The Watchman

In the book of Ezekiel Yahweh calls Ezekiel to be a watchman for the house of Israel.

A watchman by nature watches for the enemy to come. Christopher Wright explains,

"Picture an Israelite village or city in time of invasion, or the army encampment during a military campaign Sentries would be posted by day and night on a tower or some elevated place, and charged with the crucial task of watching for any movements of the enemy. If they spotted any such danger, it was their responsibility to blow a trumpet or horn, or call out loudly, to awaken the rest of the inhabitants or army to the situation." The Message of Ezekiel, p. 65

The watchman simply watches and waits for the movement of the enemy, and then if seen cries out to warn the people of the camp. However, in the book of Ezekiel, there is a twist. The enemy that the camp, the house of Israel, needs to be saved from is God and His judgment, and the one who places the watchman is God Himself. In Ezekiel 3 it is God who sends Ezekiel to warn the people to change lest judgment come. God sets up the sentry to warn the camp of God's own judgment to come.

The prophet is a gift of grace to God's people warning them of coming wrath, and the coming wrath is God's own judgment. God's desire is that His people turn from sin. He does not raid the camp without notice. His heart is that the people turn from sin to Him and listen to the cry of the watchman that He gave to the people. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

The watchman, no doubt, is crying out the negative truth that "judgment is coming!" Yet this negative truth is utterly positive for the people who listen. As the Scripture points out earlier in the chapter, the watchman may have the bitter job of warning the people, but the warning itself is sweet. Without watchman the people perish. Sometimes the sweetest news in the world is warning. Without warning bad news is all there is.

The task of the watchman is simply to sound the alarm and give the message. Wright states,

"What governs the watchman's fate is simply whether or not he fulfills the duty of his posting. He is not judged by whether or not he is successful in persuading the wicked to repent or in dissuading the righteous from backsliding--that is their own responsibility before God. He is judged solely on whether or not he has been faithful in the attempt." The Message of Ezekiel, p. 68

There is nothing worse than an unfaithful and sleeping sentry. No people want passive watchman. Yet, maybe there is something worse: a watchman not sleeping who is actively not fulfilling his task to cry out that the enemy is coming. A lying and deceptive watchman who does not sound the alarm when the alarm needs sounding is even worse. The people of the camp think the enemy is not even close when the enemy is at the door. A sleeping watchman would be severely rebuked by a commanding officer, but a deceitful watchman would be hung.

A good watchman may not be the strongest of warriors--may even be afraid. A good watchman must not be the greatest of fighters, the watchman must simply stay awake watching and deliver the message at the proper time. The history books may not write of faithful watchman, preferring the names of great warriors, but the camp--the people who listen to the cry of the watchman's warning--will always treasure that message and the faithfulness of the messenger in their hearts even if the watchman is never named.

May God raise of faithful watchman, awaken sleeping watchman, and banish deceitful watchman from the posts of the camp.