Ezekiel 33:1-6: a reflection

1The LORD’s word came to me, saying, 2“Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and tell them, ‘When I bring the sword on a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman, 3if, when he sees the sword come on the land, he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and doesn’t heed the warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. 5He heard the sound of the trumpet and didn’t take warning. His blood will be on him; whereas if he had heeded the warning, he would have delivered his soul. 6But if the watchman sees the sword come and doesn’t blow the trumpet, and the people aren’t warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’

God gives Ezekiel the image of a watchman. When an enemy sword comes against a land, a watchman is posted to blow the trumpet and warn the people. If he blows the trumpet and someone ignores the warning, that person's blood is on his own head. But, God says, if the watchman sees the danger coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned and someone is taken, I will hold the watchman accountable for that person's blood. The watchman has a real responsibility to warn.

Notice the weight God places on warning. The watchman does not control whether people heed the warning; that is on them. But he is responsible to sound it, to see the danger and blow the trumpet. Failing to warn, staying silent when he sees the sword coming, makes him accountable. God takes seriously the duty of those who see danger to warn others of it, even when the warning is unwelcome.

There is a sobering application for us. We too sometimes see danger, spiritual or moral, coming toward people we know, and are tempted to stay silent, not wanting to be unwelcome, not wanting the awkwardness of the warning. But love, and the watchman's example, calls us to sound the trumpet, to warn honestly of the danger we see, whether or not it is heeded. We are not responsible for how people respond, but we are responsible to warn. When you see genuine danger threatening someone, do not stay silent out of comfort or fear. Love them enough to sound the warning, and leave the response to them.

Lord, you hold the watchman responsible to sound the trumpet when he sees danger coming, even if it is unwelcome. When I see genuine danger, spiritual or moral, threatening someone I know, keep me from staying silent out of comfort or fear of awkwardness. Give me the love and courage to warn honestly, to sound the trumpet, trusting you with how they respond. Help me be a faithful watchman, willing to warn those in danger, and leaving the outcome to you.