It was normal for a man to give warning of the approach of the enemy forces. At the first sign of impending trouble he was required to sound a blast upon the trumpet to put the people on the alert. If such a man had been posted on a tower, or on the loftiest part of the city wall, he would naturally give warning immediately he saw clouds of dust raised by advancing forces. At the resounding blast of the trumpet, the wise would take warning and either flee the city or prepare for the approaching foe. By so doing they would save their lives, but those who heard the trumpet and continued in their occupation, ignoring the warning, would perish by the sword. They would have no excuse and no ground of complaint. Their blood would be on their own head and no blame could be attached to the watchman. The watchman would have presented a lonely figure; he would have stood out from his fellows, and his duty was to keep constant vigil.
The watchman held a grave responsibility. If he failed to give warning of impending disaster and someone was killed in consequence of his failure, then he was accountable to God for the death of that man, and was held guilty of his blood. Legally the nearest kinsman of the deceased had the duty to avenge his death upon the one who had caused it.
Dramatically, the Lord applied the whole subject to Ezekiel. His responsibilities were comparable to those of the watchman. He had been appointed to warn Israel of their danger, that was the threat of judgement by God if they did not repent of their sins.
The prophet had received the message of the Lord and he dare not refrain from proclaiming it. If he withheld the word of warning, the sinner would die in his sins but the prophet would be accountable. If the warning had been given, the lawless man might have turned from his evil way. Ezekiel was the faithful watchman who delivered the message of warning. There is a great responsibility upon us who believe to act as God’s watchmen today, and to deliver faithfully God’s solemn warning to the unsaved.
