000 Allen FMT (i-xxii) - The Presbyterian Leader

me to be king over them—bring them here and slaughter them in my
presence” (Luke 19:27).
In each testament, God is associated with destruction. The authors of
this book do not believe that God acts to destroy. We believe that the
alternative to God’s way of life and well-being (blessing) is death and
destruction and that our choice is between the two.
Ezekiel 33:7–11* (Paired)
Proper 18 [23]/Year A 85
In today’s passage Ezekiel reflects on the prophet’s role in the community.
In the background is the awareness that most of the prophets (and priests)
of Judah and Israel prior to the exile failed to carry out the prophetic task
of alerting the community to the fact that the people were violating the
covenant and therefore inviting curse upon themselves. This reading not
only explains what the prophets did not do, but indicates why many of them
are in exile. The text also implies that Ezekiel and prophets who do what
he does are trustworthy and can point the community toward restoration.
Ezekiel compares the work of the prophet to that of a sentinel who was
responsible for watching over a city and alerting the population to dangers.
The prophet puts forward two scenarios reflecting on the work of
prophet as sentinel. In Ezekiel 33:2–5, the sentinel sees a sword (that is,
disaster) about to come upon them and blows the trumpet. Those who
hear the trumpet but do not heed its warning are responsible for the disaster
that befalls them. Had they taken warning, they could have been
saved. In a second instance, the sentinel sees the sword coming but does
not blow the trumpet and disaster befalls the community (v. 6). “Their
blood,” God says, “I will require at the sentinel’s hand” that is, the sentinel
has committed a capital offense.
The sentinel is not responsible for the decision that the people make
when they hear the trumpet. But the sentinel is accountable for sounding
the trumpet, and when he does not, the sentinel is indicted for criminal
neglect which carries with it the consequences of a capital crime.
God appointed Ezekiel (and other prophets) as sentinels whose work is
to watch over Israel, to gauge where they are failing to live according to
the covenant, and to help them recognize the consequences of their
behavior. Ezekiel stresses the role of the prophet in warning the community.
When the prophet recognizes violations of covenant that will
invoke curse and remains silent, God will punish the prophet (Ezek.
33:7–8). This explains why the prophets of the preexilic community are