Friday - Ezekiel 33 - The Crier and the Crowd

M

UCH attention is devoted here to two different things. On the one hand, we find the responsibility of the crier. On the other, we can see the duty of crowd. There are several possible combinations that are described here. The preacher can warn his congregation of impending judgment, & they can prepare for it by repentance. In that case, everybody ends up happy. Or, the preacher can warn them, but they can ignore him. In this case, he is not in trouble, but they are. Or, the preacher can neglect his post, in which case he will be in serious trouble, but notice that the people are still in grave danger even though they are ignorant. Significantly, there is no equation where the watchman can be negligent, but the people are saved anyway.

In all of this, there is an expansion of these truths in that God subdivides the crowd into the meek and the weak. I'm calling the righteous ones meek, and the wicked ones weak. Notice that in Ezekiel 33:12-16 God clarifies that each person in the audience is specifically judged based upon what he does with the message of the messenger after it is delivered. If you are a crier, then cry loudly my friend - preach the Word. If you are in the crowd, then listen carefully and with faith, then make the appropriate adjustments.