"Watchman, What Of The Night?"

Isaiah 21 chs 13 - 23 God's judgement on Judah's surrounding nations, Assyrians advancing then Babylon would come

Woes to the Nations. Babylon (13:1 - 14:23). ,Assyria (14:24-27).,Philistia (14:28-32).,Moab (15-16).,Damascus (17).,Cush (18).

Egypt and Cush (19-20).,Babylon (21:1-10).,Edom (21:11-12).,Arabia (21:13-17).,Jerusalem (22).,Tyre (23).,A warning (24).

v. 11 & 12 "The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: return, come." Note:-

1. THE REFLECTION HERE - "Watchman, what of the night?" A call to reflect on:-

(a) Their Past - Edom could remember better days but now the night has come

They enjoyed peace with Israel - Deut 23 v. 7 & 8 "Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land. The children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the LORD in their third generation."

They enjoyed privilege with Israel - Joshua 15 v. 1 "This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families; even to the border of Edom the wilderness of Zin southward was the uttermost part of the south coast." v. 21 "And the uttermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the coast of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur," Israel didn't take Edomland

They enjoyed prosperity with Israel - not until Saul and David were Edom subdued i.e. Edom - descendents of Esau and Jacob - Israel

(b) Their Present - "Watchman, what of the night?" - Note:-

(1) The Source of the Call - From those outside the camp of Judah

(2) The Sincerity of the Call - "watchman" i.e. Isaiah - they recognised Isaiah's

Authority - "watchman" i.e. he was God's watchman - he knew the will of God, the word of God, and the ways of God

Authenticity - Isaiah had God's word for the time

Accuracy - Isaiah was not guessing he was revealing the plans and the purposes of God

(3) The Circumstance of the Call - i.e. What of the night? i.e.

Difficulty had come, danger had come, darkness had come

Psalm 34 v. 6 "This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles."

(c) Their Prospects - "What of the night?" i.e. will it be a long night?, a short night, a black night, or a brief night? What does our future hold?

2. THE REVELATION HERE - v. 12 "The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: return, come."

Note:- God's word gives:-

(a) Light - Psalm 119 v. 105 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. v. 130 "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple." 1 John 1 v. 5 - 7 "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

(b) Love - God speaks because he loves - 1 John 4 v. 7 - 10 "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

v. 14 "And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world."

(c) Life - 1 John 5 v. 11 - 13 "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

3. THE RECOGNITION HERE - v. 12 "The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: return, come." Note:-