The Watchman
Today’s Verse:
So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. ~Ezekiel 33:7
Have you ever had a neighbor ask you to watch their house while they were away? If so, they had an expectation that you would be observant of any suspicious activity and that you would help circumvent problems by getting law enforcement involved. On the other hand, if something happened when you were supposed to be on the lookout, your neighbor would have said to you in an upset tone, “You were supposed to have been watching my house; what happened?” This morning, let us see the responsibility of being a diligent watchman.
We see the requirement.
The watchman was assigned a post on the wall of the city. He was required to keep a vigilant and watchful eye regarding anyone who was approaching the city. The safety of the city and its citizens was his responsibility. He was not to fall asleep while at his post. He was not to be distracted while on his watch. He was required to blow a trumpet and warn the city if he saw anyone approaching from miles away.
We see the release.
Once the watchman blew the trumpet, this was a signal to the citizens that they needed to be ready. The warning was given and it was up to them to defend the city. The watchman did his duty, and the blood of the citizens was not on his hands. Their blood was on their own heads. The watchman could not be accused of being derelict, negligent, or slothful. He did what he was assigned to do.
We see the refusal.
However, if the watchman did not blow the trumpet when he was supposed to, he was in serious trouble. The blood of every person who lost his life would be required of him. Can you imagine a watchman at his post in the wee hours of the morning who sees a large mass of people approaching his city, but he does not sound his trumpet? Can you imagine him thinking that he had plenty of time to sound a warning, but is overtaken by a surprise or a surreptitious attack? Countless lives would be lost! A city that could have been spared would have sustained inestimable damage. This watchman would be accountable for every life that was lost because he refused to do his duty.
We see the relevance.
Every Christian is a watchman for the souls of the people whom God has placed our way. The message God has given us is that they must flee the wrath of God that is coming against every sinner. Sinners need to repent of their sins and, by faith, accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. When we are not keeping a vigilant eye and blowing the trumpet for sinners to hear, the blood of these precious souls is on our hands. Our hands are forever stained with their blood because we did not sound the warning. On the other hand, our hands are clean and we have delivered our souls when we have been faithful to deliver the gospel message. We must be watchful day in and day out and not be derelict with the gospel message.
Be a faithful watchman. Judgment is coming, and we must warn people of the opportunity to escape.
Have a vigilant God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Proverbs 24-26