Bible Questions Answered:
“Ezekiel says that if we don't preach to sinners all their blood is on us. What is the total meaning of this?”
Austin/ Melbourne, Australia
Bible Answers:
Bible Text:
Ezekiel 3:17-21 KJV
17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman* unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at My mouth, and give them warning from Me.
18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.
*Watchman-Hebrew-Tsaphah (Tsaw-faw): To lean forward, i.e. to peer into the distance; to observe, await;-behold, look up, wait for, (keep the) watch (man).
Ezekiel 33:1-9 KJV
1 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:
3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;
4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.
5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.
6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity;
but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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.
God's call to Ezekiel, His watchman over God's people was to “ warn the wicked” (Ezekiel 3:18 KJV).
Yes, that meant, that God's people often fell into sin. And what would be the result of their sins, they would meet with early physical death (in essence, to be stopped from further sinning.) Though this may seem cruel, yet in reality is most kind, for rather than a life time of doing wrong, they had been stopped, short of that happening.
When the watchman, faithful to his calling warns the righteous man, and he stops doing what is wrong, he will no longer be in the category of backsliding, but perseverance. Thus God in His mercy, will not stop him, but grant him life (physical).
But if the righteous man not heed the watchman's call, God has the prerogative to place a stumbling block in his way (Chastening of the Lord), yes even death! And if that should be the case of last resort, any good works that the individual had done, will not be remembered as to receive any reward, a life, saved as by fire, saved yes, but without reward.
Jude 1:23 KJV
And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Hebrews 12:5-11 KJV
5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits, and live?
10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness.
11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
A good example of Gods mercy is ….
I Corinthians 11:27-32 KJV (The Apostle Paul)
27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation (See NLT) to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
I Corinthians 11:27-32 NLT
27 So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.
29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.
30 That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.
31 But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way.
32 Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
Yes, some Corinthian Christians, had died, by the hand of God/ some Corinthian Christians, had been stopped from further sinning, by the merciful hand of God.
Did that mean they were sent to hell? Never, it meant, that they were stopped, from doing what was wrong. They had taken communion lightly or without reverence understanding the symbolism of communion, and so God, not wanting error to be perpetuated within His church, stopped them.
And when the watchman, faithful to his callings warns the sinful man, and he stops doing what is wrong, he will no longer be in the category of willful sin, but righteous living. Thus God in His mercy, will not stop him, and grant him life (physical).
Should the sinful man take no heed of warning, he will die in his sins, but the watchman will have delivered, in obedience, his soul from judgment.
In either case, be it a wicked individual, or a righteous one who is doing wrong, if the watchman does not warn them, “(their) blood will I require at thine hand.” (Ezekiel 3:18 KJV)
What does it mean?
It means as Christian people, God has called us to do some things! As Christian people, we do, have responsibilities!
And our responsibility is to live a life pleasing to the Lord, and a life of continual confession to any and all who need to hear the gospel of the “Good News.”
I Peter 3:15 KJV
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Matthew 5:13-16 KJV
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Mark 16:15 KJV (The Great Commission.)
And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Romans 10:8-11 KJV
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.
Today the church, is searching, diligently ever so searching for new acts for Sunday morning service. Special numbers, singers, bands, Interpretive dancers, Sunday suppers, etc. etc. etc. All while a world is lost and going full speed to hell.
The church of some years back, spent its time on its knees praying and weeping before God, for His forgiveness of sins and lethargy. Praying for family and friend, pastor and church. Praying to be used of God, to win sinners into the kingdom.
How far, we have come. This old pastor remembers years back, that come Sunday, when you turned the radio on from morning to night all the air waves were filled with gospel broadcasts. Today on a Sunday, its a miracle if you search the dial back and forth to ever find a one!
Friends, something, something, is terribly wrong with this picture!
What is it?
It is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, retreating to the closet, when others are boldly coming out!
Will there be blood on the hand of the Bride of Christ?
Yes!
And what then, will be the judgment?
Loss of reward, failure of doing ones duty, unmeasurable sorrow in the presence of the Lord.
Revelation 21:4 KJV (Remorse in heaven, believe it!)
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes...neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain..."
Souls lost forever.
Today, many, so called Christians, stand with their wallets closed, hands in their pockets, mouths closed, eagerly waiting to get to heaven.
Isaiah 43:10 KJV
Ye are My witnesses, saith the LORD, and My servant whom I have chosen..."
Acts 20:31 KJV (Paul)
Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
II Timothy 4:1-5 KJV (The Apostle Paul, told young Timothy.)
1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
Salvation Prayer
