The Watchman’s Warnings . . . and Promises (Ezekiel 33–35)

A city falls, a prophet’s warning is vindicated, and the path from ruin to restoration comes into view. We journey through Ezekiel 33–35 to uncover how a watchman’s duty, a people’s personal responsibility, and a searing indictment of corrupt leaders converge to reveal a deeper hope: God himself promises to shepherd his scattered flock and establish lasting peace. Along the way, we confront the survivors’ flawed claim to the land, the danger of hearing truth without heeding it, and the sobering reality that covenant privilege never overrides ethical obedience.

We speak candidly about spiritual leadership that wounds instead of heals. The shepherds of Israel fed themselves, not the flock, leaving the weak, sick, and lost to wander. God steps in with fierce mercy: I am against the shepherds, and then with tender resolve, I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep. That promise looks forward to the Good Shepherd, the Messiah, who gathers, binds, strengthens, and secures his people. We explore the prophetic picture of one shepherd, my servant David, and how this points to the reign of Jesus, with thoughtful perspectives on David’s future role and the contours of a restored, fruitful land where people dwell secure and unafraid.

Edom’s judgment adds another layer: those who cherish enmity and revel in another’s fall will answer to a just God. The message is timeless and provocative: God disciplines his own and confronts hostile nations, defending his name and his people. The episode closes with a personal question that lingers beyond the final word: who is your shepherd today? Not the voice you enjoy, but the one you obey. If this exploration deepened your understanding of Ezekiel and sparked fresh resolve to follow the Good Shepherd, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review to help others find these conversations.

NEW: Legacies of Light for Children, Volume 1:

Children Need Heroes. This book tells the story of nine Christian heroes worth following. https://www.wisdomonline.org/store/view/legacies-of-light-kids-1

Learn more at https://www.wisdomonline.org/

Transcript

From Judgment To Promise

Ezekiel The Watchman Reaffirmed

Personal Accountability Restated

Jerusalem Falls And Prophecy Confirmed

Survivors’ Claim To The Land Challenged

Desolation As Covenant Consequence

Exiles Hear But Do Not Heed

False Shepherds Condemned

Promise Of The True Shepherd

Edom Judged And Nations Warned

Who Is Your Shepherd

SPEAKER_00 0:48

As we return in our wisdom journey now to the prophecy of Ezekiel, the dark night of divine judgment given to us in the first 32 chapters of this book is about to give way now to a bright new day of divine promises. And the turning point is right here at chapter 33. The focus of chapter 33 actually shifts to the prophet himself. And this chapter begins by restating two themes that were introduced earlier in the book. All the way back in chapter 3, Ezekiel was described as a watchman for the house of Israel. That is, he's to be on the lookout for danger. Well, now here in chapter 33, God reaffirms Ezekiel's role as a watchman. He tells the prophet here in verse 7, You son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. So this is still Ezekiel's role. With the beginning of this new era after Jerusalem's destruction, it is still Ezekiel's responsibility to continue presenting divine warnings to the people. Now the second theme that's repeated is one of personal responsibility of each individual Israelite. And this truth was presented at length back in chapter 18. Each person is going to be judged by God on the basis of his or her sin alone. The Lord repeats that here in chapter 33 and verse 20. I will judge each of you according to his ways. So this is Ezekiel's personal role, his responsibility. It hadn't changed. He's got to remind them that they are accountable to God and call them to repentance. Now the remarkable fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecies about Jerusalem are confirmed here in verse 21, where Ezekiel says, A fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, The city has been struck down. Well, what do you know? His prophecy came true. Even though nobody had believed them, from the king to the common individual, Jerusalem is finally destroyed as God promised. Now, even though his prophecies came true with the fall of Jerusalem, there are still some survivors remaining back there in Judah. They're insisting that they still have a right to the land. Now, apparently, they believe they've been left there to possess the land and to, you know, just keep living like they've been living. They're arguing now that if God had given the land to Abraham, which he did, just one man, then they would surely possess the land since there are many of them. So they're they're basing their argument here on God's covenant promise to Abraham. But I want you to listen to the Lord's rebuke here in verse twenty five. Lift up your eyes to your idols and shed blood. Shall you then possess the land? You rely on the sword, you commit abominations, and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife. Shall you then possess the land? In other words, do you think that you can enjoy God's covenant blessings while you're worshiping idols, committing adultery, killing innocent people? Now we need to understand that Abraham's descendants in fact will possess the land one day according to God's unconditional promise. But in the meantime, they're being removed from the land as a result of their defiance against God's law, just as God promised back in Leviticus chapter 26. So all that to say this, all these people now who are remaining in the land of Judah after the fall of Jerusalem, while they're continuing in their sinful ways, the Lord says to them here in verse 29, then they will know that I am the Lord when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations that they have committed. Well, the Lord also has a message for Ezekiel concerning the exiles who are with him over there in Babylon. He tells this prophet here in verse 31. In other words, they're going to be glad, Ezekiel, to hear your prophecies of comfort and hope, even though those won't be fulfilled into the future when Jesus returns. But they're not going to personally enjoy your prophecies that deal with their disobedience and this near-term judgment. There is coming a time, however, verse 33 says, when the people will know that a prophet has been among them. In other words, they're going to wake up one day to the fact that they had been told the truth by Ezekiel. You know, I can't help but think that maybe you're preaching right now, or maybe you're teaching God's word, and hearts have remained hardened, ears have remained closed to the truth that you've been delivering. Who knows? Perhaps in the future God will open their eyes and their hearts, and maybe they'll say something similar about you. Well, what do you know? My Sunday school teacher or my pastor or that evangelist or that missionary was telling me the truth all along. Well, we leave that up to God. Well, now here in Ezekiel chapter 34, uh the focus now shifts from God's prophet Ezekiel to Israel's leaders. We read here in verse 2. Ezekiel is told to prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Now this refers to the nation's leaders. Kings are in view here, although the term could refer to priests and prophets as well. They're shepherds, and like shepherds, these leaders, well, they should have been feeding. They should have been caring, protecting the flock of God. Instead, they've been concerned with feeding themselves. Frankly, that happens to this day. False teachers, false leaders, they aren't feeding the sheep, they're fleecing the sheep. Well, I want you to listen to the Lord's condemnation of them here in verses four and five. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you've not brought back, the lost you've not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. See, because they have failed as God's appointed shepherds of the people, the Lord says now in verse ten, I am against the shepherds. And then he says, I will rescue my sheep from their mouths. I gotta tell you, I I think it's such a tragedy when sheep have to be rescued from shepherds who mistreat them and mislead them. Now, following all that bad news, which you have here in chapter 34, is a wonderful prophecy of Israel's future restoration under another shepherd. Make that a capital S. Listen to what the Lord promises Israel here in verse thirteen. I will bring them into their own land, and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel. Verse 15. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep. Verse 16, I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak. Verse 23, I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, he shall feed them and be their shepherd, and I will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. Now this looks ahead to the day when Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, returns to establish his earthly kingdom for a thousand years. And he also appoints an under shepherd, and that's David. David is mentioned in other passages related to the future millennial reign of Messiah. You can check out Jeremiah 30 and Ezekiel 37 and Hosea chapter 3. Many interpreters believe that God will actually appoint David as the prince of Jerusalem under King Jesus. Others take David here as a reference to Jesus, who was a descendant of King David, the son of David. Now, what we do know is that in this future millennial kingdom, when Jesus reigns over all the earth, Israel is going to trust him as their Messiah. And the land of Israel is going to be transformed. It'll be fruitful, the people will prosper. In fact, verse 28 says here, they shall dwell securely, and none shall make them afraid. Well, that hadn't happened yet, but that's going to happen one day. In fact, chapter 35 concludes this section by focusing on a present enemy in Ezekiel's day, specifically the nation Edom. God's judgment on this nation has already been announced back in chapter 25, and it's repeated here, probably because Edom essentially represents all the nations that have opposed Israel. Verse 5 tells us that Edom cherished perpetual enmity toward Israel. Now, this involved not only military oppression, but also verse 12 says revilings uttered against the mountains of Israel. Let me tell you what that means. That means they hated Israel. That means they rejoiced over the destruction of Jerusalem, where they're going to face the judgment of God one day, along with every other nation that has reviled Israel, and most importantly, every nation that has reviled Israel's Messiah. Let me tell you, these prophecies have lessons for us to this very day. They remind us to listen to God's warnings in his word. They also ask us a rather personal question. Who is your shepherd today? What I mean is, who are you following? Who are you listening to today? Make sure that your shepherd, the one you're truly following with your life, is none other than the true shepherd, the good shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will one day return. Well, until our next wisdom journey, beloved, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.