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3:16 At
the
end of
seven
days the
word of the
LORD
came to me,
saying,
|
Young's
Literal: And it cometh
to pass, at the end of seven days, that there is a word of Jehovah unto me,
saying,
NLT:
At the end of the seven days, the LORD gave me a message. He said, |
Now it came about at the end of seven days that the word of the LORD came to
me, saying,
"The word of the LORD" occurs
60 times in the NASB (click
here for uses) in Ezekiel, more any other OT prophet. How
wonderful to know that the Word of the Lord is never far from God’s servant
who are willing to listen. |
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3:17 "Son
of
man, I have
appointed you a
watchman to the
house of
Israel; whenever you
hear a
word from My
mouth,
warn them from
Me. |
Young's
Literal: 'Son of
man, a watchman I have given thee to the house of Israel, and thou hast
heard from My mouth a word, and hast warned them from Me.
NLT:
"Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you
receive a message from me, pass it on to the people immediately.
Word
Biblical Commentary:
Human one, I appoint youa lookout for the community of Israel.
Whenever you hear a message from my lips, you are to caution them
against me |
|
"Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel:
(33:2-9;
1Co12:28) (Song3:3;
5:7;
Is21:6
21:8
21:11
21:,12;
52:8;
56:10;
62:6;
31:6;
Ac20:28
20:29
20:39
20:30;
Heb13:17)
The phrase "I
have appointed you"
emphasizes God's sovereignty. He is in charge.
"A
watchman" is the Hebrew word
tsaphah which conveys the idea of being fully aware of a situation in order
to gain some advantage or keep from being surprised by an enemy.
More than any word it describes the special characteristic of Ezekiel’s work
for he is to watch personally over individual souls. In a similar sense the writer of Hebrews
emphasizes this
principle of accountability of Christian leaders exhorting the flock to "Obey your
leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over
(literally sleepless & so keep awake and watch) your souls,
as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not
with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you." (Heb13:17)
Spurgeon comments that "one of the
devices of Satan" is that "he seeks to lull God's prophets into
slumber, for he knows that dumb dogs that are given to sleep will never do
any very great injury to his cause. The wakeful watchman he always
fears, for then he cannot take the city by surprise; but if he can cast
God's watchman into slumber, then he is well content, and thinketh it
almost as well to have a Christian asleep as to have him dead: he would
certainly sooner see him in hell, but next to that, he is most glad to see
him rocked in the cradle of presumption, fast asleep."
Watchmen
in ancient times were sentinels stationed on city walls, hilltops or
specially built watchtowers to warn citizens of danger. The office of
watchman
was extremely important because the safety of the entire population rested
upon his diligence to carry out his task. The role of the watchman is
illustrated in the following passage "Now David was sitting between the
two gates (city gates) and the
watchman
went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and raised his eyes and looked,
and behold, a man running by himself. And the
watchman
called and told the king. And the king said, "If he is by himself there is
good news in his mouth." And he came nearer and nearer."
(2 Sa18:24
18:25;cf
2 Ki9:18-20) In 2 Kings we see another
illustration: "Now the
watchman was standing on the
tower in Jezreel and he saw the company of Jehu as he came, and said, "I see
a company." And Joram said, "Take a horseman and send him to meet them and
let him say, 'Is it peace?'" (2 Ki9:17)
The watchman
was not to slumber on
his post. The psalmist teaches the
futility of functioning as a
watchman without the LORD, writing that "Unless
the LORD guards the city, the
watchman keeps awake in vain."
(Ps127:1)
Thus they had to remain awake and alert for approaching enemies and warn of
impending attack and give those who dwelt outside the walls an opportunity
to seek protection and time to secure the gates and man the defenses.
What an irony...any rational person in
and around the city
would never ignore the cry or trumpet of a secular
watchman
and yet God says
they would refuse to hearken to a spiritual
watchman.
Note that although
Ezekiel is sent to the house of Israel, in these verses he is charged to warn
individuals, emphasizing that independent of the national sins of Judah,
each individual is responsible for his or her own behavior. This same theme of
personal responsibility is described in more detail in chapters 18
and 33.
Ezekiel was responsible for sounding the warning of impending
judgment to individuals in the house of Israel.
Speaking of Israel God says "And I set
watchmen
over you, saying, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!'
(the sound of the watchman's trumpet on a city wall would have been cause
for alarm and preparation)
but they said, 'We
will not listen.' (Jer6:17)
In Isaiah God reminded Israel that "On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have
appointed watchmen.
All day and all night they will never keep silent...."
(Isa62:6)
As we see in this passage Ezekiel was silent (made mute by God) until
he heard a word from the Lord and then he was to speak "Thus says the Lord
God." (3:27)
Warren Wiersbe reminds us that "It is a
serious thing to be a watchman, for the destiny of precious souls is at
stake (Ezek.
3:16–21;
33:1–9). The watchman must be alert to
every opportunity and must not be afraid to sound the alarm. False watchmen
are not faithful (Isa
56:10–12) and will have much to answer for at the Judgment.
Paul was a faithful watchman who was able to say, “I am innocent of the
blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel
of God” (Ac20:26-27)."
whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me:
(33:6-8;
2Chr19:10;
Is58:1;
Jer6:10;
Mt3:7;
1Co4:14;
2Co5:11
5:20;
Col 1:28;
1Th5:14) "whenever I send my people a
warning, pass it on to them at once" (TLB), "give ear to the word
of My mouth, and give them word from Me of their danger"
(BBE)
"Whenever
you hear a word from My mouth"
This is a good word for all God's children for as Spurgeon says "if we
would be found really useful and serviceable for our Lord and Master"
our ears need to be disciplined so that we hear only "the word from My
mouth”, recognizing its Divine authority, studying it diligently as
Spurgeon says going straight "to that fountain of truth...and never be
satisfied with a second-hand version of it. Go you to the fountain head and
drink there or ever the streams have been mudded by human blundering."
The prophet
Habakkuk gives us a good picture of how a prophet functions as a
watchman declaring "I will stand on my guard post and station
myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to
me..." (Hab2:1)
"Warn
them from me" The
Greek Septuagint translates "warn"
with the Greek verb (diapeileo) which means to intimidate
or to threaten violently!
Believers today, although not called
to intimidate or threaten violently, do have a commission
to be God's "mouthpiece" and to be "ambassadors for Christ, as though
God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be
reconciled to God." (2Cor5:20)
"At the end of
chapter 3 Ezekiel receives another nudge to get on with his ministry. In
ancient times watchmen were stationed on top of the city’s walls as
look-outs. Their job was to spot approaching danger. God appoints Ezekiel to
be a spiritual watchman over Israel. The watchman’s job is to sound the
alarm. If his warning goes unheeded, he’s done his job. He’s not responsible
for the disaster that results. But if he goes to sleep on the job, or gets
distracted...if he neglects to sound the alarm - God will hold him
responsible for the destruction. God has also set you up as a watchman on
the walls. Who’s within your walls? Who are the folks within the sphere of
your influence? People at work? Neighbors? Family? Friends at the health
club, or ballpark? Perhaps God has laid a whole country on your heart? Hey,
you’re not responsible for how people react to God’s message – just as long
as you speak up, and sound the alarm. It’s up to you to present the truth of
the Gospel, and provide an opportunity to repent. Are you a good watchman?
God holds you responsible for the people within your walls!" (Ref)
|
APPLICATION
The Christian as A Sentinel (Watchman)
from C H Spurgeon |
|
“When a sentinel is set upon the watch, he must not come off without
the commander’s leave, and till he is discharged by authority. God
hath set us in a watch, and we must not leave our ground till we have
done all that is enjoined upon us, and receive a fair discharge.” The
instance of the sentinel in Pompeii, whose skeleton was found erect at
the city gate, when all but he had fled, need not be repeated in
words; but it should be copied by each one of us in his life. If the
earth should reel, it is ours to keep our place. If set to preach the
Gospel, let us maintain the truth, though philosophy should thin the
number of our comrades till we remain alone. Imagine what the universe
would be if the stars forsook their marches, and the sun forbore to
shine; yet this would only be among inanimate objects an imitation of
the conduct of men who quit their posts, and leave their work undone.
This is the spirit out of which fiends are made: first neglect, then
omission, then treachery and rebellion. A sentinel must not leave his
post even to gather pearls or diamonds; nor must we forsake our duty
in order to acquire the highest honours. It matters nothing how well
we have done other things if we neglect the thing. God bids us do
this, and if we fail it will be no excuse to be able to say — we have
done that. If the watcher forsakes his post it will not avail that he
climbed a mountain, or swam a river: he was not where he was ordered
to be."
Which
station has He called you to man, o beloved watchman on the wall?
Will you be found faithful? |
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3:18 "When
I
say to the
wicked, 'You will
surely
die,' and you do not
warn him or
speak out to
warn the
wicked from his
wicked
way that he may
live, that
wicked
man shall
die in his
iniquity, but his
blood I will
require at your
hand.
|
Young's
Literal: In My saying
to the wicked: Thou dost surely die; and thou hast not warned him, nor hast
spoken to warn the wicked from his wicked way, so that he doth live; he --
the wicked -- in his iniquity dieth, and his blood from thy hand I require.
NLT:
If I warn the wicked, saying, 'You are under the penalty of death,' but you
fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold
you responsible, demanding your blood for theirs.
GWT:
Suppose I tell you that wicked people will surely die, but you don't warn
them or speak out so that they can change their wicked ways in order to save
their lives. Then these wicked people will die because of their sin, but I
will hold you responsible for their deaths.
NIV:
When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him
or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life,
that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for
his blood.
MSG:
If I say to the wicked, ‘You are going to die,’ and you don’t sound the
alarm warning them that it’s a matter of life or death, they will die and it
will be your fault. I’ll hold you responsible.
Word Biblical
Commentary: When I
tell someone who is wicked,a ‘You are doomed to die,’ and you have not
cautioned him, giving the wicked person an explicit caution against his
wicked behavior in order that he may live, the wrongdoing of that wicked
persone will cause his death, but I will hold you responsible for his
demise. |
|
When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die':
(18:4
18:13
18:20;
33:6
33:8;
Ge2:17;
3:3
3:4;
2Ki1:4;
Lu13:3
13:5;
Ep5:5
5:6) "You
are doomed to die" (WBC), "You
are under the penalty of death" (NLT) "When I say to the evil-doer,
Death will certainly be your fate" (BBE)
"You
shall surely die" is
literally, dying thou shalt die.
In this section God begins to teach the principle that every individual (in
the house of Israel) will be
responsible for their own iniquity, a principle elaborated on more in
Ezekiel 18 where for example God says "The person who sins will die. The
son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the
father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the
righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be
upon himself." (Ezek18:20)
This truth is one that Satan has attacked from the beginning, the serpent
declaring to Eve that " You surely shall not die!" (Gen
3:4) Read again what God Himself clearly reiterates in this verse
"You shall surely die". God always keeps His promises,
and
after the sons of Israel expressed disbelief in His promise to give them
the land of milk and honey He fulfilled the "flipside" of that promise
declaring that "They
shall surely die in the wilderness." And not a man was left of them,
except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun." (Nu26:65)
and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way
that he may live: (18:30
18:31
18:32;
Ac2:40;
3:19;
1Ti4:16
Js5:19
20) "and you give him no word of it and
say nothing to make clear to the evil-doer the danger of his evil way, so
that he may be safe" (BBE), "you do not warn him or speak out to
dissuade him from his wicked conduct " (NAB), "and you do not warn
him—you do not speak out to warn him to turn from his evil conduct so that
he may live" (NET)
Note the emphasis of singular pronouns (him...his...he)
was on individuals. Ezekiel’s ministry was personal, focused on individual
responsibility to trust and obey God.
"From
his wicked way" is
translated by the Greek Septuagint "to turn from his ways"
utilizing the verb apostrepho (apo = from,
implying rupture of a former association + strepho = turn
quite around) which means literally to turn away from and which refers to
causing someone to turn away from a previous belief, changing from incorrect
to correct behavior.
that wicked man shall die in his iniquity:
(33:10;
Pr14:32;
Jn8:21)
Through Isaiah God reiterated "Woe to the wicked! It will go badly
with him, for what he deserves will be done to him." (Isa 3:11)
"that same evil man will come to death in his evil-doing" (BBE)
"Die
in his iniquity" Over
seven centuries later Jesus referring ultimately to eternal death said "that
you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall
die in your sins." (Jn8:24)
but his blood I will require at your hand.:
(Ge42:22;
2Sa 4:11;
Lu11:50
11:51;
1Ti5:22) "I will make you responsible
for his blood." (BBE), "I will punish you. I will demand your blood
for theirs" (TLB), "I shall hold you responsible for that death"
(NJB), "I will hold you accountable for his blood" (NIV), "And I
will hold you responsible, demanding your blood for theirs" (NLT)
In ancient times, a night watchman guarded the city against danger,
usually under penalty of death for failure.
“his
blood I will require at your hand”
The expression “require blood at your hand” is equivalent to
requiring the death penalty as illustrated in (2Sa 4:11–12) where David
addressed the killers of Ish-bosheth, he declared to them "How much more,
when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed,
shall I not now require his
blood from your hand, and
destroy you from the earth?" Then David commanded the young men, and they
killed them and cut off their hands and feet, and hung them up beside the
pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the
grave of Abner in Hebron."
This principle of individual
responsibility and accountability ("His
blood I will require")
finds its genesis in the book of Genesis where God declares "surely
I
will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And
from every man, from every man's brother I will require the life of man.
Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, for in the image
of God He made man." (Ge 9:5,9:6)
The Int'l Children's Bible paraphrases this verse "I will demand your
blood for your lives. That is, I will demand the life of any animal that
kills a person. And I will demand the life of anyone who takes another
person's life. Whoever kills a human being will be killed by a human being.
This is because God made humans in his own image." It
is as though the blood of the sinner who dies in his iniquity had been shed
because Ezekiel had failed to warn him and according to the law of
retribution, Ezekiel was liable for the loss of life payable by the forfeit
of his own.
|
"Public sentiment in New
York has been aroused against a poor brakeman on the New York Central
railroad because he failed to give the danger signal to the St. Louis
express. He was sent with a red lantern to wave down the approaching
train, but, instead of doing so, he went into a depot and sat down by
the fire. As the express thundered by he asked, “What’s that?” and,
when told, he disappeared in the darkness and has not yet been found
by the police. The express dashed into the train on the track and
killed twelve persons. Everybody feels that such neglect was criminal,
and yet how about us who believe that our friends are going headlong
to ruin and we have not warned them of their danger?" (from The
Biblical Illustrator) |
In Ezekiel 33 God reiterates
the seriousness of role of
watchman declaring that "if
the watchman
sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not
warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in
his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the
watchman's
hand....But if you on
your part warn a wicked man to turn from his way, and he does not turn from
his way, he will die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your life."
(Ezek
33:6,
33:9)
The apostle Paul in his final address to
the Ephesian elders (who in turn would be held accountable) was fully
conversant with the "watchman principle" declaring "Therefore
I testify to you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men,
(why is he innocent?), for I did not shrink from (draw back)
declaring to you the whole purpose (God's determined will not just His
inclination) of God." (Ac20:26
20:27)
In ancient times shepherds performed
for sheep a similar watching, protecting role as the town watchman. God uses
the shepherd metaphor to refer to Israel's leaders in Ezekiel 34 emphasizing
their accountability and declaring "Behold I am against
the shepherds & I shall demand My sheep from them & make them cease from
feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore but I shall
deliver My flock from their mouth that they may not be food for them." (Ezek
34:10)
|
|
3:19 "Yet
if you have
warned the
wicked and he does
not
turn from his
wickedness or from
his
wicked
way, he shall
die in his
iniquity; but you
have
delivered
yourself. |
Young's
Literal: And thou,
because thou hast warned the wicked, and he hath not turned back from his
wickedness, and from his wicked way, he in his iniquity dieth, and thou thy
soul hast delivered.
NLT:
If you warn them and they keep on sinning and refuse to repent, they will
die in their sins. But you will have saved your life because you did what
you were told to do.
Word Biblical
Commentary: On the
other hand, you have cautioned the wicked person, but he has failed to give
up his wickedness or any of his wicked behavior,a his wrongdoing will
cause his death, but you will have saved your life. |
Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness
or from his wicked way
he shall die in his iniquity: (2Ki17:13-23;
Jer 42:19-22;
44:4
44:5;
Lu10:10
10:11;
1Th4:6;
Heb2:1,
2:2,
2:3)
(18;
2Th1:8
1:9) "But if you warn them, and they
keep on sinning and refuse to repent, they will die in their sins"
(TLB), "But if you give the evil–doer word of his danger, and he is not
turned from his sin or from his evil way, death will overtake him in his
evil–doing." (BBE)
Why does God warn through Ezekiel? In 2 Chronicles we read that "Jehovah,
the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His
messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling
place." (2Chr
36:15) Did they respond? The writer continues explaining that "they
continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at
His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, until
there was no remedy." (2Chr
36:16) As the proverb declares "A man who hardens his neck
after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond remedy." (Pr29:1)
A good illustration of the fulfillment of
the responsibility of warning the wicked is found in Acts when Paul arrived
at Corinth and "began devoting himself completely to the word,
solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ (the
Messiah). And when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his
garments and said to them, "Your blood be upon your own heads! I am
clean. From now on I shall go to the Gentiles." (Ac18:5
18:6)
The writer of Hebrews brings this
principle out strongly, warning that if someone goes "on sinning
willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer
remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of
judgment, and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES." (Heb10:26
27) adding a later warning to all to "See
to it that you do not refuse Him Who is speaking. For if those (house of
Israel) did not escape when they refused him who warned them on
earth (in context refers to the prophet Moses), much less shall we
escape who turn away from Him Who warns from heaven." (Heb12:25)
Indeed as the Sovereign LORD has already explained to Ezekiel, the
rebellious house of Israel will not listen to him because they refuse to
listen to the Lord God Who "warns from heaven".
|
Bishop
Simpson writes in The Biblical Illustrator "Often on the ocean I have
gone to the prow of the vessel and looked out into the darkness of the
night. I have found the watchman not one moment from his post, his eye
gazing far over the sea, where he might discern at the greatest
distance and at the earliest moment any cause of possible danger. The
lives of the crew and passengers were in his hands. The mist might
come down heavily, the wind might blow furiously, the storm rage
incessantly; but still on and ever the watchman looks out in the one
direction. The whales may sport in multitudes around the vessel, the
whole sea behind him be in a phosphorescent glow. His own great object
is not to care for these things, but to look ahead! So you are
watchmen. You are on the ship. The vessel may be running towards
shore; there may be breakers ahead. You are to sound the alarm. |
but you have delivered yourself: (21;Is 49:4
49:5;
Ac13:45
13:46;
20:26;
2Co2:15
2:16
2:17) "also thou hast delivered thy soul"
(KJV) "but you are blameless—you have done all you could" (TLB) "your
life will be spared" (TEV), "but your life will be safe." (BBE) Note some versions have translations like "save yourself" or "save
your life" but there is no implication of salvation as used in the New
Testament sense of being born again.
"Delivered yourself"
Here the words do not imply more than deliverance from bodily death.
Note that Ezekiel cannot deliver the wicked (or the righteous) but only
himself. As God says in verse 27, to quote from God's Word Translation "Some
will listen, and some will refuse to listen. They are rebellious people."
Ezekiel can warn but he can't force them to listen and obey. This principle is elaborated on In Ezekiel 14 where the Sovereign
LORD declares to Ezekiel that "even though these three men, Noah, Daniel,
and Job were in its midst (of a rebellious country), by their own
righteousness they could only deliver themselves." (Ezek
14:14, cf
14:20,
33:5
33:9)The
dread warning has for its complement a message of comfort. The judgment
passed on the prophet does not depend on the results of his ministry.
“Whether men will bear, or whether they will forbear,” Ezekiel has “delivered
his soul” (i.e. saved his life) when he has done his duty as a
watchman. |
|
3:20 "Again, when a
righteous
man
turns
away from his
righteousness and
commits
iniquity, and I
place an
obstacle
before him, he will
die;
since you have not
warned him, he shall
die in his
sin, and his
righteous
deeds
which he has
done shall not be
remembered; but his
blood I will
require at your
hand.
|
Young's
Literal: 'And in the
turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, and he hath done
perversity, and I have put a stumbling-block before him, he dieth; because
thou hast not warned him, in his sin he dieth, and not remembered is his
righteousness that he hath done, and his blood from thy hand I require.
BBE:
Again, when an upright man, turning away from his righteousness, does evil,
and I put a cause of falling in his way, death will overtake him: because
you have given him no word of his danger, death will overtake him in his
evil–doing, and there will be no memory of the upright acts which he has
done; but I will make you responsible for his blood.
NLT:
If good people turn bad and don't listen to my warning, they will die. If
you did not warn them of the consequences, then they will die in their sins.
Their previous good deeds won't help them, and I will hold you responsible,
demanding your blood for theirs.
GWT:
If righteous people turn from living the right way and do wrong, I will make
them stumble, and they will die. If you don't warn them, they will die
because of their sin, and the right things they did will not be remembered.
I will hold you responsible for their deaths.
NIV:
"Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and
I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him,
he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered,
and I will hold you accountable for his blood
NJB:
When someone upright renounces uprightness to do evil and I set a trap for
him, it is he who will die; since you failed to warn him, he will die for
his guilt, and the uprightness he practised will no longer be remembered;
but I shall hold you responsible for his death.
MSG:
And if the righteous turn back from living righteously and take up with evil
when I step in and put them in a hard place, they’ll die. If you haven’t
warned them, they’ll die because of their sins, and none of the right things
they’ve done will count for anything—and I’ll hold you responsible.
Word Biblical
Commentary: Moreover,
when someone who is virtuous gives up his virtuea and does wrong, I will
put in his path an obstacle that causes his downfall: he will die. If you
have not cautioned him, his sin will cause his death and no cognizance will
be taken of his virtuous deeds that he has done, but I will hold you
responsible for his demise. |
|
Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits
iniquity: (18:24
18:26;
33:12
33:13;
2Chr24:2
24:17-22;
Ps36:3;
125:5;
Zeph1:6;
Mt 13:20
13:21;
Heb10:38;
2Pe2:18-22;
1Jn2:19) (Is64:6;
Da9:18) "his
righteousness
(right doing and right standing with God)"
(Amp)
and I place an obstacle
(stumbling block)
before him, he shall die:
(7:19;
14:3
14:7-9;
Dt 13:3;
Is8:14;
Lu 2:34;
Ro 9:32
9:33;
11:9;
1Co1:23;
2Th2:9-12;
1Pe2:8) "some gift or providence which I
lay before him he perverts into an occasion to sin " (Amp), "I
will put in his path an obstacle that causes his downfall"
(WBC), "I put a stumbling block before him, he will die" (NIV), "
I will make them stumble, and they will die" (GWT), "I put a cause of
falling in his way, death will overtake him" (BBE), "I set a trap for
him, it is he who will die" (NJB) "and I put a cause of falling
in his way" (BBE)
"Obstacle"
or stumbling block (mikshowl) is a key word in Ezekiel with 8
of 14 OT occurrences being found in
Ezekiel (Click
here). In Leviticus mikshowl refers to a literal obstacle
in the path, Moses recording that 'You shall not curse a deaf man, nor
place a
stumbling block
before the blind, but you shall revere your God; I am the LORD."
(Lev19:12)
The Pulpit Commentary has the
following interesting note on "obstacle/stumbling block" explaining
that "One of the acts of Eastern malignity was to put a stone in a man’s
way, that he might fall and hurt himself Here the putting the stone is
described as the act of Jehovah, and is applied to anything that tempts a
man to evil, and so to his own destruction (Jeremiah 6:21). The thought is
startling to us, and seems at variance with true conceptions of the Divine
will (James 1:13). The explanation is to be found in the fact that the
prophet’s mind did not draw the distinction which we draw between evil
permitted and the same evil decreed. All, from this point of view, is as God
wills, and even those who thwart that will are indeed fulfilling it.
Glimpses are given of the purpose which leads to the permission or decree.
In the case now before us the man has turned from his righteousness
before
the stumbling block is laid in his way.
The temptation is permitted that the man may become conscious of his evil
(Ro 7:13). If the prophet preacher does his duty, the man may conquer the
temptation, and the stumbling block may become a “stepping stone to higher
things.” If, through the prophet’s negligence, he comes unwarned, and
stumbles and falls, he, as in the case of the wicked, bears the penalty of
his guilt, but the prophet has here also the guilt of blood upon his soul.
The “righteousnesses” of the man (here, as before, we have the plural), his
individual acts of righteousness, shall not be remembered, because he was
tried, and found wanting in the essential element of all righteousness. The
highest development of the thought is found in the fact that Christ himself
is represented as a “stumbling stone” (Isaiah 8:14;Ro 9:32, 33; 1Cor 1:23)."
The psalmist gives one of the best ways for a
righteous man
to avoid stumbling over an "obstacle"
or stumbling
block, writing that "Those
who love Thy law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble."
(literally = they have no stumbling block) (Ps119:165)
In Ezekiel 18 God says to Israel "I will judge you, O house of Israel,
each according to his conduct.... Repent and turn away
from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a
stumbling block
(your downfall or ruin) to you. Cast away from you all your
transgressions which you have committed, and make yourselves a new
heart and a new spirit! (What is the ultimate effect of the
stumbling block?) For why will you die, O house of Israel?
For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord
GOD. "Therefore, repent and live." (Ezek18:30,
31,
32) In Jeremiah God reiterates the effect
of the stumbling block declaring "Behold, I
am laying stumbling blocks
before this people. And they will stumble against them, fathers and sons
together; neighbor and friend will perish."
(Jer 6:21)
since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin:
(18;
Lv19:17;
2Sa 12:7-13;
2Chr19:2-4;
25:15;
Mt18:15)
and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered:
(18:24
18:26;
33:12
33:13;
Lu8:15;
Ro2:7
2:8;
Heb10:38;
2 Pe2:21) "no
cognizance will be taken of his virtuous deeds that he has done"
(WBC), "Their previous good deeds won't help them" (NLT) "and
there will be no memory of the upright acts which he has done" (BBE)
but his blood I will require at your hand.:
(18;
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