It was my observation that Ezekiel was given a profound second nickname, I addressed some of this in the first essay on this subject. In my previous essay (Part I) we examined the instructions on what to do with the rebellious Israelis. In this essay (Part II) we find the second half of the command for the watchman. Let us explore God’s instructions for the righteous under the old covenant.

Ezekiel as the watchman is told to take notice of the things God has said, not just what Ezekiel has said, but the entire counsel of God. This includes Isaiah, Jeremiah, and all the other prophets. He was not commissioned to function as a spy but to make simple observations as to the character of the righteous. It is good to assume we should listen first; earn the right to speak through our own actions and behavior; and then find a way to help people change their ways.

Ezekiel 3: 16 -17 says — At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel” [NIV]. Ezekiel 3: 20 -21 says — “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. 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.” [NIV]

As a watchman, Ezekiel is compelled to speak out what he has heard. He functions like a newsman on the evening news. He gives forth a warning, an alarm from the heavens, not in his own name, but just like a reporter should. He gives the facts, as he knows them, straight from God (Implied in Isaiah 56:10). The watchman knows the counsel of God from the scriptures and the prophets. Using the wisdom from God, we are warned (see Psalms 19:11). But in this case, Ezekiel is advised to differentiate between the rebellious and the righteous. We presume God will shape the watchman’s message to fit the audience.

Ezekiel was asked to warn people not to neglect their work and quit the service of God (see Psalms 19:11). The best men in the world occasionally need to be warned to return to the proper path. Look at what happened to Ezekiel a little earlier in this chapter (see Ezekiel 3:14). Stuff happens, God intervenes, and stuff gets better (implied in Hebrews 4:1). There are many people who start on the path, they engage in service, but then speedbumps start, and they become discouraged. They don’t become apostates, they don’t deny the existence of God, they don’t deny the ransom. They simply get discouraged and pull back. They become one of the ones Jesus spoke of as the ‘one’. The one he went after (leaving the 99 safe) to bring back into the safe haven with the rest of the flock.

They become careless and remiss in their walk with God, with worship, with scripture reading, with prayer. They become an easy target for the enemy. The restraints are removed and trouble starts. If they resist the call of Jesus to return, then the speedbumps become larger. The goal is repentance.

Ruin is coming their way. But the man of God, no matter how far off the track he is, being warned, internalizing the warning, will withdraw from sin. He will find it down deep inside — the call to return. He will respond to wisdom if he was once wise himself (implied in Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 9:9, Proverbs 9:12). We must never believe that we are immune from troubles and speedbumps. They are tools of choice used by God to build our strength against sin and character. They often lead to larger tasks. I choose Jesus.