“If thou forbear to deliver [them that are] drawn unto death, and [those that are] ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider [it]? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth [not] he know [it]? and shall [not] he render to [every] man according to his works?” (Pr 24:11-12 AV)
The degree of help needed should dictate our reaction to it. Note that Solomon uses an extreme example of deliverance needed. Those who are drawn into death or are ready to be slain are pretty extreme. He is not speaking of someone who needs a few dollars for a hamburger. Solomon is not referring to someone who needs a prepaid card to activate a cell phone. Those to whom Solomon is referring are in a life and death situation. Pleading ignorance is no excuse. To put the above example in contemporary context, assume you are a doctor who knows much. You walk the ICU and never look at one case. Most of those laying in a bed are patients whom you could treat. Perhaps you could save lives. Yet, you stroll through. When news comes of a patient who died, you simply say, “I had no idea”. This is to what Solomon is referring. We would think a person like that is morally bankrupt. How could someone who solves life and death problems ignore what he knows exists? Yet, as believers, we do this every day.
The excuse is ineffective because it is not the truth. Willful ignorance is not possible here. The vast majority of people we meet are drawn to death of ready to be slain. Assuming the lost nature of a human soul is more probable than assuming salvation in Christ. And the numbers are not even close. It is far more likely, by a wide margin, that every person whom we speak to is drawn to death or ready to be slain. Our problem is a perception problem. We forget what it means to be lost and how perilous this condition truly is. We preach Christ because we want to build churches. We want the life and activity that come from results. What we do not do is share the gospel as though someone’s life lays in the balance. It is more serious than the loss of life. Unless that lost soul turns to Christ, there will be a soul that is lost to eternal damnation.
Ezekiel has chapters dedicated to the watchman. More than once the prophet warns those who can attempt the rescue of those in need. In particular, the watchman sees pending danger as he stands atop the wall. If he does not warn those within the city that an invasion is pending, then he is guilty in his neglect. More specifically, Ezekiel warns the watchman to warn those in sin. The warning is not limited to the pending curse. Rather, the cause of the curse is voiced as well. The phrase “his blood be upon thee” places blame for a lost soul on the prophet. The sinner should have known better. But the prophet who has the words of salvation is culpable. Being disengaged is not an option. This is how most of us avoid the responsibility of sharing the gospel. If we live a solitary life, then there is no knowledge of a soul that will perish. Not good enough. Knowing there is a battle and avoid personal knowledge of it is still no excuse. Let’s face it. We are not doing the work of the evangelist if we ignore the individual soul doomed to eternal torment.
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