Dave Burnette's Commentary

Ezekiel Chapter 33

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Ezekiel
Date Penned: BC 571
Overview: Messages of Hope (c 33-48)
Theme: Restoring the People (c 33-39)
Message: God Reminds Ezekiel is a Watchman (v 1-20) Those in Judah will not possess the land (v 21-33)
 
Ezekiel: Chapter 33 Commentary
 
(33:1) This chapter sets forth a new direction for Ezekiel’s prophecies. Up to this point, Ezekiel has pronounced judgment upon Judah (chapters 1 through 24) and the surrounding evil nations (chapters 25 to 32) for their sins. Now that Jerusalem has fallen, he turns from messages of doom and judgment to messages of comfort, hope, and future Restoration for God’s people (chapters 33 through 48) God previously appointed Ezekiel to be a watchmen warning the nation of judgment to come (chapter 3) Here God appoints him to be a watchmen again, but this time to preach a message of hope. There are still sections of fall warnings (chapters 33 through 34) but they still are part of a larger picture of hope. God will remember to bless those who are faithful to him. We must pay attention to both aspects of Ezekiel‘s message: Warnings and Promise. Those who persist in rebelling against God should take warning. Those faithful to God should find encouragement and hope.

(33:10-12) The exiles were discouraged by their past sins. This is an important turning point in this book, elsewhere in Ezekiel all the people had refused to face their sins. Now, they feel heavy guilt for rebelling against God for so many years. Therefore, God assured them Of forgiveness if they repeated. God wants everyone to turn to him. He looks at what we are and will become, not what we have been. God gives you the opportunity to turn to him, if you will take it. Sincerely follow him, and ask him to forgive you when you fail.

(33:13) Passing good deeds will not save a person who decides to turn to a life of sin. Some people think they have done enough good deeds to overshadow the sins they don’t want to give up. But it is useless to try to be good at some areas so you can’t be deliberately bad in others. God wants the whole heart and love and obedience.

(33:15) wow good deeds will not save us, our salvation will lead to righteous actions. This will include our desire to make restitution for past sense. God expects us to make restitution, whatever necessary, for the wrongs we have committed against others.

(33:21,22) Near the beginning of his ministry, Ezekiel was unable to speak, except to give specific messages from God. Now that his prophecies have come true and false prophets have been exposed, Ezekiel is again able to talk freely. No longer needing to prove himself, he is free to offer God’s message of Restoration and hope.

(33:30-32) The people refuse to act upon a Z Keel’s message. When people mark your witness for Christ or fail to act upon your advice, don’t give up. You are not witnessing for them alone, but out of faithfulness to God. You cannot make them accept your message, you can only be faithful and deliver it.

(33:31) In your heart, do you really love God? These people gave the appearance of following God. But they love their money more. Many today also give the outward impression of being religious while remaining inwardly greedy. Jesus warned that we cannot love God and money at the same time in Matthew chapter 6. It’s easy to say “I will surrender all” when we don’t have much. It’s when we start to accumulate wealth that it becomes difficult to avoid loving it.

(33:32) The people were coming to listen to Ezekiel in order to be in our team. They weren’t interested in hearing a message from the Lord. Many people see Church as entertainment. They enjoy the music, the people, and the activities, but they don’t take the messages to heart. They don’t seek to be challenged or to Sarah. Have You reduced church services to the level of entertainment, or does your worship truly have an impact on your life?

 


Dave Burnette's Life Application


Our Responsibility

 

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue the Book of Ezekiel with Chapter 33. In our text today we see the beginning of the restoration of the people of God as He reminds Ezekiel that he is a watchman to bring a message of hope and encouragement to the nation Israel. In making application we see that as saved people we too are to be watchmen giving the Gospel to a lost and dying world. How about you? Do you share your faith? Let us learn from our text today and the Life of Ezekiel to see that we should be watchmen. Reaching the Lost world with the Gospel of our Lord Jesus-Christ.

 

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Ezekiel 33

Ezekiel 33

 1Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

 2Son 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:

 3If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;

 4Then 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.

 5He 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.

 6But 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.

 7So 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.

 8When 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.

 9Nevertheless, 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.

 10Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live?

 11Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

 12Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.

 13When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

 14Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;

 15If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

 16None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

 17Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.

 18When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.

 19But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.

 20Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.

 21And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten.

 22Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.

 23Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

 24Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.

 25Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?

 26Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife: and shall ye possess the land?

 27Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.

 28For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through.

 29Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.

 30Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.

 31And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.

 32And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.

 33And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.