"So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul."
Ezekiel 33:7-9
This is an interesting scripture that the Lord revealed to Ezekiel. It is about his responsibility as a prophet, assigned to be a watchman, but I think also about our responsibility as a community to watch out for and warn and help each other. Not sitting in judgement and condemning, but more like we are all in a Sinners Anonymous meeting together, reminding and helping each other with our own experiences and examples, knowing how dangerous the addiction to sin can be.
A few verses after this God explains that he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and asks "why will ye die?" ... I think that makes it clear that God is trying to help us, getting us to warn and assist each other. He is assigning people (and in some measure, all of us) to this work, and doing everything that he can, but often we insist on continuing and dying in our iniquities. Sometimes, instead of helping, we draw others after us into sin, endangering their souls as well as our own.
Today, let's think about our responsibility as members of a community and a family--our responsibility to each other, to help rather than hinder. To heal rather than hurt. Let's do what we can to watch out for and warn and help each other and be careful with the souls that we touch.
When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul."
Ezekiel 33:7-9
This is an interesting scripture that the Lord revealed to Ezekiel. It is about his responsibility as a prophet, assigned to be a watchman, but I think also about our responsibility as a community to watch out for and warn and help each other. Not sitting in judgement and condemning, but more like we are all in a Sinners Anonymous meeting together, reminding and helping each other with our own experiences and examples, knowing how dangerous the addiction to sin can be.
A few verses after this God explains that he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and asks "why will ye die?" ... I think that makes it clear that God is trying to help us, getting us to warn and assist each other. He is assigning people (and in some measure, all of us) to this work, and doing everything that he can, but often we insist on continuing and dying in our iniquities. Sometimes, instead of helping, we draw others after us into sin, endangering their souls as well as our own.
Today, let's think about our responsibility as members of a community and a family--our responsibility to each other, to help rather than hinder. To heal rather than hurt. Let's do what we can to watch out for and warn and help each other and be careful with the souls that we touch.
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