Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
The Role of the Watchman in the
Light of the Cross
Prijo Thomas
St. Andews MTC,
NY
7 So you, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of
Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning
from me.
The night grows dark and your eyes get heavy. A cold wind that was once faint begins to gain strength and slams against you in waves. Dust and sand decide to join in the onslaught; accompanied by the wind, it is stinging and fierce in its attack. If only you could go inside for just a few minutes and rest those weary eyes and tired legs, the temptation is strong. Not a sound can be heard as you stand alone on the wall, maybe it would be okay to seek the warmth of shelter for just a short time, no one would notice anyway. And then, as if someone were listening to your very thoughts, you hear the faint cries of a child from a few houses away, jarring your thoughts back into their rightful place. As biting as the bitter wind is the reality that the life of that child, and every other citizen of your nation, lies in your hands. Your duty is to keep watch, to listen, to be ready, to sound the alarm without hesitation when called upon. Sleep? Warmth? Comfort? The stakes are too high to give in! You are a Watchman.
The office of the watchman is no joke! Duties of the earthly watchman entail standing at the gate or on the walls of the city to inform the people of the movements of the enemy, prevent a surprise attack, and to give an early warning when there is imminent danger so that the nation can be prepared and stand ready. Towards the end of this passage, we see God telling Ezekiel about his role as the spiritual watchman of Israel. The responsibility and burden are clear: if the duties are not carried out properly, blood will be on his hands. Ezekiel and other prophets whom God appointed as spiritual watchmen of Israel had a tough task and a heavy burden to bear.
Spiritual watchmen still exist today, but now in light of the Cross. There are still prophets, evangelists, teachers, and leaders whom God will give a specific word to, for which they will be called to account on how faithfully that message was delivered. All of this sounds kind of harsh doesn’t it? That weight of responsibility, that burden, and then the subsequent warning regarding judgement on the deliverer and the hearer--it sounds and feels pretty scary and heavy. In reality, it is all coming from a place of compassion and love. Why did God appoint watchmen in the first place? Grace. Did God need to even send His Spirit upon a prophet or direct that prophet with the exact warning that the people needed to hear to prevent both physical and spiritual death? No. It was grace. God says a few verses later in Ezekiel 33:11 that He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Everything He did, every watchman He appointed, was out of compassion in wanting to save His people. Though we have a cross to carry, the burden is removed as God carries the weight for us because all He requires is that we obey, and it is then He who saves.
If grace existed then, HOW MUCH MORE THE GRACE WE HAVE TODAY! Watchmen are great, but a Savior is better. In Christ, God provided us a Champion who confronted the enemy on our behalf and sealed the outcome of every battle for all eternity. We live in the light of His cross where death and the enemy has no victory. God’s Spirit has been poured out to all people, not just to those appointed to a certain office. There is a watchman inside of us, the Holy Spirit. He warns us, provides wisdom, molds the heart, strengthens our hands and feet, gives discernment, and opens our eyes to see beyond the natural. With the Holy Spirit, we are not just able to defend ourselves and our communities from false doctrine, teachings, prophets, and spirits, but we are empowered to see spiritual dangers in advance and attack those weaknesses so that the enemy will never have a foothold. We now fight from victory, not for victory. All by His grace.
The night grows dark and your eyes get heavy. A cold wind that was once faint begins to gain strength and slams against you in waves. Dust and sand decide to join in the onslaught; accompanied by the wind, it is stinging and fierce in its attack. If only you could go inside for just a few minutes and rest those weary eyes and tired legs, the temptation is strong. Not a sound can be heard as you stand alone on the wall, maybe it would be okay to seek the warmth of shelter for just a short time, no one would notice anyway. And then, as if someone were listening to your very thoughts, you hear the faint cries of a child from a few houses away, jarring your thoughts back into their rightful place. As biting as the bitter wind is the reality that the life of that child, and every other citizen of your nation, lies in your hands. Your duty is to keep watch, to listen, to be ready, to sound the alarm without hesitation when called upon. Sleep? Warmth? Comfort? The stakes are too high to give in! You are a Watchman.
The office of the watchman is no joke! Duties of the earthly watchman entail standing at the gate or on the walls of the city to inform the people of the movements of the enemy, prevent a surprise attack, and to give an early warning when there is imminent danger so that the nation can be prepared and stand ready. Towards the end of this passage, we see God telling Ezekiel about his role as the spiritual watchman of Israel. The responsibility and burden are clear: if the duties are not carried out properly, blood will be on his hands. Ezekiel and other prophets whom God appointed as spiritual watchmen of Israel had a tough task and a heavy burden to bear.
Spiritual watchmen still exist today, but now in light of the Cross. There are still prophets, evangelists, teachers, and leaders whom God will give a specific word to, for which they will be called to account on how faithfully that message was delivered. All of this sounds kind of harsh doesn’t it? That weight of responsibility, that burden, and then the subsequent warning regarding judgement on the deliverer and the hearer--it sounds and feels pretty scary and heavy. In reality, it is all coming from a place of compassion and love. Why did God appoint watchmen in the first place? Grace. Did God need to even send His Spirit upon a prophet or direct that prophet with the exact warning that the people needed to hear to prevent both physical and spiritual death? No. It was grace. God says a few verses later in Ezekiel 33:11 that He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Everything He did, every watchman He appointed, was out of compassion in wanting to save His people. Though we have a cross to carry, the burden is removed as God carries the weight for us because all He requires is that we obey, and it is then He who saves.
If grace existed then, HOW MUCH MORE THE GRACE WE HAVE TODAY! Watchmen are great, but a Savior is better. In Christ, God provided us a Champion who confronted the enemy on our behalf and sealed the outcome of every battle for all eternity. We live in the light of His cross where death and the enemy has no victory. God’s Spirit has been poured out to all people, not just to those appointed to a certain office. There is a watchman inside of us, the Holy Spirit. He warns us, provides wisdom, molds the heart, strengthens our hands and feet, gives discernment, and opens our eyes to see beyond the natural. With the Holy Spirit, we are not just able to defend ourselves and our communities from false doctrine, teachings, prophets, and spirits, but we are empowered to see spiritual dangers in advance and attack those weaknesses so that the enemy will never have a foothold. We now fight from victory, not for victory. All by His grace.
PRAYER
God, thank you for the
watchmen you’ve appointed throughout history and even today. We also praise you
for the gift of your Spirit, by whom you’ve given us everything we need to live
a life of abundance. Help us to steward this gift faithfully. Amen.
THOUGHT
FOR THE DAY:
It is the grace of God that appointed the watchman, it is the grace of God that gave us a Savior in Jesus, and it is the grace of God by which we have the Holy Spirit.
It is the grace of God that appointed the watchman, it is the grace of God that gave us a Savior in Jesus, and it is the grace of God by which we have the Holy Spirit.