(ot3) Exegetical Template Ezekiel 33

Ezekiel 33 The theme of this chapter is the fundamental covenant choice (choose life or death) that is still open to the people and demonstrates the grace and justice of God. Those who reject the covenant’s obligations face the certainty of death, whereas those who repent in response to the prophetic word are promised life.

Context - chp 33 in the structure of the book The pivot on which the whole book turns is the block of oracles against foreign nations in chs. 2532. This is framed by references to the fall of Jerusalem in chs. 24 and 33 (see 24:1-2, 25-27; 33:21-22). This positioning of the oracles against the nations serves two purposes. First it fills the chronological gap between the revelation that the siege has begun (24:1-2) and the news that the city has fallen (33:21-22) and in so doing keeps us in suspense. Secondly, it serves to remind us that Yahweh, who is judging Jerusalem, is also the judge of all nations; that his moral government extends to the whole world. The book begins and ends with visions of the divine glory. It begins with exile and ends with restoration. It begins with God present with his people in exile and it ends with him present with them in restoration. Notice the closing line of the book: ‘THE LORD IS THERE’. It is this presence of God with his people—a reality which Ezekiel is made aware of in his visions—which guarantees the continued existence of Israel and its future blessing under God. The first part of the book is predominantly about judgement and the second mainly about restoration. But while the focus changes in the second part, there are many elements which match, either by repetition or contrast, elements which have occurred in the first part. The watchman passage of 33:1-9 is one such element, repeating, with some significant changes, the watchman passage of 3:16-21. Other matching elements include: departure of the glory (chs. 8-11) the polluted temple the new covenant (ch. 11) prophecy against the mts of Israel (ch. 6)

return of the glory (40-48) the ideal temple the new covenant (ch. 36) prophecy to the mts of Israel (ch. 36)

These matching elements are represented by the crosses in the following diagram: Fall of Glory x x x x x x x x City 1:1-28 24:27 3:16-21 Watchman

Oracles Against Nations 25-32

Fall of City x x x x x x x x Glory 33:21 43:1-3 33:1-9 Watchman

Structure The chapter begins in vv. 1-9, with a passage in which Ezekiel is told again that he has been made a watchman for the house of Israel. There then follows in vv. 10-20 an oracle which Ezekiel is given—as a watchman—to speak to his fellow exiles. This oracle concerns their individual responsibility before God (note especially v.20). There follows then in vv. 21-22 a brief report about the news of the fall of Jerusalem reaching Ezekiel and his fellow exiles. This is followed in vv. 23-29 by a further oracle, this time addressed to those who still remain in Judea. Perhaps it is spoken for the benefit of Ezekiel’s fellow-exiles, but it may possibly have been taken to Judea by a return messenger. At any rate it concerns land-grabbing by those still in Judea. The final part of the chapter, vv. 30-33, concerns the

way Ezekiel is now treated by his fellow exiles. They regard him as an entertainer (‘one who sings love songs’). They enjoy listening to him but do not take his words seriously. This contrasts sharply with the description of his true role at the beginning of the chapter. So we have the following structure: a E. as watchman 1-9

b Oracle 10-20

c Fall of City 21-22

b′ Oracle 23-29

a′ E. as singer 30-33

The chapter has a symmetrical design, with the report of the fall of Jerusalem as the pivot on which it turns. It is presumably the report brought by the messenger in vv.21-22 which evokes the oracle to those still in Judea in vv.23-29. The report of the city’s fall vindicate Ezekiel’s claim to be a true prophet (his predictions have come true). But the way th chapter closes suggests there is still lack of depth in the way people respond to him (cf. John 12:37). Ezek. 33:1

The word of the LORD came to me:

2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 3 and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life.

6

But if the

watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them,

that person is taken away in his

iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand. Ezek. 33:7

“So 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. 8 If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if

you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

Ezek. 33:10

“And you, son of man, say to the

house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. live?’

How then can we

11 Say to them, As I live, declares the

Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live;

turn back, turn back from your evil

ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel? 12 “And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses,

and as for

the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins. 13 Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none

of

his

righteous

deeds

shall

be

remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. 14 Again, though I say to the wicked,

‘You shall surely die,’ yet

if he turns

from his sin and does what is just and right, 15 if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16 None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live. Ezek. 33:17

“Yet your people say, ‘The way of

the Lord is not just,’ when it is their own way that is not just.

18 When the righteous turns

from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it. 19 And when the wicked turns

from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by them. 20 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.”

Ezek. 33:21

In the twelfth year of our exile, in

the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has been struck down.” 22 Now the hand of the LORD had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came; and he had opened my mouth by the time the man came to me in the morning, so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.

Ezek. 33:23 The word of the LORD came to me: 24 “Son of man, the inhabitants of these waste places

in

the

land

of Israel

keep

saying,

‘Abraham was only one man, yet he got possession of the land; but we are many; the land is surely given us to possess.’ 25 Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: You eat flesh with the blood and your idols and possess the land?

lift up your eyes to

shed blood; shall you then 26

You rely on the sword,

you commit abominations, and

each of you

defiles his neighbor’s wife; shall you then possess the land?

27 Say this to them, Thus

says the Lord GOD: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in strongholds and in caves shall die by pestilence. 28 And I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and her proud might shall come to an end, and

the mountains of Israel shall be so

desolate that none will pass through. 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

committed.

abominations

that

they

have

Ezek. 33:30

“As for you,

son of man,

your

people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, ‘Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.’ 31 And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. 32 And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it. 33 When this comes—and come it will!— then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

Ezekiel and Individual Responsibility • • • • •

Not new in essence—but a new emphasis in prophecy Ch. 18 – presupposes individual responsibility—but the issue there is: should one generation be punished for the sins of another Ch. 33. True individual responsibility. The watchman role: essentially a pastoral role to individuals—urgent because of the collapse of the nation Individual responsibility before God is further developed in apocalyptic; e.g. Dan 12:1-2.