerusalem's past fallen verse 23 then the word of the Lord came to me son of man the people living in those ruins in the Land of Israel are saying Abraham was only one man yet he possess the land very interesting that they're going to tie all the way back to this promise of possession of the land it's very important but we are many surely the land has been given to us as power possession therefore say to them this is what the sovereign Lord says since you eat meat with blood still in it and looked to your idols and shed blood should you then possess the lamb you rely on your sword you do detestable things and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife should you then possess the land say this to them this is what the sovereign Lord says as surely as I lived 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 the stronghold in the caves will die of a plague if you're watching this he's again reiterating the the different ways remember the sword the Beast and the plague there's the four the four horsemen that's going to come in the future of the Apocalypse all come with those different things God's pattern of how he disciplines in the judgment stay very consistent throughout history and that so I just thought I'd throw that in there again one more time for you verse 28 I will make the land of 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 desperate waste because of all the detestable things they have done as for you son of man your people 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 my people come to you as they usually do and sit before you to hear your words but they do not put them into practice so they're going to church to hear the what the prophet has to say but they're not doing anything their mouth speaks of love but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain 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 verse 33 when all this comes true and it surely will then they will know that a prophet has been among them all right several things that I wanted to say to you here tonight but I also want to especially say to those that are watching by the internet and some of my peers this is probably one of the more sobering messages to those that aren't involved in ministry if you are an apostle today that's a missionary one it's sent if you're a prophet that's one that understands the prophetic messages in the Bible here if you're a pastor if you're a teacher and evangelist if you have not been blowing the trumpet of warning that we're in a different season all that was said before this portion of it comes on you the blood of your people will be on your hands that's not me speaking that's the prophecy from Ezekiel so it's time to wake up if you're a pastor says I just don't get I don't deal with those prophetic things I don't do with that stuff you are not warning them of the day and the time you're living in read ezekiel chapter 33 and ask god where where am i being held accountable how i be dealt with for eternity if I don't share these things now this latter part he's established him back he now has his voice and a prophet needs his voice a prophet is only a spokesman for God speaking what he sees the pattern of God's what God saying he's doing and he's showing some very important patterns here and one of them is remember he goes right back to Abraham and so your notes I put the inheritance is a privilege not a right God made a promise to Abraham about the land okay but the promise was Abraham was a righteous man why because he obeyed God where did he say that about when God said offer up your one and only Son so that I know your children don't even come before me but gotta come over a hundred I waited all this time for this one ciao offer him up and I will know that you will obey me and that's where the RAM gets in the thicket God has an angel stopped Abraham because he's going to offer up Isaac say God you want him I'm sending them to you right now and the Hebrew New Testament says Abraham had reasoned his mind that he could kill a son and it was a burnt offering he had sticks there and everything else he was going to fry up his body back to ashes that Abraham said I know he created Adam from the ashes he said Isaac will be a descendant if he wants Isaac he's going to raise him up from the ashes now that won't hold up in any court of law that will get you in jail and that unless God really did speak like he did to that but what if you notice God's not in to murder he doesn't really want anybody it was a test God's angel was there waiting God knows everything he knows that Abraham wouldn't kill Isaac but it goes and points to this promise of inheritance he's saying Ezekiel's generation lost the privilege to that promise that's why they're 70 years not in the land during captivity in Babylon because they heard what he said but they never obeyed so their disobedience God says you think that lands all about you and it's all no it's about you obeying the promise and being righteous like Abraham otherwise I've removed you near 70 years now in captivity so you can see there this is a very important tie in here the reason they were here's what he said they were heroes not doers of the word can you see that moving to modern day Christians say God loves me you know that's the actual message that the Jews were telling Ezekiel God is love he says it right there in the the last part of of that mushy in the 31st verse he says their mouths speak of love but their hearts are greedy and lustful and not doing right our Christian society in the world today speaks about love so much and God is love but they made him just that and he's saying wait a minute you can talk about love but if you're not obeying I don't care about what you're saying in love the devil has used God's greatest characteristic against him that many Christians willfully sin and live sinful things and say but God understands because he's a God of love dangerous exactly a tight cast a foreshadow in Ezekiel's day and age with Israel is our modern world that we live in right now so number four Ezekiel was a true watchman and a doer of God's Word the promise is realized by those who obey now to give you kind of like the end of the book if this is the only one you get to watch one online or whatever you want to read at the end of Ezekiel because chapters 40 through 48 is God keeping his promise to Abraham and those that did believe for the thousand years in the future called the Millennium he's giving everything in the Covenant that he couldn't give why Humanity was in charge here but when Jesus is ruling from the earth for a thousand years every promise of the Covenant every promise about the land the size of the land what the land will be the size of the people the Jewish nations are very small nation folks we're talking there there's like less than 20 million Jews in the whole world they're not a large people and only 51% of them live in Israel Israel's the size of New Jersey today it'll be much bigger in the Millennial and the promise to Abraham your seed will be like as countless as stance on the shore well for a thousand years they're going to procreate over and over again just like they did back in the day and Adam and Eve when they live so long and they're gonna have children forever can you imagine ladies what a blessing I'll be you'll be six hundred and fifty years of age you're now on your 100 their 200th child and your great-great grandchildren are having babies you know and that but you could see how God could multiply his promise to Israel right there so it's to those who obey and the very last part is they will know there's a prophet among you this last portion I believe is so important for the church in America today is there a prophet among you in your church is there someone willing to speak this is what's going on this mirrors our world today and we need to be sounding the warning we are coming to a day of judgment it's coming soon we can't tell you when but we know this god is faithful he would have to apologize to them here in Ezekiel if he's not true to his same standard in our day and time and so that last portion is is a call to especially my peers in our movement pray that God will raise up a prophet that's not afraid to get into prophecy scriptures and teach the people in these last days that's my prayer for you amen

Channel: ARK Redlands Church of the Nazarene

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Id: xuhG0uC4P7M

Length: 30min 25sec (1825 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 18 2019