Lesson 33
background notes
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doctrinal / teaching points
1. God deals with individuals as
well as with nations.
2. God determines what is right in
every situation.
practical application
Why do you go to church?
questions
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Here in chapter 33, what
major change took place in Ezekiel’s means of
prophetic communication? Had God told Ezekiel
earlier that this change would take place? What
was the historic event that predicated this
change? Did the basic content and thrust of
Ezekiel’s prophetic messages change at this
time?
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In this chapter, God calls
Ezekiel to what role? In this role, what was
Ezekiel’s primary responsibility? Was this
responsibility to be directed only to the nation
of Israel as a whole?
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One of the primary messages of this
chapter is that God holds individuals accountable
for their attitudes and behavior. If individual
people would change from ways of wickedness and
begin to do what is right, how would God respond?
How would God respond if individual people continue
in their wickedness?
answers
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In chapter 3, Ezekiel was told
that as a sign to the people, he would only be
able to speak when he had a message for them
from God. In chapter 24, Ezekiel was told by
the Lord that when the news of the fall of
Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple
reached the captives in Babylon, his mouth would
be opened and he would no longer be dumb or
mute, but be able to speak freely. Here in
chapter 33 (v 22), Ezekiel’s mouth was opened.
From this point on throughout the rest of the
book, Ezekiel’s ministry and messages become
more comforting and encouraging, because he will
speak about Israel’s future restoration.
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God calls Ezekiel to the role of
watchman (v 7). His primary responsibility in
this role was to hear a word from God’s mouth
and warn the nation of Israel (v 10), and the
individuals as well (v 12).
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God said that if people turned from
their wicked ways and begin to do what is right, He
would withhold His judgment (v 15). However, if the
people did not turn from their wicked ways and they
continued in unrighteous living, then the judgment
of God would lead to death.
discuss/ consider
Discuss the application of the role
of “watchman” in the world today to you as an
individual believer, or to your local church body of
believers, or to the world-wide body of believers.
Consider the possible responsibilities in each of
these cases.
challenge
Before you attend the next worship
service at your church, ask yourself this question
regarding each part of the service; the prayer time,
the singing of songs and hymns, and the spoken word.
“Was my mind and heart focused on what I would and
did receive, and on what I could and did offer to
the Lord in true worship?” Which case would have
the greatest impact on changing your lifestyle to
become more Christ-like?
memorize
- “And it came to pass, that one who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, ‘The city has been captured!’ Now the hand of the Lord had been upon me the evening before the man came who escaped. And He had opened my mouth; so when he came to me in the morning, my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.” From Ezekiel 33: 21, 22
