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80   THE CONVENTION TEACHER

(19) Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Now if the prophet tells these warnings to the wicked people and they fail to accept the report and turn from their sings, they shall die in their own wickedness, but the watchman has saved his soul. Because the watchman gave notice of the approaching danger and the people neglected to profit by the warning; they might indeed be cut off, but the watchman would be guiltless. 

(20) Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hatch done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. If a righteous man who has been instructed in the right way, turns back and commits evil his wickedness shall be charged against him. 

"I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die!" That is, I permit him to be tried and he falls in the trial. Here God permits a stumblingblock to be laid with no warning. His good deeds will be counted to his credit, but his blood will be charged to the hand of the watchman.

(21)Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul. If the righteous man should turn aside from his religion and his righteousness, to be commissioned of iniquity, if the heart-searching God should be pleased to permit him to meet such circumstances as tended to make trial of him and to call from his concealed lusts and thus to prove a stumblingblock in his way; if the prophet should also neglect to warn him of his danger and through his neglect the man should fall and perish in his sins, notwithstanding all the righteousness that he had done, which could not atone for his sins; in that case the prophet would be condemned as accessory to his destruction. 

III. EZEKIEL PICTURES THE DOOM OF JERUSALEM. (VV. 1-3) (1) Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and portray upon it the city, even Jerusalem: God ordered the prophet to take a tile. He was ordered to draw a picture of Jerusalem on a tile, to reveal the weakness to which sin had reduced that holy city, and the speedy destruction which awaited it, that by a general likeness every spectator might know that city was intended. 

(2) And lay siege against it, and build a fort against it, and case a mount against it; set the camp also against it, and set battering rams against it round about. The spectators were watching the siege with the model of the scene before them. Ezekiel brings all the formal details of the siege, such as the narratives of the Old Testament bring before us.

(3) Moreover take thou unto thee an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city: and set thy face against it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel. The pan was to represent a kind of shield. It was a flat plate or slice. A plate like this, stuck, perpendicularly in the earth would show them the nature of a wall much better than any pan could do. The Chaldeans threw such a wall round Jerusalem to prevent the besieged city from receiving any help and from escaping from the city. He himself represented the besiegers by setting his face against the picture of the city. Set they face against it - follow the divine orders and it shall be attacked. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel - this shall be an emblematical representation of what shall actually take place.

A MESSENGER OF GOD

All the messages which God had sent to the people of Judah had been carefully delivered by His prophets, and every prophecy had come to pass. They were warned many times to turn away from the worship of idols, and cease to do the other things which they knew displeased God. The prophets pleaded with the people, but they refused to hear. So, though God loved Judah, the people must be punished for their sins. He allowed the king of Babylon to overcome them and carry them away as captives. 

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THE CONVENTION TEACHER    81

QUESTIONS ON THE LESSON?

1. In what way does God speak to His people today?
2. What does exile do for a people?
3. Who are God's watchmen?
4. Was Ezekiel a true watchman, and how?

Lights on the Lesson

By REV. BERNARD O. BYRD, D.D.

LIGHT NO. 1 - The prophets were sent by God to notify he people that a Savior would come, just as the gospel preacher informs people that Jesus has already come and provided salvation.

LIGHT NO. 2. - Ezekiel being placed as a watchman, means that he was to notify people of the approaching dangers, etc.

LIGHT NO. 3. – Ezekiel gives dates to assure the reader of his call and thenexplains that the importance of his own work by showing that he was to speak what God had given him, without regard to the acceptance or rejection of the people.

LIGHT NO. 4. – The prophecy against Jerusalem was aimed at the whole nation since Jerusalem was the seat of their government.

LIGHT NO. 5.– The iron wall was meant to defend the man who gives God's message in its purity, since men rejected and often seek to injure the speaker.

Editorial Reflections
by Rev. S. A. Pleasants, D. D

Captivity does not prevent God from visiting His messenger, and explaining to him what to do and to tell the people what God wants them to do. The positive proof of this is seen here in God's dealing with Ezekiel. As with him so with anyone that God uses for His purposes. It says here that the hand of Jehovah was there upon him. What joy it is to have the hand of God upon us, and to listen with the inner ear to His sweet words as He speaks in our hearts.

God gives inspiration with the loving words He speaks in our hearts, when He gives a message to be delivered. He also gives the power and ability with which to carry on. One is not afraid to speak to the people the word sent to them by the Lord, when he knows the hand of the Lord is upon him.

The Lord said to Ezekiel to get together then of the captivity, and speak to them. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. He said, Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing, saying "Blessed be the glory of Jehovah from His place." He also heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures, and the wheels. He said, "So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness in the heat of my spirit, and the hand of Jehovah was strong upon me.

Our Father prepared thoroughly anyone He sends on a mission. He prepares him in mind, heart, spirit and body, as He did Ezekiel here. When one is Spirit-filled, that one is prepared for any task given. How fine it is for all Christians to seek, and seek again, and again, until we are all filled with the Holy Spirit, like all the prophets and messengers of God; and greatest of all, like Jesus of Nazareth, who was anointed with the Holy Spirit and Power, and went about doing good unto all.

Ezekiel came to them of the captivity, and sat, overwhelmed, among them seven days. Then the Lord told him He made him a watchman unto Israel, to warn them as He commanded him, and his work was done. He did so. No one need do any more than the Lord says. All anyone can do is deliver the message God gives to be delivered, and the results are left in God's hands. Then the messenger is free from the blood of the transgressors.

When any people turn from their righteousness, and do not repent, but die in their sins; one may know that it was only their righteousness confessed and not the righteousness of Christ given them in re-creation by the Holy Spirit. The people who rebel against God, only God can change. If they fail to hear Him, their doom is eternal destruction. God is always given warning to the sons of men through His chosen men. When they hear, they are saved; when they will not hear they are lost eternally.