Ezekiel

1. Ezekiel • A Priest and a Prophet to Judah during the 70 year period of Babylonian captivity. • Ezekiel uses prophecies, parables, signs, and symbols to dramatize God’s message to His exiled people. • Though they are like dry bones in the sun, God will reassemble them and breathe life into the nation once again. • 592 – 570 B.C.

2. God’s Watchman Ezekiel 3:1-21

3. His Preparation • (Ezekiel 3:1-3) And he said to me, "Son of man, eat what is offered to you; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. And he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it." Then I ate it; and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey. (RSV)

4. His Character • (Ezekiel 3:8-9) Behold, I have made your face hard against their faces, and your forehead hard against their foreheads. Like adamant harder than flint have I made your forehead; fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house." (RSV) • (Ezekiel 3:15) and I came to the exiles at Telabib, who dwelt by the river Chebar. And I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days. (RSV)

5. His Message • (Ezekiel 3:10-11) Moreover he said to me, "Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart, and hear with your ears. And go, get you to the exiles, to your people, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD'; whether they hear or refuse to hear." (RSV)

6. His Work • (Ezekiel 3:16-17) And 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 house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. (RSV)

7. His Audience • (Ezekiel 3:18-19) If I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you will have saved your life. (RSV)

8. His Audience • (Ezekiel 3:20-21) Again, if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and you will have saved your life." (RSV)

9. His Motivation • (Ezekiel 3:4-7) And he said to me, "Son of man, go, get you to the house of Israel, and speak with my words to them. For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel-- not to many peoples of foreign speech and a hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, if I sent you to such, they would listen to you. But the house of Israel will not listen to you; for they are not willing to listen to me; because all the house of Israel are of a hard forehead and of a stubborn heart. (RSV)

10. His Goal • Save The Lost! • (Ezekiel 3:21) Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and you will have saved your life." (RSV) • Obey God! • (Luke 11:28) But he said, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" (RSV) • (Hebrews 5:9) and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, (RSV)

11. God’s Watchman • (Hebrews 13:17) Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as men who will have to give account. Let them do this joyfully, and not sadly, for that would be of no advantage to you. (RSV) • (Acts 20:28-29) Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; (RSV)

12. God’s Watchman • (2 Timothy 4:1-5) I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry. (RSV)

13. God’s Watchman • (1 Thessalonians 5:14) Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. (NKJV) • (Jude 1:20-23) But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And convince some, who doubt; save some, by snatching them out of the fire; on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. (RSV)

14. We Must Warn Others: • (Acts 2:38-40) And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him." And he testified with many other words and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." (RSV)

15. Sources • Material by Chris Reeves • Material by Jim Deason