Issue 294 – Watchmen – October 27, 2022
The row of conifers on the top of the ridge made me think of a line of soldiers in green uniforms standing at attention. They looked like sentinels watching over the valley below.
Standing on guard can be a lonely task. When I was in the Canadian Armed Forces and posted to an air base, we often had “alerts.” Alerts are a form of military game/practice for events that might occur, such as war.
More than once, I was posted out at the end of the runways, miles from anyone, to guard against potential invaders. That meant a lot of standing around by myself. Early in the alert, those sentry positions are often written off as having been killed or captured, and the war game continues.
It also meant that they had forgotten I was out there by the time the alert had ended. Alerts could last many hours, and you never knew how long they would be. The exercise could be over without me knowing, and I would remain on guard over the point of land at the end of the runways.
Eventually, someone would notice I was missing; they would remember where I had been stationed and come get me.
Of course, there was no real risk during an alert (other than perhaps boredom), but the situation could have been worse in an actual life event.
In ancient times, watchmen over a city would have a similar function. Their unsung role was to keep the city safe by crying out of impending danger. They stood long shifts on city walls and other strategic places, fighting both the elements and boredom, watching for potential problems. A watchman found asleep on the job was in serious trouble.
The Bible speaks of watchmen in a couple of different ways. The Ezekiel watchman proclaims a warning to the wicked.
And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. Ezekiel 3:16-19
The Isaiah watchman cries out in prayer To God for His glory to be made known.
On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth. Isaiah 62:6-7
We all have a watchman role, often combining the two. We are to call out in prayer and share the good news with those who haven’t heard.
When the Lord gave the Great Commission, He gave us a sacred trust with eternal consequences. Will we be found faithful or asleep on the job?
Unlike the alerts on the base where those in charge might forget you, the Lord always sees us. He knows when we are faithful and vigilant and when we are ignoring our God-given tasks.
My friends, let us not be found sleeping on the job. The eternal destiny of others is at stake. Let us pray without ceasing and plant gospel seeds at every opportunity.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).
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