A Watchman

Ezekiel 3:17-21

17  “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 

18  When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.  

19  But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.

20  “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.  

21  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.”

This mission made the holy angels rejoice.  All this was to convince Ezekiel, that Yahuwah who sent him had the power to bear him out in his work.  He was overwhelmed with grief for the sins and miseries of his people and overpowered by the glory of the vision he had seen.  And however retirement, meditation, and communion with Yahuwah may be sweet, the servant of Yahuwah must prepare to serve his generation.  Yahuwah told the prophet he had appointed him a Watchman to the house of Israel.  If we warn the wicked, we are not chargeable with their ruin.  Though such passages refer to the national covenant made with Israel, they are equally to be applied to the final state of all men under every dispensation.  We are not only to encourage and comfort those who appear to be righteous, but they are to be warned, for many have grown high-minded and secure, have fallen and even died for their sins.  Surely then the hearers of such loving admonition should desire warnings and even reproofs and take heed.

The expression, 'Son of man', I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel.  Not in a civil sense, a Watchman of a town or city, or of the whole country, but in an ecclesiastical sense.  The term can be rendered as "a teacher", whose business it was to instruct the people in divine things, to warn them of their evil ways and of the danger they exposed them to, such were the prophets of old and such are the ministers of the New Testament.  The office is the same with that of overseers and lies in watching over the souls of men, as shepherds over their flocks, that they go into right pastures and not astray.  So preserves them from beasts of prey and as Watchmen of cities, to give the time of night and notice of approaching danger, to the discharge of which office who are necessarily quick-sighted, diligence in looking out, sobriety, vigilance, courage, having constancy and faithfulness. 

They are "sons of men" that are put into this office and not angels, sons of fallen Adam, sinful men, men subject to infirmity, weak, frail, mortal men, and oftentimes of a mean and low extraction and greatly unworthy of so high an honour.  Yet Yahushua counts them faithful,  placing them into this office.   They are not made and constituted Watchmen or ministers by themselves or by others, but by him; and they are given by him as such to the congregation of Yahuwah, "son of man, I have given thee a watchman".  They become watchmen through gifts bestowed upon them, qualifying them for this office.  They themselves are gifts to the congregation over whom they are placed, signified by "the house of Israel", for a congregation is a house of Yahushua's building, and where he dwells, and a family named of him, which he takes care of, and consists of Israelites indeed.  Therefore hear the word at my mouth for, as the prophets of old, so the ministers of the scriptures in the scriptures are first to hear what Yahuwah's son Yahushua says and then lovingly deliver out his commandments, called the teachings of Yahushua and his wholesome words.

"And thou shalt receive the word from my Word,'' the word of prophecy, or the word of the divine guidance, from Yahuwah!  Essentially his written Word and give them warning from Yahuwah, in his name and stead and as from his mouth, to take care of sinning against him, dishonouring his name, and wounding their own souls, that they live soberly, righteously and adorn the doctrine of Yahuwah their Saviour, that they avoid all appearances of evil, and shun the company of wicked men.  The house of Israel, or congregation of Yahuwah, are to be warned to be careful who they take into their congregation and to exclude such that is bad in principle and practice.  To beware of innovations in worship and of false teachers and false doctrines and that they do not forsake the word, worship, and ordinances of Yahuwah's house, but fill up their places and perform all duties incumbent on them.