God’s purpose never fails, even when His messenger is rejected.
When one watchman’s cry goes unanswered, God raises another.
Good morning. Today’s Bible verse is Ezekiel 33:7: “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.”
Good morning. Today’s Bible verse is Ezekiel 33:7: “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.”
Ezekiel’s commission was clear: hear God’s Word, proclaim God’s Word, and warn the people. The watchman did not speak from himself; he carried the message God gave him.
But the watchman’s cry went largely unanswered.
Israel rejected the prophets and the Word they proclaimed. And when Jesus Christ came — the final Watchman of Israel, their Messiah, Prophet, and King — they rejected Him as well.
Yet even in their refusal, God’s purpose did not fail.
The watchman’s message was never dependent on Israel’s response. God had spoken. The messenger had proclaimed. The accountability rested with the hearer.
And though Israel was set aside for a time, God’s Word would not be silenced.
In His appointed moment, God revealed a new message — a message hidden in Himself from ages and generations.
That does not mean God repeated Israel’s prophetic program under another name. It means that when Israel was set aside for a time, God made known a message that had been hidden in Himself, and He entrusted that message to the apostle Paul for this present dispensation of grace.
He entrusted it to a new watchman.
Not a prophet under the Law. Not a herald of the kingdom. But an apostle of grace.
The risen, glorified Christ appeared to Saul of Tarsus and made him Paul — the steward of the mystery, the herald of the gospel of grace, the watchman for this dispensation. Paul did not create the message. He received it from the mouth of Christ Himself.
He proclaimed: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone — apart from works, apart from religion, apart from the Law.
A new watchman had been appointed. A new message had been revealed.
And once again, the hearers were accountable for how they responded to the Word of God.
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Eze 33:7.
Meditation:
Remember that God’s Word never fails, and He continues to speak through the gospel of grace revealed to Paul.
Reflection Question:
How am I hearing, believing, and responding to the message God has entrusted to this present age of grace?