Magazine

THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A
WATCHMAN

by Rev. Dr. Daniel O. C.

Psalm 127:1 tells us –

Unless the Lord builds the house,

They labor in vain who build it;

Unless the Lord guards the city,

The watchman stays awake in vain.

A watchman’s responsibilities are ineffective unless God is at the centre of it all. If God does not help the watchman, his efforts will be in vain. Unless the Lord leads the way, we are lost. Unless the Lord is the light, we shall be in total darkness. Unless the Lord is our life, we are dead bodies. Unless the Lord is our salvation, we are doomed. Unless the Lord washes us, we are dirty. Unless the Lord approves us, we are disqualified. Unless the Lord blesses us, we are cursed. Unless the Lord sanctifies us, we are polluted.

If the truth is not with us, we are swimming in an ocean of deception. However, if Jesus is our Lord we will abide in the truth. Throughout the scriptures, we find that the watchman is not a stranger. He is the one assigned as the lookout and guard. He is the one God raises to watch for approaching enemies in order to warn the people.

As Christians, it is our job to be watchmen. But nowadays, many Christians do not want to be watchmen as they prefer to live in darkness. You may be manipulative and hypocritical by using the power of emotions. You may like to deceive people with your tears or deceive others by keeping silence or even control people through your anger. It is time for you to ask the Lord to set you free.

A BETTER RANGE OF SPIRITUAL VISION

In the olden days, the watchman’s duty was to take care of the city, the farm or the crop fields. He may be stationed in a tower, a high building or among rocks. That enabled him to have a longer vision range so that he could see any approaching trouble from afar. Habakkuk 2:1 says –

I will stand my watch

And set myself on the rampart,

And watch to see what He will say to me,

And what I will answer when I am corrected.

Through prayer, you can have a better range of spiritual vision. We can know someone’s spiritual standing through his prayer life. A spiritual man is not known by what comes out from his own thoughts, but the words that God imparts to that person from His throne, as he spends time in the presence of God. How much time do you spend praying?

If you do not spend time in His presence, you are spiritually dead. Do not deceive yourself. It is also your duty to teach your children how to pray, instead of letting them waste time excessively on watching television. Do not bring that curse into your home. Have you seen your children praying fervently before or asking you questions from the Bible? You need to be the watchman in your family. Do not expect anyone else to do it.

When David saw the spirit of God lifted from Saul, Saul became like a dead person. Be like David and ask God not to take His Holy Spirit from you as he pleaded in

Psalm 51:10–12 –

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Do you have any testimonies of God saving you from sin? Do not pretend to be a Christian. Christianity without the salvation experience is not Christianity.

GREEK WORDS RELATING TO WATCHMEN

Let us examine two Greek words that talk about watchmen or being awake:

"AGRUBNIA" (pronounced "e-grub-nia")

The Greek word "agrubnia" is interpreted as "sleeplessness" in 2 Corinthians 6:5 –

…in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;

And 2 Corinthians 11:27 –

…in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness…

Have you ever been sleepless as you wait before God, telling Him, "Unless I embrace Your glory, I will not sleep"; "Unless You touch me Lord, I will not sleep"; "Unless You change the situation in my family, I will not sleep"; "Unless You touch my children, I will not sleep"? Providing material things for your children is not enough. You need to take them before the holy presence of God.

"GREGOREO" (pronounced "gree-go-rear")

The Greek word "gregoreo" means "to watch" or "to keep awake". It is found in Matthew 24:43 –

But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

And Matthew 26:38, 40-41 –

38 Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me."

40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?

41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Do you keep watch in your home? Do you follow Jesus’ command to watch and pray, so that you do not fall into temptation? Have you ever been in the presence of God together with your spouse? Have you ever prayed for your ministers? Examine yourself to see if you are still in the faith before God deals with you. "Gregoreo" also means "spiritual alertness". In Acts 20:31, Paul spoke to the elders in the church of Ephesus –

Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

Remember the things that the Lord has taught you all these years. Learn to be a child of God that the Lord will be proud of. Do not be taken in by sugary messages that appeal to your flesh. They will give you spiritual diabetes. Choose whether you want to follow the god of this world or the true living God. Paul said the same thing in 1 Corinthians 16:13 –

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

And Colossians 2:4 –

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;

And 1 Thessalonians 5:6 –

Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.

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