Ezekiel 3:16-21 – we are our brothers’ keepers.

Earlier God had called Ezekiel to be His spokesman to the house of Israel. He was asked to speak to them. Having been assigned, the prophet was directed to sit and observe. A period of observation and evaluation was required of him. So, for seven days, Ezekiel was at Tel-abib by the Chebar canal and quietly assessing God’s people and the situation. He was probably appalled by the deplorable spiritual condition so much so that Ezekiel 3:15 said that he felt overwhelmed.

After the seven days of observation, verse 16 said that the word of God came to him and specifically appointed him as a watchman over the people of Israel. Now he was to watch. What’s a watchman? Simply put, a watchman is a guard or a sentry. In ancient cities, one or more sentries would be stationed on a tower or high wall to be lookouts. They would watch out for any threat or impending attack of enemies and alert the city so that its citizens could be prepared for any dangers. Ezekiel was called to be Israel’s spiritual watchman. Just as a watchman would warn the people in a city of impending dangers, Ezekiel was to watch over Israel, alert the people of what God said, and then warn them concerning their waywardness.  

Ezekiel was to confront two categories of people. He was expected to address the wicked as well as the righteous. God knew there were those who would have no or careless regard for His ways but there would also be those who strived to keep His standards. The former would be the wicked, and the latter, the righteous. For those in the former group who were downright sinful, he was to warn them to turn away from their sin and wicked ways so that they could be saved. For those righteous, there was the possibility for them to slip and stray into sin and encounter a stumbling block such as a trail or a difficulty, Ezekiel was to warn them of the consequence of straying from the path. And if they would not return to God’s way after the warning, the prophet would have done his duty.  

In these verses, God was stating what he required His watchman to do. The primary purpose of being so specific in detail about what the prophet had to do was to ensure that he carried out his assignments committedly. For both groups, if Ezekiel failed to do what was required of him to do, God would hold him accountable for the outcome. And he would have to share their punishment. But if he did his duty and warned the hearers, and they still would not listen and respond appropriately, then he would be absolved of their guilt. Here God was expecting the best from His servants. They must be responsible and accountable workers for God.

In the home, the church, and the society, God has placed us there as His watchmen. In a sense, we are all responsible for making an impact on the lives of the people within our sphere of influence. Our diligence or negligence in living responsibly can either influence them to acknowledge God or repel them from trusting in Him.  By speech or by deeds, let us live as God’s watchmen and help draw people closer to God.