LEARNING DAILY

 

Ezekiel 33:7, So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.

 

I have been interested in the word “watchman”. Henry Blackaby has defined a watchman as “one who has been uniquely equipped by God to see what others do not see and has a unique capacity to see and ears to hear when the enemy is invading. The enemy comes disguised, but a spiritual watchman is very alert and blows the trumpet and gives a sound so that family members can be quickly warned and not be defeated. Or he may be given spiritual eyes to see that something is happening in the church. The watchman suddenly realizes that something has come in and there is turmoil and dissention and conflict.” You get the idea, right? It is not just a special ability to see and hear but that he blows the trumpet; he gives warning that an enemy is approaching or has entered.

 

Watchmen in the Bible were guards responsible for the protection of towns by keeping watch for enemy attacks and other potential dangers. The Bible also refers to watchmen in a spiritual sense. Ezekiel was told he was a watchman to the people of Israel. He was to speak to the people what God told him to speak. He was to urge the people to live faithfully according to the will of God and warn them of the dangers of chasing after any philosophy contrary to God’s teachings. The prophets were also to warn the ungodly of judgment and destruction that would come their way if they did not repent or change their lifestyles. The prophet’s responsibility was to warn the people; their decision was not his responsibility.

 

I believe it is safe to say that all Christians are called to be watchmen. We are told to “be alert”, “to watch and wait”, and ‘’to be ready and waiting”. Perhaps it is just to be ready to witness to one who has not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. It might be to warn a young Christian of the dangers of walking too close to the edge of the narrow way. Whatever the Lord calls us to do we follow the admonition of Paul in Ephesians 4:15, “to speak the truth in love”. That was the way Jesus Christ lived as He walked this earth. He may give you a sense that something is wrong in a person’s life where loving counsel might be given or to give a word of encouragement when needed. The situation may even require a bolder approach where the dangers of not walking in a godly way be needed. All is done in love; what the person does with it is his responsibility.

 

I want to encourage each reader to be bold when God alerts you to possible dangers for an individual or a group. We are living in “perilous times” as Timothy wrote. Watchmen are still needed to warn of the coming dangers of judgment. Many are not paying attention. It is through prayer and righteous living, by walking on a narrow way that we discern the word of God, to give warning to the dangers and ideas that are being tossed around to deceive and keep those in deception already. It is the responsibility of the watchmen in the body of Christ to stand in faith and to both warn of the dangers coming and to bring encouragement to stand in faith, to watch, and to be alert.