Updated 7/2/09 10:14 a.m. adding plain English interpretation.
The BLOGSITE PASSAGE (see left column) is posted here so it can be available for comments.
God has laid this mission upon the heart of the blogwriter, and his prayer is that others will join him as watchmen (and women!) for the Kingdom -- especially as we see the day approaching (Heb 10:25).
1 The word of the LORD came to me again: 2 "Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men, and make him their watchman, 3 and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then if anyone hears the sound of the trumpet but does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 For since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.
7 "So you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. So whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them a warning from me. 8 If I say to the wicked, O wicked man, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked one to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you do warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your own soul.
Here's a try at it in plain English:
It is the God-given responsibility of a watchman to warn of coming danger. If God gives him a message of warning for the people, and he does not give it, he is a faithless and unworthy watchman, and he will be held responsible for the destruction of the people. But if he does give it, he is faithful and worthy, and cannot be held responsible for whatever happens.
But there is more: If the watchman gives the God-given warning and the people hear him and act as they should and repent, no one is held responsible for whatever happens. But if the people refuse to acknowledge the warning and die, the watchman is not held responsible.
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