The Call of the Watchman

I have posted watchmen on your walls, Yerushalayim; they will never fall silent, neither by day nor by night. You who call on Adonai, give yourselves no rest; (Isaiah 62:6 [CJB])

I appointed sentinels to direct them: ‘Listen for the sound of the shofar.’ But they said, ‘We will not listen.’ ¹⁸ So hear you nations; know, you assembly, what there is against them. ¹⁹ Hear, oh earth! I am going to bring disaster on this people; it is the consequence of their own way of thinking; or they pay no attention to my words; and as for my Torah, they reject it. (Jeremiah 6:17-19 [CJB])

 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.              (Ezekiel 3:17 [ESV])

“Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, ³ and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, ⁴ then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. ⁵ He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. ⁶ But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand. ⁷ “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. ⁸ If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. ⁹ But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. (Ezekiel 33: 2-9 [ESV])

The calling of a watchman, like that of a prophet, is not a pleasant calling. It involves knowing the words of the Almighty in a way that most believers do not care to search. A watchman, like a prophet is permitted to see things from God's word by the Spirit of revelation that the world cannot see. If one has a real understanding of a watchman, or a prophet, it is not a calling that one would seek after. It is a calling of rejection by family, friends and even communities. It is a calling of heartache, bitterness, persecution, and often brutal death.

One does not choose to become a watchman anymore than one chooses to become a prophet. Watchmen, and prophets are not appointed by man. The Almighty may call upon men to anoint a person to be a watchman or prophet, but the ultimate calling can only come from the Almighty Himself. Notice the wording in each of these passages as to who is doing the calling. Each time, it is the words of the Almighty speaking. "I have posted watchman on your walls." "I appointed sentinels" "I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel."

There are many out there who claim the calling of a watchman or prophet. By the same token, there are many out there who are watchmen, but are not sounding the alarm about things to come. Their shofar (trumpet) is silent to the impending dangers ahead. The blood of God's Israel will be upon their hands.

 I have often wondered why I can never seem to rest. My watch is to continue, and I am not to fall silent either by day or by night. It is a lonely calling to stand on the wall and be rejected time and time again by family, friends, and community. I have never asked for this calling, but just like during the draft era, many never asked to go and fight for their country. But fight they did. It was a matter of life and death.

So when a watchman is trying to warn you about errors in your lifestyle, do not be so quick to accuse them of judging you. Do not hurl statements like, "Who are you to judge me?" or "Who do you think you are condemning my actions?" It is not the watchman, or the prophet who is condemning you, it is your own conscience knowing that you are in conflict with the words of the Almighty.

The promise of the Almighty is this: I am going to bring disaster on this people; it is the consequence of their own way of thinking; or they pay no attention to my words; and as for my Torah, they reject it. It goes back to the saying, "Pretty words are not always the truth, and the truth is not always pretty." All the watchman can do is what the Almighty has commanded them to do. If you reject the warnings, your blood will be upon your own hands, and our soul will be delivered. However, if the watchman sees the danger and does not sound the warning, your blood will be upon our hands. This is the way the Almighty has ordained it to be. I pray for your understanding.



Shalom,
Barry W. Gaugler