Ezekiel 33:7-11 (NRSV)
Read Ezekiel 33:7-11 on biblegateway.com
Verse 7So you, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. Verse 8If I say to the wicked, "O wicked ones, you shall surely die," and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand. Verse 9But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, and they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life.
Verse 10Now you, mortal, say to the house of Israel, Thus you have said: "Our transgressions and our sins weigh upon us, and we waste away because of them; how then can we live?" Verse 11Say to them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?
Devotion
My old elementary school was a tinder box. Periodic fire drills were very important. But the loud, sudden, abrasive blaring of the warning always had the effect of making me nauseous. Fear rose in my throat, my heart pounded, and my mind shifted into a panic focus on following the rules of procedure I had been taught, even though I knew it was a drill.
What if the warning sounds for real but no one listens? The choice could mean life or death. Of course, the warning must sound before anyone can respond.
Yahweh instructed Ezekiel to warn Israel of the danger in their wickedness. What is the warning you and I are called to give? What are the consequences of proclaiming the holiness of God who calls us to be holy as well? We may go unheard or be ridiculed. We may incur anger and resentment. Or we may be used by God to bring a wayward people back to God's path of righteousness. It's a risk, but one we dare not refuse.