WATCHMEN!

In the days of the Old Testament, a city was built with high walls with watchtowers erected high above the walls. It was the duty of the watchmen to warn the city of impending danger. The watchman would sit in the tower and from this vantage point he could see for miles and miles. Since there were several watchmen sitting in towers scattered all around the city, it was not easy for the enemy to sneak up on them. And, no matter what side of the city the danger came from, one of the watchmen was likely to see the approach of the enemy.

When a watchman saw an enemy approaching, it was his responsibility to sound the alarm to warn the citizens of the impending danger. At the sound of the alarm, the people had two choices; they could heed the warning and save themselves, or ignore the watchman’s alarm. If the watchman saw danger approaching and sounded the alarm and the citizen chose not to heed the warning and died, the watchman was not held accountable for this death. However, if the watchman did not sound an alarm and the citizen died, the watchman was held accountable. (Ezekiel 33:2-6).

As I read this passage in Ezekiel, I was thinking “Wow, I’m glad that I wasn’t a watchman back in those days because a watchman had a great responsibility!” Then I thought about us, you and I, all Christians.......aren’t we also watchers? We see the enemy coming; we understand that a battle is raging around us for the souls of lost people and yet, as watchers, are we sounding the alarm? “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8).

When we accepted Christ as our Savior, we became Watchers. Before Christ ascended into heaven, he left us the Great Commission “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matt 28:19-20).

We are like the watchmen of old. We see the danger coming in all directions. It is our duty to tell others about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to sound the alarm and to warn those who are lost. If we sound the alarm and people accept our warning, we have done our job. However, if we don’t sound the alarm, giving no opportunity to accept, the person will die and spend eternity in hell and we will be held accountable for not doing our job. .

Now, how are we held accountable? Because we are saved, we will still go to heaven to spend eternity with our Lord, but I believe that we pass up a lot of blessings while we are still here on earth and rewards that we will receive in heaven. (Deuteronomy 28:1, 1Corinthians 3:8, Revelation 22:12).

As watchmen, the decision is ours. We can be obedient and sound the alarm, or we can be disobedient and forfeit many of the blessings and rewards that God has planned for us.

All Verses from the New International Version