“Watchmen”

 Ezekiel 33-35, Revelations 18 

“…he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people…I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me…I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn!...”

Ezekiel 33:3, 7, 11

 What distinguishes watchmen from others?

They are willing to see and to hear what God is doing and saying, and then share that with whomever God directs them to warn or alert, regardless of the cost. Watchmen are more concerned with the urgency of the message than with their own personal safety or comfort. They recognize the eternal consequences of sin and God’s prescribed path to freedom from sin through repentance and the cross. To turn is to repent. Watchmen call people to turn around and go to a better way in life. Watchmen are alert, they are courageous, and they communicate the Word of the Lord. We need watchmen in our families, in the church, and in our communities if we are to live.

“Lord Jesus, you died to set captives free. You are God’s watchman who confronted sin and its consequences and proclaimed freedom for all who would turn from their ways and follow you. Train me to be a watchman for you I pray.”