ARE YOU A WATCHMAN?
“Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?”
The watchman said, “The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; Return! Come back!” Isaiah 21:11-12.
This is a great verse, and I preached on it a few times in my younger days. The word “WATCHMAN” only appears in about nine passages of scriptures (NKJV). Yet it is implied over 450 times in the Scripture and is translated “watchman” only a few times.
The word “watchman” is based on the Hebrew word: “Shamar or shomer (Shaw-mar’).”
Giving the meaning to keep, guard, observe, and give heed
a. (Qal)
1. to keep, have charge of
2. To keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life.
b. watch, watchman
1. to watch for, wait for
2. to watch, observe
3. to keep, retain, treasure up (in memory)
4. to keep (within bounds), restrain
5. to observe, celebrate, keep (Sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow)
6. to keep, preserve, protect
7. to keep, reserve
c. (Niphal)
1. to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware
2. to keep oneself, refrain, abstain
3. to be kept, be guarded
d. (Piel) to keep, pay heed
e. (Hithpael) to keep oneself from
Here are the verses that translate the word “Watchman.”
Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the WATCHMAN went up to the roof over the gate, to the wall, lifted his eyes and looked, and there was a man, running alone.
Then the WATCHMAN cried out and told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” And he came rapidly and drew near.
Then the WATCHMAN saw another man running, and the WATCHMAN called to the gatekeeper and said, “There is another man, running alone!” And the king said, “He also brings news.”
So the WATCHMAN said, “I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “He is a good man, and comes with good news.” 2 Samuel 18:24-27.
Now a WATCHMAN stood on the tower in Jezreel, and he saw the company of Jehu as he came, and said, “I see a company of men.” And Joram said, “Get a horseman and send him to meet them, and let him say, 'Is it peace?'”
So the horseman went to meet him, and said, “Thus says the king: 'Is it peace?'” And Jehu said, “What have you to do with peace? Turn around and follow me.” So the WATCHMAN reported, saying, “The messenger went to them, but is not coming back.
So the WATCHMAN reported, saying, “He went up to them and is not coming back; and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he drives furiously!” 2 Kings 9:17-18, 20.
To Shuppim and Hosah the lot came out for the West Gate, with the Shallecheth Gate on the ascending highway--WATCHMAN opposite WATCHMAN. 1 Chronicles 26:16
He builds his house like a moth, like a booth which a WATCHMAN makes. Job 27:18
For thus has the Lord said to me: “Go, set a WATCHMAN, let him declare what he sees.”
And he saw a chariot with a pair of horsemen, a chariot of donkeys, and a chariot of camels, and he listened earnestly with great care. Isaiah 21:6-7.
“Son of man, I have made you a WATCHMAN for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me:
Ezekiel 3:17.
“Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: 'When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their WATCHMAN,
But if the WATCHMAN sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the WATCHMAN's hand.'
“So you, son of man: I have made you a WATCHMAN for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. Ezekiel 33:2, 6-7.
The WATCHMAN of Ephraim is with my God; but the prophet is a fowler's snare in all his ways-- Enmity in the house of his God. Hosea 9:8.
The best of them is like a brier; the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge; the day of your WATCHMAN and your punishment comes; now shall be their perplexity. Micah 7:4.
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF WATCHMEN IN BIBLE TIMES.
A watchman in biblical times fulfilled a couple of very important functions.
1. First, in an ancient farming society, guarding the crops was of supreme importance. In that time, people by and large grew their own food, and the survival and prosperity of the family or tribe depended on having a good harvest. If wild animals ate the crops, people trampled them, or enemy armies ate the grain and fruit, it was not just a financial loss; but starvation was a real possibility.
It was not like today when you could simply buy every kind of food at your local supermarket. So, crops were watched over night and day to ensure that they were safely brought to harvest. Watchtowers (migdal shomrim), literally means “tower of the watchmen,” they were often built of stone and can still be seen today in ancient terraced hillsides.
2. A second type of watchman was the guard who stood on the walls of the city. Their responsibility was to watch for enemies and to cry out an alarm if danger approached. Cities in those times were walled to protect the inhabitants from a variety of dangers including thieves, and armed forces. Entry was limited by gates, which were carefully overlooked and guarded.
Armed watchmen (guards) would pace the walls and watch for anyone who was out of place or appeared suspicious. If they supposed danger, they would call out the alarm, so the men of the city could protect their families. It was especially important to stay awake in the night hours and ensure the safety of the community.
In Isaiah 62:6-7 it reads “I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem praise in the earth.”
The prophet Isaiah speaks about praying for Jerusalem with the same careful attention as a watchman on the walls of a city. Literally, he holds the security of the people in his hands. God is calling on us to be like those watchmen. We must be constantly alert to the dangers which surround us.
Because the job of the watchman was so critical to the safety and provision of the people, readers of this passage in biblical times would have clearly understood the importance of being a watchman in the spiritual realm. We are called to partner with God in this protection of God’s people today.
Now let us look afresh at Psalm 121 and the use of the word “Watchman” or a word that implies “watchman.” In this passage, the noun shomer or the verb form yishmar (he will guard or keep) appears six times in the eight short verses of this psalm.
I will lift up my eyes to the hills-- From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who KEEPS you will not slumber.
“Behold, He who KEEPS Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your KEEPER; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall PRESERVE you from all evil; He shall PRESERVE your soul.
The Lord shall PRESERVE your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore” Psalm 121:1-8.
Readers in ancient times would have immediately pictured the common but vitally important watchmen in his community. The use of this word communicates that God, like a watchman, is steadfastly keeping guard. He does not slumber or sleep, but always keeps a careful watchful eye on Israel and all who “lift their eyes to the hills,” recognizing that He is the One who preserves, keeps, guards, protects, and watches over His beloved children.
What can we learn about “Watchmen” for today?
“Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?”
We need godly men and women to stand on watch towers, the mountains of God, and look for the vision that only God can give for this time and nation. These verses imply the land is in darkness and without light, so the question is repeated twice, as if the weary are looking for light.
It is funny how short a night can be when you are tired, but when you cannot sleep or awaken and then cannot return to sleep the night becomes so long and tiring. How you look for the dawning light of a new day. Many believers feel like that today, longing for a new day in God, a new time of blessing, refreshing and vision.
Watchman in the Hebrew means guardian. To guard over the city by night and more so to view the first light of day. The priests on the Temple mount would look for the first light of day, to offer up the morning sacrifice. Oh! For the men and women of faith and vision, who are looking for the light of the Lord to shine upon them?
The eyes of the watchmen were towards the east, and the first signs of light. Over these last few years more and more eyes are turning towards the east, it is imposable today not to see the “signs of the times” that will bring in the “Light, of the return of Christ.”
“The watchman said, “The morning comes.”
The answer comes to the weary. “The morning comes.” What a blessing to hear from deep within the darkness of a spiritual night. The watchman cries “Where are signs of a new morning coming.” To the restless crying of men, comes the revelation that the refreshing of the morning comes. God is moving by His Spirit today. BUT! Are we moving on in God?
All over the world the Spirit of God is moving (That’s an old song we used to sing). Where signs and wonders are following after the preaching of the Word. Where thousands are gathered together to worship the Lord, and more so where thousands are being won to Christ. So on some the blessings of a new day is falling upon them.
“The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; Return! Come back!”
Yet, there also comes a warning from the “Watchman.” “The morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; Return! Come back!” The morning is on its way; BUT the night is chasing it. Hell, the place of outer darkness waits for those that do not turn to the “Light.” Today the church under the power of the Holy Spirit is the “Light of the World” to draw men out of the darkness of despair and sin, and to give hope and life eternal to all that call upon the name of the Lord.
CONCLUSION:
God today is looking or “Watchmen and Watchwomen” to stand on watchtowers to have a vision for themselves in God and vision for those lost in the darkness of sin. Are you a watchman or women for Christ?
