WHERE ARE THE WATCHMEN?
"Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
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. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul." Ezekiel 33:1-9. (NKJV).
Ezekiel was a priest during the time the Jews were removed from their homeland because of their idolatry and rebellion against God. They were in captivity in Babylon. God is calling him to stand in the office of a prophet. He compared Ezekiel’s ministry as a prophet to that of a watchman. He will be given instruction and warning from God and was expected to pass it on to the people in other to avert tragedies.
THE WALLED CITY!
An ancient city without a wall was wide open to be plundered by thieves or rampaging enemies. The walls helped to protect people and their households, as well as their blessings. Walls provided security. Walls serve as shield.
A broken wall makes an individual, family, church or city, to be vulnerable to the strike and bite of the old serpent, "He who digs a pit will fall into it, And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent." Ecclesiastes 10:8. Repentance brings back divine mercy, grace, protection, and the restoration of the broken walls.
By being inside a city with walls, the people had two forms of protection:
1. The wall. It stood as a formidable barrier between the people and their enemies. The wall separates that which was acceptable and that which was not.
ii. A second form of protection for those living in walled cities was the watchman. The watchman stood upon the walls and kept watch over the surrounding areas. When invading enemies or other dangers came into his view, he sounded the trumpet for warning and those inside the wall to be prepare.
Both the watchman and the wall were crucial to the survival and prosperity of the city. Without the watchman, those inside the wall were blind and without the wall, the watchman would have been unnecessary.
"5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober." 1 Thessalonians 5:5-6.
“40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:40-41.
The night hour is near. Jesus's time on earth is coming to an end. The appointed time has come for the betrayal and the enemy to manifest. Jesus is groaning in prayer. Yet, the beloved disciples are not ready. They have been sleeping when they should have been watching and praying. The disciples could stay up all night fishing but not stay awake for some few hours praying for their Lord.
We have an enemy. The devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8.
The Greek word for “watch” means, “to be vigilant, wake, to be watchful.”
DUTIES OF A WATCHMAN?
1. The key role of a watchman is to intercede.
To intercede means to position oneself between two entities and to intervene on behalf of one. The intercessory watchman sees into the distance, observe what is happening, and lean forward in prayer to God. Sometimes they see with eyes of discernment.
“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” Ezekiel 22:30. God’s stil desperately searching for intercessory watchmen.
2. Watchman are front-line soldiers.
3. A watchman is one who has been uniquely equipped by God to see.
He is equipped to see what others do not see and he has a unique capacity to see when the enemy is coming. At times, the enemy comes disguised, but a watchman is very alert and blows the trumpet and gives a sound so that the people can be warned.
What good is a blind watchman? Pray for God to give you eyes that sees.
4. A watchman blows the trumpet.
He doesn’t just see, observe or hear. The watchman sounds the alarm when the enemy is approaching. He carried with him the safety of the entire city. The city could sleep soundly at night knowing the watchman was on the wall.
5. A watchman waits upon the Lord.
The waiting process is marked primarily by looking and listening to discern what God is saying. The prophet Habakkuk, himself a watchman, described it this way: “I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.” Habakkuk 2:1.
6. A watchman writes down what the Lord is revealing, both for reflection and future action.
“2 Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it." Habakkuk 2:2.
God's still speaking today and we would do well to hear and record the things He reveals. Have a notebook, pen, a Bible and a voice recorder, if you need to do audio recording. It helps for reflection and further discernment as to how to pray.
7. A watchman is an evangelist.
8. A watchman wrestle with God daily for His purposes to be established in the lives of the people he watches over. He also wrestle against demonic powers hindering the manifestation of God's promises for His people.
“I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, 7 And give Him no rest till He establishes
And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” Isaiah 62:6-7.
Daniel was a watchman. He wrestled with the prince of persia in prayer. Daniel 10. We must relentlessly wrestle “.... against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” until total victory is won. Ephesians 6:12.
8. A watchman warns when necessary at the prompting of the Lord.
They are responsible to issue a warning when the enemy approaches. The warnings should be given in the fear of the Lord and only after watching. To be able to discharge his job well, the watchman must have the fear of God. Proverbs 9:10.
If you were to be in a city where the watchman is on duty, what kind of person would you want him or her to be? If you were sleeping in the city, what kind of man or woman would you want on the tower?
QUALIFICATION OF WATCHMEN?
1. Spiritual sensitivity.
Watchmen must be able to stay awake and alert, he cannot sleep on the job. The job is a sensitive one, to protect the lives of all the people in the city against attacks.
2. A selfless person.
A watchman must be willing to sacrifice his needs for the sake of others safety. He is a selfless person who put the comfort of others ahead of his own.
3. Love is the motivation.
Another qualification of the watchman is having a love for the people. If he loves the people inside the wall, then he doesn’t want to see those people come to any harm.
4. Trustworthy and dependable.
The watchman must be a trustworthy and faithful person. A watchman is someone who understands the importance of his assignment, and give himself fully to it.
5. Availability.
6. Focussed.
7. A discerning person.
8. A sober person.
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8.
9. You must be prayerful — Ephesians 6:18-19.
It requires dedication, focus, consistency and perseverance.
10. He must be passionate about his assignment.
The watchman’s passion is to discern the will of God and see it coming to pass.
10. Fast often.
11. A worshipper.
Every watchman is a worshipper! Worship invites God’s presence and with His presence comes the release of His revelation to the watchman’s heart.
12. You must love and know the word of God — Joshua 1:8; Psalm 119:9, 11.
13. You must be genuinely born again—John 3:3,7.
14. You must be filled with the Holy Spirit— Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-4.
15. A holy life — 1 Peter 1:15-16; Leviticus 11:44.
16. You must be a doer of the Word always — James 1:22.
17. You must bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit — Galatians 5:22-23.
18. You must be humble —James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:6.
19. You must have holy boldness -Proverb 28:1.
20. You must put on the whole armour of God – Ephesians 6:11-17.
21. You must be persistent. You can't give up- Esther 4:16; Daniel 3:16-18.
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
Everyone is a watchmen! We all have someone we are supposed to look out for. You may be a watchman on the walls of your family, or the walls of your church or your city, or God may entrust you with being a watchman on the walls of the nation. A church pastor is called to watch the souls of everyone in the church. Parents watch out for their children. The Bible says a good shepherd will give his life for the sheep.
When the watchman sees danger coming, he blows the trumpet to warn. He is a guard that stand on the walls and warned the people when an enemy approaches. If the people failed to respond to his warning, they were responsible for whatever happened. But if the watchman failed to do his work and the people died, he was responsible.
The watchman has to be diligent, vigilant, and faithful. Others may be comfortable sleeping all through the nights and oblivious to danger, but the watchman has a duty. Many souls are counting on him. To do nothing as watchmen is to stand guilty before God. There are sins of commission and sins of omission. To do nothing when you can do something is the most grievous of the sins of omission.
Are you watching? Would you let God assign you to a duty post? Would you open your heart to Him to be a watchman to hear and see what others may not see? Will you say, "Whatever You show me that is putting Your people in any danger, Lord, give me the boldness and courage to put the trumpet to my lips and blow the warning?
Where are the watchmen? Where are the watchman assigned to individuals, families, schools, homes, churches, communities, and nations? Where are the watchmen who see the danger of approaching judgment? Where are the watchmen who see the enemy creeping ever closer to the walls and raises alarm? Are you doing everything you can to comfort those looking for hope? Will you challenge those headed to Hell?
But for you to stand as a watchman you must be inside the wall, not outside of it. Perhaps you are not saved. Maybe God's calling you to come to Him and get inside the safe walls of His salvation first before using you to warn others of impending danger.
If you are willing to repent and surrender your life to Jesus Christ, then pray this prayer right now: LORD Jesus, I come to You right now. I know I am a sinner, please forgive me my sins. With my mouth, I declare that Jesus, from today, I accept You as the LORD of my life. Change my heart from a disobedient heart to a heart that will obey You. With my new heart, I believe that it is because of me that You came into this world; You died for my sins, take away my problems, fill me with Your Holy Spirit, write my name in the Book of Life, and make me brand new in Jesus mighty name.
WATCHMAN, WHAT OF THE NIGHT?
"11 The burden against Dumah.
He calls to me out of Seir,
“Watchman, what of the night?
Watchman, what of the night?”
12 The watchman said,
“The morning comes, and also the night.
If you will inquire, inquire;
Return! Come back!” Isaiah 21:11-12.
Watchmen wait for a dawn they know is coming! They spent the whole night battling eyestrain, tiredness, fear, cold, loneliness, and boredom in other to stay alert. There's nothing that brings them joy than the dawn of a new day. The early morning sun illuminates everything around them. It brings relief to the tired eyes. As dawn began to break, the watchmen could sigh with relief that an attack was now unlikely. The sunrise meant breakfast, a chance to sleep, and a time to reunite with family and friends. Hold on, comrades, very soon, the night will be over!
It won’t be long brothers and sisters, until the Lord comes to take us home to Heaven.
"16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. It may look dark right now, but morning is about to break.
The morning will be when our Savior comes to take us home! But the morning will pass and the night will return again. We, the people of God who would have been raptured will not experience the dark night, but for the sinners left behind.
Will you be a faithful watchman? Will you be ready, available and on guard when He comes?
"6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." Matthew 25:6-13.
Stay at your duty post. Stay ready and alert. Don’t drift. Don't be distracted. Don’t nod off or slumber. Don’t hold back. Don’t keep silent, Sound the alarm! Sound the battle cry! Don’t pretend it doesn’t concern you. We have been commissioned by God to be on the watch. We are called to observe, warn and point sinners to God.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Dear Father, forgive me for sleeping when I should be keeping watch, in Jesus name.
2. O God my Father, revive my spiritual life by Your fire, in Jesus name.
3. Every dry bone situation in my spiritual life, receive life, in Jesus name.
4. Holy Spirit, open my eyes to see what You want me to see, in Jesus name.
5. Thank God for answering your prayers.
