Faithful Watchmen
Wednesday, August 26, 2026 | Claressa Barrett
Ezekiel 19-21
God’s sovereignty and our responsibility. Sometimes those things can seem at odds with one another. There are articles galore and even theological debates over this topic, but I’m not writing as a theologian. I just happen to see both—the sovereignty of God and our responsibility—in this passage of Scripture. Let’s take a look.
Consistent with what we’ve read in other prophetic books like Isaiah and Jeremiah, Ezekiel 28–32 prophesies God’s judgment against the nations, specifically Tyre, Sidon, and Egypt. God’s judgment seems to revolve around the same five-letter word we see over and over again: pride. The prince of Tyre was wise, skilled, and wealthy, but he attributed none of it to the One who gives wisdom, skill, and wealth. Instead, he exalted himself to the place of God. Pharaoh did the same, claiming, “The Nile is mine, and I made it”. There it is again—pride, exalting ourselves to the place of our Creator.
What strikes me in these passages is how God carries out His judgment and who He uses. Only a sovereign God could use people and nations with evil intentions to accomplish His purposes. We see this with Joseph’s brothers (Genesis 50:20), Pharaoh, and now Babylon. Babylon destroyed Judah, Jerusalem, Egypt, Tyre, and Sidon, yet they were not a nation after God’s heart. They were cruel and evil. God was simply sovereign enough to use even their sinful actions to accomplish His purposes.
But in the middle of all this, Ezekiel 33 gives us a powerful reminder of our responsibility. God calls Ezekiel a “watchman” and tells him to warn the wicked of coming judgment. If Ezekiel warned them and they refused to listen, their sin was their responsibility. But if he failed to warn them, God would hold him accountable.
God is sovereign, but we are responsible.
We are called to share the truth and warn those around us of the destruction of sin. This was true for Israel, and it is true for us today (Matthew 28:18-20).
We don’t know when we will breathe our last breath or when our Savior will return. He is sovereign. But we must live as if it is today.