HOW LONG? WATCHMAN, WHAT OF THE NIGHT?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
TEXT: Isaiah 21:11 The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
I read the story of a young boy that lived on a farm in the mountains. The grandparents, parents, his brothers and sisters lived in the old farm house. Every time the young boy got a chance he told anyone that would listen: HE WANTED A WATCH. His grandfather had a pocket watch, so did his dad. The older boys in the family all had a pretty pocket watch.
The young boy would tell anyone that would listen he wanted a pocket watch. They told him he couldn’t even tell time. Why would he need a pocket watch? When his mom woke him up, he asked for a pocket watch. At the breakfast table the boy asked for a pocket watch. When the dad went out to the barn, the boy asked for a pocket watch. All day long, every day the boy pestered everyone how bad he wanted his very own pocket watch. The mom and dad said he was a broken record, all he wanted was a pocket watch. They explained he could not tell time why would he need a pocket watch? One day the father came in from working in the fields. The boy met him at the door and he begged his father for a pocket watch.
The dad raised his voice and yelled: WE HAVE HEARD ENOUGH ABOUT THE WATCH, YOU ARE NOT OLD ENOUGH TO TAKE CARE OF A POCKET WATCH! I BETTER NEVER HEAR AGAIN: YOU WANT A POCKET WATCH. You will get a whipping if you mention “WATCH AGAIN”. After supper the family gathered around the pot-bellied stove and shared Bible verses. The grandpa shared a verse. Then the dad shared. It soon was the young boy’s turn to quote his verse. The boy stepped to the center of the front room and put back his shoulders. HE BOLDLY STATED MY VERSE TODAY IS MARK 13:37.
Mark 13:37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
The young boy quietly sat down in front of the stove. Well, the story ended there. I don’t know if he got the watch or the other promise. BUT HE BOLDLY PROCLAIMED: WATCH.
*WATCH: In the early Bible the NIGHT WATCH was divided into 3 parts. Later in history the NIGHT WATCH was divided into 4 parts. (The Romans taught: 1st watch was from 6 pm to 9 pm. 2nd watch was from 9 pm to 12 am. 3rd watch was 12 am to 3 am. The 4th watch was from 3 am to 6 am.
*WATCH: place on guard, vigilant, alert, no holidays, ready, prepared, awake, keep an eye looking out.
*WATCHMAN: to stand alert on the wall and look out for danger, then warn others.
LEARN THIS LESSON: THERE ARE MANY MORE IMPORTANT ISSUES THAN WHAT IS VISIBLE TO YOUR EYES?
JESUS WARNS THE DAY IS COMING WHEN THE TEMPLE WILL BE DESTROYED. GOD TEACHES US THAT THERE ARE MANY ISSUES MORE IMPORTANT THAN SHOWING OFF HOW WONDERFUL THE TEMPLE IS TO THE EYES.
Any good teacher knows there are literary devices to help teach. One of those devices is REPETITION….
Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Isaiah 21:11 The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
WATCH OUT THERE IS AN APPOINTED TIME… WE SEEM TO BE LOSING THE FEAR OF DEATH AND FEAR OF GOD. DO WE HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE? GET ON THE WALL.
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
ARE WE STAYING ON THE WALL DECLARING SIN WILL DESTROY… SIN CAN’T GET ME. SIN LEAVES MARKS AND SCARS… SEEMS MANY DISCUSS THE MARK OF THE BEAST --- 666.
Revelation 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
WATCHMAN BEWARE: SIN’S MARK IS DEEPER THAN 666.
Job 10:14 If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
ASK ADAM AND EVE ABOUT SIN? ASK KING SAUL HE DISRESPECTS THE PREACHER? ASK SAMSON ABOUT FLIRTING WITH SIN. ASK DAVID ABOUT SKIPPING THE BATTLE…
2 Samuel 11:1 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
WATCHMAN ARE YOU WARNING ABOUT THE LITTLE FOXES, SETTLING FOR LESS? ZOAR --- LITTLE… I CAN’T! WILL WE BEG FOR THE EASY ROAD?
Genesis 19:17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. 18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: 19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: 20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
WHY SETTLE FOR LESS THAN THE BEST?
WATCHMAN WARN OTHERS TO NOT BUILLD ON THE SAND OF SELF/FLESH… QUIT FOLLOWING PERSONALITIES AND TRADITIONS.
Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
WATCHMAN WARN PEOPLE OF THE POISON IN OUR WORDS. WARN: HOW DANGEROUS WORDS AND SPEECH CAN BE… DEATH AND LIFE LIVE IN YOUR WORDS.
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
James 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
WILL WE GIVE A CLEAR WARNING ABOUT THE SHELF… USELESSNESS… DAVID HAD ESTABLISHED HIS DESIRES ABOVE THE CALL OF GOD… DAVID WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THE BATTLE, HE WAS AT EASE IN ZION.
2 Samuel 21:15 Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint. 16 And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David. 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.
We used to sing: I AM ON THE BATTLE FIELD FOR MY LORD, I PROMISED HIM THAT I’D SERVE HIM UNTIL I DIED. I AM ON THE BATTLE FIELD FOR THE LORD.
CONCLUSION: Too many today want to digest a sermonette written for the Christianette that wants to hurry to the kitchenette to smoke a cigarette?
Ezekiel 33:1 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
