Ezekiel 3:12-27
Ezekiel is taken by the Spirit of God to Tel-abib, amongst the captives of his people. He learns from the LORD’s mouth of his appointment to the post of watchman, with the duties attached to it. These functions will require both continuous watchfulness and complete faithfulness in the passing on of divine warnings. But we notice that it is not a matter of bringing about the awakening of the nation in its entirety. It is the wicked who must be warned; the responsibility to listen is individual. As to the servant’s responsibility, it consists of presenting the Word to all, "whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear" (Ezekiel 2:5; Ezekiel 2:7; Ezekiel 3:11; Ezekiel 3:27). God does not judge His servants on the basis of the results they achieve, like men do, but according to their faithfulness (1 Corinthians 4:2). We should not therefore get discouraged if some "forbear" from the Word of life that we present to them. Dear friends, this is indeed a very serious matter: each individual believer is an appointed watchman and has the duty to bear witness down here to his Lord. How are we fulfilling that duty?