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BIBLE
STUDY LESSON
For
the week beginning Sunday April 19, 2015
EZEKIEL AS ISRAEL’S WATCHMAN
(The Shepherds of Israel)
Ezekiel 33-34
In Ezekiel 33, verses 1-20, GOD once again reminds Ezekiel that he
has been appointed as “a watchman” over his people in Israel (the Church). HE
had given Ezekiel this assignment a few years back (Ezekiel 3:16-27), when HE
first called him to his ministry, shortly after he had been taken captive by
the Babylonians in 597 B.C.
The traditional role of “the watchman” is much like the role of a
“security guard” in today’s society. He is given the job of watching over and
protecting those people, places, or things that are most important to his
employer. He is to always remain at his post, keeping alert for the event of
any danger that might threaten the security of that, or those whom he is
assigned to protect.
While the watchman’s duty may be limited, it is, nevertheless,
extremely important. He is responsible to give an alarm to make those whom he is
duty-bound to protect, aware of their impending danger. However, if those, whom
he seeks to protect does not take heed to his warning, he cannot be held
responsible for their injury or demise. Here
in the opening lines of this chapter (Vs.2-9), the LORD once again gives this
message to HIS faithful prophet;
“Son of man, give your
people this message: ‘When I bring an army against a country, the people of
that land choose one of their own to be a watchman. When the watchman sees the enemy coming, he sounds
the alarm to warn the people. Then if those who hear the alarm refuse
to take action, it is their own fault if they die. They heard the alarm but ignored it, so
the responsibility is theirs. If they had listened to the warning, they could
have saved their lives. But if the watchman sees the enemy
coming and doesn’t sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for
their captivity. They will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman
responsible for their deaths.’ “Now, son of man, I am making
you a watchman for the people of Israel. Therefore, listen to what I say and
warn them for me. If I announce that
some wicked people are sure to die and you fail to tell them to change their
ways, then they will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for
their deaths. But if you warn them to repent and they
don’t repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself.” (NLT)
In Ezekiel 18 GOD emphasized that each individual is responsible
for their own moral and spiritual choices, but here, and in Ezekiel chapter 3,
GOD is saying that we, as believers, are also our brother’s keeper. It is up to
each of us to warn and witness to others of the dangers of the consequences of
sinful behavior, and to urge others to reform, as we ourselves surrender to the
call of GOD to reform our lives under HIM. It is a principle that permanently
and irrevocably binds us to a limited responsibility to each other, as human
beings operating under GOD.
And even though each of us retains wills that are free, those who
know the truth about GOD are responsible to share it so that no one will be
able to say that they were not informed. Here, if Ezekiel had failed to inform
the people of GOD’s warnings, he himself would have been guilty of being
disobedient, and thereby, he himself would be subject to death, as well as being
guilty of causing the death of those whom he could have informed, but didn’t.
The thought of GOD being unjust is a stupid, stupid thought (v.20).
Man has always deservingly suffered for his iniquities through no fault of
GOD’s, but rather, by our own doing. Even in the secular world, it is not the
fault of “the law” that we break it. We pay the cost for our violations of
man’s law simply because we are guilty of not complying with the laws that are
established by man. And so certainly we will suffer in life any time we violate
the laws that were established by GOD, even before man ever had laws of his
own.
Taking up at verse 21, Ezekiel says that during his twelfth year
of captivity in Babylon, a man came to him with the news that Jerusalem had
been destroyed. A day earlier the LORD had unlocked Ezekiel’s lips so that he
would be able to speak again when the man arrived. Then the LORD gave Ezekiel
this message to deliver to the scattered remnants of Judah now living in the
ruined Israelite cities;
“Son of man, the
scattered remnants of Israel living among the ruined cities keep saying,
‘Abraham was only one man, yet he gained possession of the entire land. We are
many; surely the land has been given to us as a possession.’ So tell these people, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You eat meat with blood in it, you worship idols, and you
murder the innocent. Do you really think the land should be yours? Murderers!
Idolaters! Adulterers! Should the land belong to you?’
“Say to them, ‘This
is what the Sovereign Lord
says: As surely as I live, those living in the ruins will die by the sword. And
I will send wild animals to eat those living in the open fields. Those hiding
in the forts and caves will die of disease. I will completely destroy the land and
demolish her pride. Her arrogant power will come to an end. The mountains of
Israel will be so desolate that no one will even travel through them. When I have
completely destroyed the land because of their detestable sins, then they will
know that I am the Lord.” (Vs.24-29)
(NLT).
The remnant, who survived the
great destruction of Jerusalem, were clinging to the hope that was presented in
their knowledge that GOD had promised the land of Canaan to their ancestor,
Abraham. However, they at no time ever thought of that promise as being
fulfilled in an eschatological era at history’s end. They also never truly
realized that, in order to enjoy GOD’s promised blessings continually, it would
be a “must” that each generation hold tight to their faith in, and obedience
to, GOD. Here GOD points out the reasons for their troubles and suffering, and
announces that HE will remove them from the land completely, and leave it
desolate for the next seventy years, in order that HE might purge it of the
long-term effects of their sinful behavior. GOD’s promises of blessings are
always “conditional”, and based upon our obedience.
In verses 30-33, the LORD
lets Ezekiel know how he is being mocked behind his back by the very people who
come to him to hear HIS words of wisdom;
“Son of man, your people talk about you in their
houses and whisper about you at the doors. They say to each other, ‘Come on,
let’s go hear the prophet tell us what the Lord is saying!’ So my people come pretending to be
sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no
intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and
their hearts seek only after money. You
are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a
beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say,
but they don’t act on it! But when all
these terrible things happen to them—as they certainly will—then they will know
a prophet has been among them.”
Like many churchgoers today, the Israelites would make it a habitual
practice to go to the temple to be entertained by music, church talk, and
eloquent sounding preachers who really aren’t saying anything that is
spiritually productive to the congregation. Few come to hear and put into
practice, those things that are life-changing and pleasing to GOD. And sadly,
in today’s Church, such spiritual help and growth is not even available to
those who do come with the right motive. Even in churches that are trying to do
the right thing by GOD, the people may come to hear, but they have absolutely
no intention of actually doing what they hear. GOD says terrible things will
come to those who come to HIS House under the guise of worshipping HIM, but in
reality, only wants to be entertained by those who are supposed to be leading the
service to praise GOD, instead of glorifying themselves in the process.
The “shepherd” metaphor that is often used to describe the
function and role of a “leader” in the Church, is one of the most endearing
analogies that can be found, anywhere in all of Scripture. Ezekiel 34, and many
other passages, help us to understand that role in regards to GOD’s people who
are called to, or, who wish to serve, in the leadership capacity.
In Ezekiel 34:1-6, each “negative accusation” by the LORD,
actually implies those “opposite”, “positive traits” that one should look for
in any person who functions as a leader in a Christian church, family,
community, or government. However, by presenting us with these contrasting
negatives traits of the condemned leader, the LORD is actually showing us what
the ideal leader should contain, and maintain in his or her character.
Here in this passage, several examples of “negative leadership”
are highlighted, and they include;
·
Those who take care of themselves only, and could not care less for
those who GOD assigned to them to shepherd.
·
Those who profit in an ungodly manner off of those who are being
shepherded.
·
Those who “actually physically, emotionally, or spiritually harm
those who follow
them in the wrong
direction.
·
Those who fail to strengthen the weak, by correctly teaching
(feeding) them the word of GOD, and prayer.
·
Those who fail to seek the lost, and, “rule harshly and brutally
over the flock that they do have.
These kinds of leaders are in sharp contrast to the “ideal
spiritual leadership” we find in CHRIST JESUS, the ultimate GOOD SHEPHERD
(Vs.11-16). GOD is seeking leaders who are willing to pattern themselves after
the example of CHRIST, and we, as Christians, have a right to expect human
spiritual leaders to commit to doing just that (1 Peter 5:1-4). And while each
individual is responsible for his or her own moral and spiritual choices
(Vs.17-19), it is the leaders who set the tone for the Christian community, who
are most accountable to GOD.
GOD has taken a stand against bad leadership, and ultimately, HE
will remove such leadership from their positions. HE will not hold blameless,
those government, church, community, and family leaders who fail to pattern
themselves in accordance with the vivid picture of leadership, that CHRIST
JESUS has presented to us already, during HIS three-year earthly ministry
(Vs.9-10).
GOD charged the prophet Ezekiel to prophesy against the leadership
of Israel in the sixth century B.C. because HE wanted them to be strong, caring
shepherds who would guard the spiritual safety of their flock with all
diligence, and here in the twenty-first century, HIS desires for us to embody
those leadership qualities, like all things concerning GOD, has not changed.
Then and now, too many shepherds have neglected their sheep and,
as a result, the sheep were, and are, scattered away from the fold. It is time
to call the shepherds to judgment for their actions and hold them accountable
for the neglect and abuse of those who were entrusted to their leadership, by
GOD.
As Christians, we thoroughly understand that Ezekiel wasn’t just
speaking about the return of the Jews to their homeland from Babylon, as he
closed this particular chapter of his prophesy. He was, indeed, also
foretelling something far into the future regarding the blessings that await
all earnest Christians when the LORD JESUS comes upon the scene for a second
time.
In the Greek, the word New Testament writers often use for
“earnest expectations”, or, “hope for the future” is “apokaradokia”. It
describes the attitude of a man who scans the horizon, with his head stretched
forward, as he eagerly anticipates the first signs of the coming of the glory
of GOD. Life for the Christian should always be a throbbing and vivid
expectation of the joy that awaits them at the end of their Christian race.
When the GOOD SHEPHERD returns, HE will already know how HE will
separate the “wheat from the tare”, and the “sheep from the goat”. And the bad
shepherds, who did not serve in the manner of which GOD called them to serve,
will all be judged in a manner preserved especially for them, because they
failed in their positions of higher responsibility to GOD. And this goes also
for the “false shepherd”, or “wolf” that just showed up wearing sheep’s
clothing, and was not sent by GOD, but rather, made himself a “hireling”.
But let us also remember that, even if we don’t have an official
title in the church, we are still leaders as parents, or, as the only Christian
in our workplace, or, as the only Christian in our family, extended family etc.
And so we still have to set a good example of Christian servant-hood and
leadership, at all times, wherever we are, and, wherever we go.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
