A Watchman for Israel
After seven days, the Lord gave me a message. He said, “Son of Man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from Me, warn the people immediately. If the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed Me.”
“If the righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn the righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they they will live, and you will save yourself, too” (vv. 16-21, NLT)
Then the Spirit came into me and set me on my feet. He spoke to me and said,”Go to your house and shut yourself in. There son of man, you will be tied with ropes so you cannot go out among the people. And I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be speechless and unable to rebuke them, for they are rebels. But when I give you a message, I will loosen your tongue and let you speak. They you will say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says !’ Those who choose to listen will listen, but those who refuse, will refuse, for they are rebels.” (vv. 24-27, NLT)