READINGS ON EZEKIEL (7)
[p. 276] READINGS ON EZEKIEL (7)
Ezekiel 33:1-20; Ezekiel 33:30-33; Ezekiel 34: 23 - 31
AFM You were speaking of this as the summit of service?
JT Yes, these two ideas of a watchman and a shepherd come under that head. It says in verse 1 of chapter 33, “And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them all, and set him for their watchman”. That is to fix the responsibility of the watchman first; then in verse 7, it says, “So thou, son of man, I have [p. 281] set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel”. The responsibility of Ezekiel follows on that. Then in chapter 34: 1, it says, “And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel”. There again you have service, that is, responsibility in service.
AFM There is a difference between what the people of the land do in respect of a watchman and what the Lord does.
JT Yes, so we have in chapter 33, the people of the land setting up one to be a watchman, and the responsibility attaching to him, and then what follows is Ezekiel, Jehovah’s watchman. Then, again, the shepherds of Israel that were responsible, in chapter 34, and Jehovah Himself as Shepherd. These are the two lines, I think, that run through these two chapters, but whether it be the watchman whom God sets up or the watchman whom man sets up, responsibility attaches to him.
AFM What is the character of a [p. 277] watchman?
JT One who, I think, like Habakkuk, stands upon his watchtower to see what may come about, and give warning. It would involve one taking account of what God does, and what the enemy may be doing. The watchman would take account of everything that would affect the people of God. If you take Habakkuk, for instance, he says in chapter 2, “I will stand upon my watch and set me upon the tower, and will look forth to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer as to my reproof. And Jehovah answered me and said, Write the vision, and engrave it upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but it hasteth to the end, and shall not lie though it tarry, wait for it; for it will surely come, it will not delay” (verses 1 - 3). There is an illustration of a watchman who is vigilant and has the mind of God; so that here it says, in contrast to that, “if he see the sword coming upon the land, and blow the trumpet, and warn the people; then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning, if the sword come and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head”. There would be a danger besetting the people, probably some act of God in discipline or in judgment, and the watchman seeing it coming, and warning the people, his responsibility ends there. He blows the trumpet and warns the people. “Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning, if the sword come and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head” (verse 4). So that one can readily see how important the service of a watchman is.
ANW How would you know a divinely appointed watchman?
JT Well, the point is, I think, that he is responsible whether appointed by man or otherwise. Ezekiel was not appointed by man but by God, “I have set thee a watchman”.
ANW The fact that man appointed him does not relieve the watchman of responsibility.
JT The point is, he is a watchman, and of the greatest possible value. The Lord says in Mark, “I say to all, Watch”, chapter 13: 37. If you are on your watch-tower, you see from every point of the compass what is happening, and the saints are not taken unawares. I expect a warning in ministry would have reference to what is coming.
FL The full responsibility is thrown on whoever is on the tower. He should be morally apart and above others, as to the carrying out of things, clearly discerning. I suppose we are listening here now, in the Lord’s word, to what the watchman is saying, “what I say to you, I say to all, Watch”. In other words, the Lord suggests that all of us should be watchmen.
AFM Would you say that one idea of a watchman is that his service is never relinquished? In Isaiah, you have an expression in regard to the watchman; he says, “I stand continually upon the watch-tower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights”, Isaiah 21: 8.
JT Yes. I think it requires sacrifice. We know how the watchman considered the night in Dumah, the call of Seir was, “Watchman, what of the night?” He was not asleep. He says, “The morning cometh”. He knew that it was coming, for he was vigilant. The true watchman knows what is coming, he is not dull; and then he adds, “And also the night”, so that he can see beyond the coming day, as we may say, of the Lord’s return, there is a night of judgment following.
AFM Morning for Israel, and night for the nations.
Rem The watchman is to hear the word from the Lord and warn the people as from the Lord, so that his word would have weight.
FL [p. 279] The association here of the watchman and the shepherds leading in the sheep is significant. In Luke 2, we see that the shepherds were also watchmen, they kept watch by night. It would also be suggestive of those who stand in the house of the Lord by night, as in Psalm 134 — the shepherd spirit with the watchman spirit.
JT That is very suggestive, because they were honoured in that the angel of the Lord stood by them and announced the thing to them; they were in a fitting attitude. I think that Mark would set us up in that way, the word there is, “Watch”. Those who are watching are honoured; “an angel of the Lord”, it says in Luke, “was there by them”, and then it adds, “the glory of the Lord shone around them”, Luke 2: 9. As the angel announced the birth of the Lord, a multitude of the heavenly host came, so that it is a very beautiful illustration of watching and shepherding.
AFM The two ideas combine.
FL They combine here. The watchman is succeeded by the shepherd.
JT So that the bearing of this on us is to bring about the spirit of the watchman. There are those “who watch over your souls”. If you are asleep, they are on the lookout for what may happen, the service is of great importance. In every gathering, I believe, the Lord would provide those who watch to see that the saints take account of the signs of the times.
FL Hebrews gives us that, “they watch over your souls”, chapter 13: 17. I suppose leaders in that way would be pretty much equivalent to watchmen. And then the great Shepherd comes in in the same chapter.
AFM Could the service of a watchman be applied to an individual, as well as to a company?
JT The blowing of a trumpet in Scripture is a [p. 280] testimony that would put all under responsibility; it is loud. The blast of a trumpet is not like something done in a corner, it is public, therefore it would be the testimony that God would give as the result of watchfulness and puts the whole of the saints under responsibility.
BTF It would not only be the preaching of the gospel, but any other service in connection with the saints.
JT Oh, I think the trumpet is blown to indicate the sword is coming. The watchman blows the trumpet, and everyone is placed under responsibility. If they disregard the testimony that is rendered, then their blood is on their own head. Paul testified at Corinth that Jesus was the Christ. His testimony was clear and distinct. He says, “Your blood be upon your own head”, Acts 18: 6. None could say that they suffered because he did not bear testimony. We too should bear testimony, sounding the trumpet.
AFM Paul sounded the trumpet at Miletus, warning the elders of the wolves that would come in.
JS Is not the service here of watching to keep the attack of the enemy off them, and the shepherd’s responsibility in connection with feeding the sheep, the one largely external, and the other internal?
TA Were the elders appointed watchmen?
JT Yes, they were to look out for the welfare of and feed the flock. The two ideas coalesce, and we find that those who seek to watch for the souls of the saints, at the same time seek to feed them. The great shepherd in the Old Testament was David; he is introduced to us as one feeding the sheep.
AAT The watchman was to give the warnings from the Lord Himself (verse 7).
JT Yes, that is Ezekiel. In the first instance, it says if he sees the sword coming, it is a question of what he sees, of taking note of what is coming; but in the second instance, it says, “son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; and thou shalt hear the word from my mouth, and warn them from me”. That is a different matter. The other, of course, may also be supported of God, but the point in the first instance is what a man sees coming. The second is, “thou shalt hear the word from my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, Wicked man, thou shalt certainly die; and thou speakest not to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand”. It makes it very serious to anyone who receives a word from the Lord, whether he gives that word or refrains from doing so.
JS Is that seen in the preaching of the gospel?
JT Yes, but each one of us ought to be concerned as to being in this position; I am sure the Lord would give us the word for the saints. No doubt there are those who are specially distinguished amongst the saints, but I believe that anyone who genuinely cares for them will get a word from the Lord.
ARS It is important the way the blast of the trumpet is sounded. You must give out all that the Lord tells you.
JT Quite.
DMR I was wondering if 2 Timothy 2 would be a word?
JT Quite, this principle marks Paul’s ministry.
FL It would not be confined to gospel preaching: I mean the warnings of the Lord were clear amongst His people as to state, condition and consequences.
JT I think the epistles to the Corinthians may be taken as an illustration of divine warnings. They take the form of a trumpet blast. In Numbers 10 there were instructions given as to the different uses of the trumpet, what each one blowing would mean.
[p. 282] Now, I think that 1 Corinthians corresponds to some of these, there is a warning of danger.
AFM An alarm is sounded.
DMR Would that be as to what was already found amongst them?
JT Yes, and of course, what would come in further on account of those conditions.
FL The epistle of Jude is a very sharp trumpet blast.
JT That is a very good illustration of it.
ARS Jonah seemed to be a very poor trumpet blower.
JT Yes, but he did blow the trumpet when he arrived at Nineveh.
AAT This is a chapter of instructions.
JT It is on the subject mentioned. It is to lay the responsibility on us. There are watchmen whom men set up and they are responsible, but there are those whom God sets up, and to whom He gives direct communications, so that in the second instance, it says, “When I say unto the wicked” (verse 8). Here you come down to individuals. God is taking account of certain persons that are wicked, who possibly are bringing in some false doctrine, or unrighteous principles amongst the saints, or are doing something crooked in their business relations. God has got His eye on such, and would save them, and in order to save them He gives a direct word for them through some servant, and it is the responsibility of that servant to deliver it.
FL It may be a bad state in the gathering that is discerned, and one might shrink from exposing it, but there is the responsibility to bring it out. It would also apply in that way.
JT So that what comes out is that God asserts the equity of His ways in these circumstances. God’s point in them may be entirely misconstrued, as to what He is doing. What the enemy desires is, if he [p. 283] cannot shut out the testimony, to misrepresent Him, to put Him at a disadvantage. As at the beginning, Satan said, “Is it even so, that God has said ... ?” Genesis 3: 1. The enemy’s object is to misrepresent God in all these things. What God would bring out would be the equity of His ways. It was being denied that His ways were equal. They are infinitely equal; everything with God is perfectly fair and equal; and so whilst all this establishes our responsibility, it brings out how God is watching over the blessing of His people.
AFM The word, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore will I visit upon you all your iniquities”, Amos 3: 2. Would that be suggestive here?
JT Quite. It says here in verse 17, “Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal”. Then in verse 20, “Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways”. This is God asserting His right, that His ways are equal.
AFM It says, “For righteous is Jehovah; he loveth righteousness”, Psalm 11: 7.
JT It is most touching to contemplate the Lord. He, the Judge of Israel was smitten on the cheek. He says, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?” John 18: 23. In chapter 7 of that gospel, He says, “Judge not according to sight, but judge righteous judgment” (verse 24). It might appear that the Lord was justifying Himself, when before Caiaphas, or resenting the ill-treatment received; He was not doing that. He had taught the disciples to turn the other cheek. Instead of vindicating Himself, He is asserting the rights of God, on the principle of righteous judgment.
FL He was the Judge of Israel.
JT Yes, and yet was smitten upon the cheek.
[p. 284] The high priest was in the place where righteous judgment should have been administered. It is the principle which the Lord would appreciate, and which He would have asserted. The equality of God’s ways should be seen, in application to His people.
FL The watchman seems to call for a certain moral position. You referred to Habakkuk; he repairs to his tower. When David was awaiting tidings as to the battle, we read that the watchman went up to the roof of the gate on to the wall. It is very suggestive that he goes up, and at the place of responsibility, the gate; he is at the point where anything that might threaten the wall would be in evidence. It would seem to imply position in the watchman. How would you apply that now?
JT That is helpful. He knew the running of Ahimaaz, the first messenger seen.
FL Pretty fine discernment.
JT Yes, and so with the watchman who saw Jehu, he said, “he drives furiously” (2 Kings 9: 20); he discerned him by that.
FL It produces great confidence when a spiritually-minded man gives expression to something that escapes general observation, and you see it is according to God. It is well illustrated in both cases quoted.
Ques What would answer to the sword coming?
JT Oh, I think it would be anything allowed in the government of God detrimental to the people. I was going to say that as we move about among the saints, we see in the different localities where they are, certain dangers. There are dangers peculiar to certain localities. Now, if one meeting is far off from other meetings there is a great tendency to self-containedness in that meeting, and disregard of general fellowship. The idea of general fellowship as it stands related to local fellowship is very often overlooked, when a meeting is situated at a long distance from other meetings. Then, of course, in [p. 285] large cities, there are certain dangers, so that the watchman discerns these things, and calls attention to them, for if his trumpet is neglected, disaster is apt to follow.
AFM The watchman would find much to do in his locality whether it is isolated or in a large city. He is morally elevated to this position on account of his matured spiritual state.
JT Now, there is another thing, before going on to chapter 34, which it may be well to note, that is, what is stated in verses 30 to 33: “As for thee, son of man, the children of thy people keep talking of thee”. A man like Ezekiel, who received words from the Lord, was talked about. So today, if one has anything from God, it is sure to make its way, and will duly become the main subject of conversation. So that what is contained in these verses is a very important word for us. They would say of Ezekiel He is speaking from the Lord, and his word is very nice; we like to hear him and to speak about him; and yet the ministry had no effect. That feature covers a very large percentage of the people of God today, and God has no pleasure in it.
FL Very true.
AFM Behind all that is the system of Tyre.
JT Yes, dishonest gain.
AP Why does it always say, “the children of thy people”?
JT Oh, I think that form of expression would link Ezekiel with the people; he would feel he was responsible with them. If you are in the fellowship of God’s people, you share their responsibilities.
AFM What should be the right effect upon us of any ministry?
JT Well, it has been said that ministry leads to two things: first, if there is something that the word discovers and judges with authority in the soul, your feelings are hard ones. But if the word has had its [p. 286] effect, after you have fully considered it, you appreciate the minister as related to, and sent from, God. Second, if the word is delivered in power, and has not gone home to you, or affected you, you will very likely be in the class described in verses 32 and 33. You will say, it was as a very lovely song, it was delightful, as a pleasant voice, but it has had no effect on your walk and ways.
JS Like the word, “We have piped to you, and ye have not danced”, Luke 7: 32.
DMR It is said that those at Berea were more noble than those at Thessalonica, in that they searched the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so; Acts 17: 11.
JT Well, I heard of one known to us having ministered, and one said to him, it was a delightful word, ‘Does it make you love God any better?’ he asked, ‘I cannot say that it does’, was the reply. ‘Then it has had no effect’, the brother said. I am sure it is true, because if the word comes home to you spiritually, one effect is, it discovers that something is wrong in your ways; but you have lost the gain of it if you do not submit to it; that ministry has done you no good; but if you submit to it, and judge yourself, you connect the man with God. If you are cut by the word, it has not that lovely sound, but it rather humbles and sobers you.
FL Are you not conscious of a feeling of discouragement when people tell you that you gave a fine word? There are those in practically every meeting, who will tell you the same thing, which shows they are not affected by the word.
JT They are “talking ... by the walls”, that is, some down in Judah said, What a wonderful man Ezekiel is. They had never heard a man speak like him; they even connected him with Jehovah, and yet it says, “they hear thy words, but they do them not; for with their mouth they show much love, but [p. 287] their heart goeth after their dishonest gain”. All this is very solemn.
AAT Was that a word to the servant or to the people?
JT It was a word from the Lord to warn Ezekiel that he had not discerned what was going on.
DMR Would you say that the Lord in speaking to Ezekiel had in mind that he should be known as a faithful prophet?
JT Yes, that is better than lip praise. In Rome where the virgin Mary is deified, it is on the line of “Blessed is the womb that has borne thee”, etc., but Jesus met that by saying, “Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it”, Luke 11: 27, 28.
AFM All this is a timely warning to those who minister, as well as to those who are ministered to.
FL What about the next chapter?
JT Now the word in chapter 34 is to the shepherds: “prophesy against the shepherds of Israel”. The work of the shepherds normally is to feed the flock. These shepherds were not doing this, hence Jehovah’s word to them: “Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah: ... Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock that the shepherds may feed themselves no more”. Now, this is a word, I think, that has a very wide bearing: The idea of “my flock” is that all are in view here. It is not the thought of clericism only: God has a controversy with all persons who are in the position of shepherds in christendom. He has got the flock in mind, and is going to deliver it.
ANW It is remarkable that Jehovah emphasises the ‘my’ in connection with the flock; it is not ‘thy flock’ but “my flock”.
JT The word is to the shepherds of Israel, and it is “my flock”.
FL “I am the good shepherd” (John 10: 11), the Lord says; as such He gives His life for the sheep.
JT That is what culminates in the passage read. I think that John’s ministry comes in here. What one has noticed of late is that the ministry the Spirit is giving calls attention to the Person of Christ. You have in John’s gospel, I think, this principle fully set out. If it is the question of a personal Christ, you have got to begin over again; everything has to be learned again from Christ. John the baptist calls attention to Him, and two of his disciples followed Him. You have to learn the thing in company with Him. He does not call things by their official names. It is more important to learn the thing itself than if He named it; so in John 2 He says, “Destroy this temple”, without saying anything more. “But he spoke of the temple of his body”; the thing has to be learned from Christ. So in John 8, “The son abides for ever”, that is in the house. You have to learn what the house is from the Son.
ANW Why do you say we have to learn everything again?
JT Because John contemplates that what his gospel presents must give way. He therefore begins over again.
FL Of course, John’s ministry was written at a time when evil was universal, including that which professed the name of Christ, so that the way in which you have put it is very helpful.
JT It helps greatly in the understanding of John to see that you consider everything over again with Christ. So that when you come to chapter 10 you have a contrast to what is all around us and what is contemplated here, i.e., shepherds. This one and that one begins to tell you about his flock, whereas it is God’s flock, and God has a controversy with them. We have to learn from Christ what a shepherd [p. 289] really is.
DMR In the light of the chapter we are considering, there is more suggested in the shepherd than the idea of feeding the flock?
JT These men were not shepherds, and God is against them. The good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. I must learn that from Christ. I cannot learn it from the Pope, or an archbishop, or any minister, it must be learnt from Him.
AFM So that the whole of John’s gospel sets forth the way of recovery after the breakdown, and applies to all that had been set up by Paul.
JT The Lord teaches everything, as in the case of Elijah: Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. That means that Elisha has started right, Gilgal means that the flesh is judged. Elisha is started right and Elijah is with Elisha. The next time Elisha is with Elijah, because Elisha has to learn from Elijah what the other things mean (see 2 Kings 2), he would learn from Elijah the spiritual meaning of each place to which they came. That is John’s gospel.
DMR The beginning of John would correspond with what we get in this chapter: the sheep had to be sought and held.
JT Yes. So here in verse 11, “I will both search for my sheep, and tend them”. God Himself would do that, the shepherds were not doing it. That is exactly what is going on at the present time; there are men in that position, and God has to do the shepherding Himself. We have to learn how to take care of sheep from the Lord Jesus. God is now gathering the sheep together.
AFM Fulfilling John 10, “One flock, one shepherd”.
JT In verse 23 we come to the “one shepherd” and in verses 13 to 16 we see what God is doing at the present time. It is most interesting to see it, and to be in it, you know. “The high mountains of Israel” is not simply Romans but Ephesians. The very best of the land is brought to our attention now.
AR I suppose the Lord’s word to Peter in John 21 would be in the way of tending?
AJD What we have just read, is that what the saints are getting from God?
JT Yes, “the cloudy and dark day” is still going on, but God is tending the sheep.
FL There would be a discrimination between the lambs and the sheep but a perfect interest in both, so that young and old are nourished under His shepherdly care.
JT So that we have now come to Christ, the “one shepherd”; in other words, to Christ as Head. The one Shepherd synchronises with Christ as Head; the result is, one flock and one Shepherd. Both God and Christ have been working recoveringly and now you come to the thought of verse 23, “one shepherd”.
JS The work of the Spirit would be to bring the sheep under one Shepherd.
JT It works out into the truth of headship.
Ques Would you connect this with 1 Peter 5, “The chief shepherd”?
JT Yes, only here the emphasis is on ‘one’.
FL In that connection it is significant that before this he speaks about a fold; but when he reaches the one shepherd, he drops the reference to the fold, “The flock of my pasture are men”. It rather conforms to John in that way, “One flock, one shepherd”.
AFM You were saying that the “one shepherd” synchronises with headship?
JT That is how it works out in John 10.
ANW Why is Christ personified in David?
JT Because I think David set out the idea of a shepherd so perfectly. “He fed them according to [p. 291] the integrity of his heart, and led them by the skilfulness of his hands”, Psalm 78: 72. David was the true shepherd of Israel.
AAT The Lord said of the disciples that He had lost none, except the son of perdition.
WB-w Are the mountains of Israel the climax?
JT Oh yes, it is Ephesians for us. Then we have in verse 26 what God would do, “I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in its season: there shall be showers of blessing”. These things we can look for when we take God into account.
JS Is it as Christ is magnified amongst us that God gets His place?
JT Yes. There is room for heaven to pour out its showers of blessing. “And they shall be in safety in their land” (verse 27); there is no fear or servitude.
TA This will not be literally fulfilled until the Lord comes back?
JT This is what we are looking on to. The present time is one of revival, we are looking on to the full appreciation of things at the coming of the Lord.
JS The subjective side is seen in the increase; the fruit of the field?
JT Quite.
AFM God gets a response from all this.
JT Everything hangs on Christ being recognised as the Head and the one Shepherd.
JS Is not “the plant of renown” fully open for us?
JT The idea is growth. It refers to the great energy of life that has come in in John’s ministry.
AJD Growth in the sphere of the Spirit?
JT Quite.
WB-w How does “My servant David” work out as a [p. 292] principle?
JT That, I should think, would be the place that Christ acquires. Take Balaam’s prophecies, for example, you will see in them the place that Christ has, “The shout of a king is in his midst”, Numbers 23: 21. It is the place that Christ has amongst us. As you come to the end of the chapter, you see that all the flock is for God. “And ye, my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men: I am your God, saith the Lord Jehovah”.