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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
What would be the attitude of your heart if you stepped into this day and the weekend ahead knowing you would face anger, opposition, conflict from almost everyone you spoke with? Perhaps you’d be tempted to stay in bed all weekend and not face anyone, right? But what if you knew the message that filled your heart, which you felt compelled to share with people was a message directly from God, and God Himself was leading you into every conversation, even if it was conflictual?
That is exactly what our friend Mr. Ezekiel was experiencing, 2600 years ago in Babylon! I hope you’ve been with me the past few days so you have an understanding of what Ezekiel had experienced in his overwhelming vision with God and the commissioning and warning God had given him.
For 7 days and nights Ezekiel was quiet before God, (Ez. 3:15) surrounded by the hectic busyness of the Jewish captives who had been forcibly taken from Jerusalem with Ezekiel about 5 years before. (2 Kings 24:13,14) In that week of solitude and silence I believe Ezekiel prayed and deeply reflected. Maybe that is when he wrote the details of what he had experienced with God as recorded in the first 3 chapters of His book.
Ezekiel’s entire life was about to change. How? For the rest of his life Ezekiel would have to live alert, attentive, ready to hear God speaking to him at any time! Can you imagine living like that? Well wait a minute. Isn’t that what God invites us to if we claim to be Christians, people who are redeemed by Jesus and indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God?
So, do you and I live expecting to hear from God? And how does God normally speak to you my friend? For me it’s my daily times in God’s Word; it’s my love for worship music; it’s my frequent prayer conversation with God; it’s my time with other people when I watch and listen to see if God might be saying something to me through them; it’s also my time being outdoors day or night, as I am awed by God’s great creation etc.!
But that wasn’t all for Ezekiel. God had made it very clear Ezekiel would be expected not only to HEAR and DISCERN what God was saying to him, but God expected Ezekiel would never argue with God, never resist or refuse to do what God told him to do...for the rest of his life! Now pause and ponder that for a few seconds. How would your life change if that described you and how you lived each day for the rest of your life?
I wonder friends if you have noticed something missing in our few days of digging into the record Ezekiel gives us in these first three chapters of his book? Do you notice Ezekiel had not yet received any specific message God had for him to communicate to the Jewish exiles among whom he lived and to whom God said he was being sent?
During those 7 days of reflection, I wonder if Ezekiel wondered what God’s messages would be for Ezekiel which would stir up such a resistance even rejection response from his fellow Jews, as God had warned and predicted?
Here’s how Ezekiel records what happened next: “At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me: ‘ Son of man, I have made you a WATCHMAN for the people of Israel; so, hear the word I speak and give them warning from ME!” (Ez. 3:16) Oh my! For centuries one of the most important people in any town was the ‘watchman‘. The watchman’s role was exactly what the word suggests: be watchful for anything that might bring danger to the people of the town!
Small towns would build towers for the watchmen, or station them on the highest nearby hill, or even have them climb the tallest tree. An open view, far out into the distance, was essential. Why? TIME for warning! The watchman’s job was to be continually alert, scanning the horizon and looking closely at any person approaching their town, to see if they were friend or foe. Of course, the people of the town depended on the watchman to shout a warning so the people could prepare if there was any possible danger approaching.
For larger cities protected by walls, watch towers were strategically placed on top of those walls so several watchmen looking out from those towers would give 360 degree, full horizon surveillance for the city! Large gates at the entrances to the city could be closed quickly and defenders could take their positions rapidly but only IF the watchman gave a clear warning soon enough!
Now pause for a few seconds and ponder the role of the watchman. What would be ways the watchman could fail the people depending on him for their safety and security? How about falling asleep rather than being watchful? Or perhaps worse yet, seeing an enemy approaching but refusing to sound the alarm of warning?
Even though Ezekiel had only heard one sentence of assignment from God to be God’s watchman for the people, Ezekiel knew exactly what God meant. Now here’s an important question for all of us: For whom are you a ‘watchman’ God is expecting to help protect from danger by your alertness of danger? Men, is that an important part of our role as husbands and Dad’s? Women, is it an important part of your role as wives and mothers? What about grandparents and adult children of aging parents, is ‘watchman’ an important aspect of our life roles?
And what are the dangers you and I are alert to which we believe could harm those we love and those for whom God is expecting us to be ‘watchmen’? How about media or entertainment or addictive behavior or addictive substances or what about peer pressure or so many other things?
Or my friends, what about the ‘dark kingdom’?? Oh, my friends this is such a strategic life role, a vital role and the effectiveness of the watchman is so critical in every family, business, school, church; in every city and town and nation, isn’t it? So much so, we need to pause right here and I urge you to spend some time, perhaps with your journal and Bible open, and start describing your personal ‘watchman’ role wherever you live in the world. What are key aspects of you being an effective watchman and what is the risk to those you love if you are not? Ask God to help you see this clearly from HIS vantage point.
And here’s a powerful worship song which helps us reflect on how important our watchman role is and what the focus of our eyes is, and I’ll meet you here again tomorrow!
Today’s Scripture: Ezekiel 3:15-21.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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