THE REASONS FOR THEM.
"Stumbling blocks" (NWT) or "temptations" (Moffatt) from God are sent to reveal and throw light upon a righteous man's downfall. In fact, God indicated this when He said of His "stumbling blocks": "I let that be the cause of his downfall". (Ezek 3:20 NEB). This expression has the all-important meaning of the action that God takes to help save a righteous man. This means, that to expose the very behaviour causing his downfall (his unrighteous position before God), the Lord brings about circumstances involving others to fully reveal it to the offender. Thereafter, his repentant behaviour may save him.

AN EXAMPLE:
If a righteous man begins to behave dishonourably to his own or any other righteous family, he is not able to honour and love God. If he continues sinning wilfully after being warned, then there is no sacrifice for his sins left. (Heb 10:26). For his understanding of the Spirit laws through his baptism in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, was the sacrifice for his sins. For example, if the reason for this man's serious sin is that through selfish desires he wants to be honoured and loved more than others, even at the expense of hurting his own family or others, then God may choose to give him EXCESSIVE HONOUR and AFFECTION through someone God will send to give him these things. This sent one would then become his very "stumbling block", providing him with HONOUR and AFFECTION in a demonstration of DISHONOUR. This magnified dishonour that he is quite willing to show before God through his righteous family and/or other righteous ones, will then be EXAGGERATED to show it up to him fully and to all those involved.

The watchman of God who sees and/or personally experiences this dishonour must reveal this wrong to the righteous sinner immediately. If the righteous man is warned of his sin by a watchman of God, and thereafter does not actually sin anymore, then the righteous man will without fail keep on living because he has listened to the watchman's warning. As to the watchman, it says, "and you yourself will have delivered your own soul". (Ezek 3:21 NWT). The warning must be with reproofs, and be understood. The sinning thereafter must cease, that the man who was previously righteous be saved.

All this means that it is only applicable to what God deems, and reveals to His watchman by Spirit, to be serious sinning. Otherwise, God would not have said, "For his sin he will die, and his righteous acts that he did will not be remembered". (Ezek 3:20 NWT).

There are four types of "stumbling blocks":

It is also important to note that regarding a "rebellious house" (of spiritual lives or spiritual "Israelites" today, their families and/or races of sinners), God makes His watchmen mute: "...and you will not become to them a man administering reproof, because they are a rebellious house". Such ones can only wait for God's deadly punishment of them. (Ezek 3:26. 5:5,6).

29/11/91.