Monday, March 3 – Ezekiel 32, 33

1. What is the watchman’s responsibility, and what is the responsibility of the one who hears? (Ezekiel 33:9).

2. What happens to the righteous if he commits iniquity? (Ezekiel 33:18).

3. What happens to the wicked when he repents? (Ezekiel 33:19).

It is interesting to study the theme of inspiration, that is, how God communicates the message to the prophet and how the prophet, in turn, conveys it. Pastor Juan Carlos Viera, former director of the White Estate, identified six ways God uses to communicate or inspire His message to the prophets. These are:

1. By vision – God speaks “through visions and prophetic dreams.”
2. Through the prophet’s testimony – God inspires him “to tell his own version of the things seen and heard.”
3. By investigating history – An example of this is Luke.
4. Through the prophet’s counsel – “The prophet acts as a counselor to God’s people.”
5. Through letters or epistles – “The prophet writes greetings, names, circumstances, or even common things that do not require special revelation.”
6. Through literary expression – The Holy Spirit inspires the prophet to express his deep feelings and emotions through poetry and prose, as in the Psalms.
(The Dynamics of Inspiration, Adventist Review, May 30, 1996).

The model of inspiration used by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and others corresponds to number six. God did not dictate the message verbally but revealed it through words, dreams, a messenger, or a vision, and the prophet expressed it in his own words. These words could be simple and direct or poetic and beautiful, depending on the style and personality of the prophet. The same happens with preachers today—not all have the same style, but they receive inspiration from God. The revelation was from God, but the words and style were the prophet’s. This is evident in Ezekiel’s writings.

This chapter 32 is a prophecy about Egypt, a great nation and military power of that time.

“This chapter closes the series of prophecies against Egypt. Verses 1–16 are a further denunciation of Egypt under the figure of a dragon. Verses 17–32 are a dirge over Egypt’s descent into she’ol.” (SDA Bible Commentary, Ezekiel 32:1).

Ezekiel compares Egypt to a dragon in the Nile and describes the destruction it would suffer at the hands of Babylonian invaders. He prophesies Babylon’s total victory over Egypt and describes its final fate—going to the grave to join other great nations that had preceded it on that path, such as Assyria, Elam, Meshech, Tubal, Edom, Syria, and Sidon.

The SDA Bible Commentary says about chapter 33: “A new phase of Ezekiel’s ministry begins, and there is a renewal of the charge of office.” (SDA Bible Commentary, Ezekiel 33:2).

The watchman is responsible for detecting and warning the people of impending danger. However, this does not remove the responsibility from the people—whether they hear the message or not. The watchman is accountable for his call and message if he sees danger and does not give a clear warning in time (Ezekiel 33:10).

The following verses emphasize the personal responsibility to remain in faith. The righteous must continue in faith and obedience, and the sinner must repent. This passage exposes the error of the doctrine “once saved, always saved.”

The Jews held misplaced national and spiritual pride. They believed that being descendants of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and David gave them the right to the land and salvation. Watch out for pride. We can make the same mistake by thinking that our faith and denominational heritage guarantee salvation. While receiving a spiritual legacy from our ancestors is a blessing, each person is responsible before God for their own soul and their influence on others.

The people believed God had been unfaithful to His promises and unjust to them. Ezekiel sought to correct this misconception (Ezekiel 33:17-19).

Those who remained in the desolate land thought they still had a right to it. However, God told them their right did not come from their ancestry but their relationship with Him as His people (Ezekiel 33:24-25).

God wanted them to understand that captivity and destruction had come because of their apostasy and wickedness.

The chapter ends with a solemn exhortation to hear the message and treasure it in the heart. It is not about admiring a preacher or appreciating the beauty of the message. “Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. And when this comes to pass—surely it will come—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.” (Ezekiel 33:32-33).

May God, by His grace and mercy, enable us to hear and treasure His words—to appreciate them and put them into practice.

May the LORD grant you a very blessed day with your family.