Ezekiel As the Lord’s Messenger
Open Your Bible
Ezekiel 33:1-33, Romans 5:1-5, Ephesians 4:11-16
BY Patti Sauls
On the side of our refrigerator you’ll find a handy magnetic notepad. Getting low on milk? Need some apples? Out of toilet paper? Put them on the list. College students coming home for the weekend? Put all the things on the list. Taking inventory is essential when it comes to figuring out what we have and what we’re missing. It may take some time, but it’s time well spent.
Lent invites us to take spiritual inventory. It invites us to ask God to reveal what we have and what we’re missing. Am I regularly experiencing God’s guidance, strength, and comfort, or do I feel like I’m running on empty? How is God shaping my worldview, relationships, work, and habits? Where am I missing Him? Maybe we need to admit where we’ve wandered. Maybe we need to pause and listen to His call to return.
In Ezekiel we see God’s people disoriented by disobedience. Their forced exile from home echoed their own willful exit from God and His ways. They had wandered far. In their anguish they cried, “Our transgressions and our sins are heavy on us, and we are wasting away because of them! How can we survive?” (Ezekiel 33:10). In desperation, they took inventory, confessed their sin, and cried out to the Lord.
We have an opportunity right now to take inventory, to confess our wandering, and express our desire to return home. Maybe we’ll find ourselves crying out with the ancient exiles, “Oh God, my sin and unbelief are wearing me out. I’m lost and hopeless apart from you! How can I survive?”
God takes no pleasure in our pain, and He does not abandon us. Instead, He makes a way for us to turn away from our wanderings and return to Him. God takes “no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked person should turn from his way and live. Repent, repent of your evil ways!” (v.11).
God gives what He commands: a way of repentance. How do we pivot toward this path of return? We begin by taking an honest inventory that includes resisting denial and recognizing where we’ve strayed. Then, we can confess our sin and our need for Jesus who paid the price for our unfaithfulness. We must take care not to turn in on ourselves, attempting to beat ourselves up or shape ourselves up. Instead, we rely on God’s provision of His Son, so that we can “have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
Will we accept this invitation to take spiritual inventory this Lenten season? If we do, we’ll find that it’s time well spent.
Jesus, I confess that I stray every day in my thoughts, words, and actions. I’m prone to wander. In Your mercy, stop me in my tracks and show me where I’m missing You in my life and in the world. Thank you for reminding me of all that I have in You, including Your guidance, strength, and comfort on the path back home.
41 thoughts on "Ezekiel As the Lord’s Messenger"
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Changed Life – Chapter 33 is a bit of a reprise of the Watchman in chapter 3. In 3, Ezekiel’s ministry began warning of the fall of Jerusalem and he would be mute unless he was speaking God’s words. Now Jerusalem had fallen (vs. 21) and Ezekiel’s restricted speech was released (vs. 22). God is not going back on His word that each must be accountable for his own sin (18:21-29). However He would rather someone returns to Him instead of receiving punishment. God is confirming Ezekiel’s role and continued ministry to the Exiles.
I don’t believe the passage is saying God grants forgiveness because of ignorance. -
This study has been difficult for me to read, but today I feel like I have found a possible answer to a question I have had for many years about who will be saved and who won’t. I pose this question to you ladies…Ezekiel 33:6 speaks of the failure of the watchman in warning the people that the sword is coming. That the sword will take the life of the person, but that the blood will be on the watchman as he did not warn that individual. The person is responsible for their own iniquity, but not for the blood.
Do any of you have insight or thoughts into what this means? In modern day, would this person be forgiven for their sins? I want to make sure I am reading this properly. Thanks in advance Shes!
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Such a great visual and analogy. Thanks for sharing!
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Happy Monday SHEs! I am at the point of wanting to quit reading Ezekiel but I was grateful I decided to open my Bible today. Ezekiel 33 was just what I needed today. I often look for answers and truth from authorities in my life. This reading reminded me that God is the ultimate authority and source of truth in my life. If I just simply quiet my mind and ask God for guidance, wisdom, strength….He is a good father and will provide. He just wants me to come to Him….He wants a personal relationship with EVERY one of His children. He is pursuing every one of us and He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. I pray I can walk in obedience and speak up like the good watchman Ezekiel when I am called to. And I am grateful for all of you ladies who bring wisdom in your comments here ❤️ so many new prayer requests to add to my list!
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I’m praying the Lord would continue to show me where I have strayed, so that I can come back to him. ❤️
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Happy Monday She’s!
I am loving the study of Ezekiel, which to be truthful I never understood this book before! It is so amazing to learn from SRT and ya’ll! I also got to listen to the podcast today on my bike ride and it was really, really good. I even shared it with my non-believing nephew that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was so sad after our discussion. Whether he listens or not, at least I was sharing it and with a few encouraging words.
I can somewhat understand why non-believers would think religions are basically all wrong since they mostly oppose or contradict each other, but mainly I think most people just want to be nonaccountable to anyone or follow the “rules’ of religion. Unfortunately, we just go about our lives until something hits us bullseye, smack in the head, or rather the heart. At that point sometimes we are aware enough to reanalyze our lives. It is so sad reading Ezekiel, seeing how going our own way breaks God’s heart. And that there are ramifications of being separated from God in our sin and desires and strong-headed pridefulness. Once the lightbulb went on (which many of us can say it was turned on and off quite a bit before it stayed on), we realize how we NEED our Savior, our Sin-Cleanser, the CROSS! Then we can let the Holy Spirit come alive in us, the dry-bones rattling, and use us for all good, HIS good.
Thank you Heavenly Father for bringing me to life again- I was a sinner, lost in the world, and you found me in my hurting, in my brokenness, and made me anew. Amen Let us shine that light for YOU and be so different from the world that they want what we have!
Praying for all you sisters, my friends and family members! -
Great reflection on this! I’d have to agree with you too.
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This is such a great reminder that God is with us, but we need to consider Him. He will lead us if we seek Him.
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