Now as for you, son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel; so you will hear a message from My mouth, and give them warning from Me. 

Ezekiel 33:7, NASB (1995)

 

Ezekiel, a prophet of God, was appointed to be a watchman. This was not all that unusual since all prophets are essentially watchman appointed by God to warn the people of danger, but in Ezekiel's case this role of a watchman was especially emphasized. In the 33rd chapter of Ezekiel, God points out that there are times of danger of impending invasion from an enemy. In such situations, it is necessary for those who are being threatened to post an around the clock watch made up of individuals whose job it is to keep an eye peeled for the enemy and to raise the alarm if the enemy is indeed spotted.

 

The Lord told Ezekiel that this was such a time, and he was such a person. As a watchman, it was his duty to raise the alarm. After that, the duty fell to the people to react in a manner that was appropriate to the situation at hand. It is important to note that it was not the watchman's responsibility to make the people respond, his job was merely to raise the alarm. If a person heard the alarm and reacted in the right way, the person's life would be saved. However, if the person ignored the warning, his blood was on his own head and the watchman was innocent of any harm that might befall anybody who had been properly warned. But if the watchman failed to do his job, whether he simply was not watching closely enough and the enemy snuck up on the city, or if he had seen the enemy but didn't think their presence merited a warning, then the watchman would be held guilty. The people would suffer because he had not been warned, but the watchman's life would be forfeit because he was derelict in his duty.

 

Do you see the application? God has effectively set each one of us in a position of a watchman. The scope of that duty will depend on our personal circle of influence, but we are all watchmen whether we recognize that fact or not. If you are married, you are a watchman over your spouse. If you have kids, you are a watchman over them. If you are a teacher or a policeman or a preacher or Bible class teacher, you are a watchman. You don't have to like it (though decent people should) you just have to do it.

 

And as to this decent person should status. If you have children, why would you want to do anything but raise them up in the love, the fear and the admonition of the Lord? We love our kids, and we want the best for them. We know that there are dangers in this world - enemies, if you will, who are seeking to harm or subvert our children. It's our duty, but also our privilege, to watch over and protect them. When they are young, it will be our duty to make them be safe. As they approach adulthood, we still have a duty, but we no longer force them to be responsible, at least not after they have left our house, but we do still have the duty to watch and to warn.

 

I'm not referring to a "mother hen" (or "father rooster" for that matter) constantly hovering over them in an inappropriate and unnecessary manner; rather, I am just referring to our duty to make sure that they are at least aware of the dangers that we might be noticing from the real enemies that do lurk in the shadows, and from their own careless and inattentive habits. We also have close friends who may not possess the advantages we have had in a Christian upbringing or from a deeper study of the Bible. They need to be warned as well, not because we are being nosy or meddlesome, but because we love them and are genuinely concerned for them.

 

Bosses have their own areas of responsibility. Are they a good example? Do they permit foul language and crude joking? Do they cut corners in serving their customers? Do they permit their employees to be idle or careless? Instilling good habits in those who work for you if you are in a supervisory role, for your students if you are a teacher, for your players if you are a coach, is vital.  So, whatever the circle of responsibility that you may have, are you being a watchman?

 

The passage in Ezekiel goes on to explain why we are doing this. If a wicked person repents of their behavior, God says they will be saved. If a righteous person takes heed to proper warnings, they will continue on their righteous course. But, if they are warned and ignore the warning - the righteous person leaving the path of righteousness, and the wicked person staying on his own wide path that leads to destruction - well, their blood will be on their own heads. If the watchman warned them, then he will at least have tried and he will have saved himself. But if the watchman does not warn when warning is needed? The people who failed to protect themselves will still die, but the Lord will hold the watchman accountable.

 

So, why all this cheery talk about watchman - especially at the dawning of a new year? The point, hopefully, is obvious: We not only have an obligation to warn those who are in our circle of influence when they are in danger, but it is our privilege to do so. We love them (don't we?) and we want the best for them. God has given us a tremendous set of blessings that we enjoy on a regular basis, shouldn't we want the same for those we care about? A watchman watches because it is his or her duty to do so, this is true, but they also watch because they care for those they are entrusted with. It gives us great joy and peace to see our children doing well, and it gives us great satisfaction when we see our close friends, employees, students and players succeeding in life's most important areas.

 

We've been given a great gift, when you think about it. The role of a watchman has great responsibility, but it also comes with tremendous reward. Those who are faithful to God will get to be with Him forever someday. And the life they lead until that point will be greatly enhanced, if we can just gently watch over those we have influence over, and give them a helpful warning when the situation calls for it.

 

Who, do you think, God has made you a watchman over? Are you taking your responsibility in this area seriously? It's something to think about. 

 

If you love me, you will obey what I commend... He who does not love Me will not obey My teaching. These words you hear are not My own; they belong to the Father Who sent Me.

John 14:15 & 24, NIV (1978)

 

"Have you read your Bible today? I hope you have!"

 

These are the words, uttered by a wise preacher, that helped me to become a daily Bible reader some 43 years ago. 

 

Now, I had heard a lot of pleas and warnings and even threats about what would happen if I did not read the Bible, but for some reason these simple words by a kind preacher plucked a responsive chord within me that day. He preached a lot about reading the Bible, but he didn't do it in the typical manner. He spoke not only about our personal responsibility, but also of the great privilege we have in the opportunity to read the very words of God. And he also said something else that caused a shift in my thinking, for he begged us not to take his word for the things he was saying, but to find out for ourselves from the only Source that was capable of accurately passing along God's truths.

 

It was a simple but powerful point: We will all kneel before God someday to give an account of how we lived our lives. The instructions (not "helpful suggestions") for how to live that life are contained only in the Bible. It would do no good to tell God that you were only doing what some preacher had told you to do, because you would likely find yourself in the exact same place that this preacher who taught you wrong was in - and it would be a place that we did not like!

 

So, at the ripe old age of twenty-two, I became a daily Bible reader. It wasn't easy at first. It wasn't particularly fun, and I had always preferred fun over study. It was a new habit, and habits are not only hard to break, but good ones are often hard to form. It's akin to what Thomas Edison said about opportunity when he observed, "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Well, reading the Bible everyday certainly looked like work to me and as I have already established, I prefer fun over work.

 

Still, I could see his point, so one day not too long after hearing that sermon when I was in the office alone and didn't have much to do, I took a Bible and opened it up. It opened to the Old Testament book of Zephaniah, and I started to read. Now, for those of you who are as unfamiliar with Zephaniah as I was at the time, it is not a particularly cheery book to read. It was a warning of Israel's impending doom because they had not obeyed God. But it was a short book, so I continued on. It had a lot of things in there about disobedience that made me feel uncomfortable, but I pressed on. At its conclusion was a warning for those who remained in their disobedience, but a promise of redemption for those who would become obedient.

 

I was convinced!

 

So I determined right then and there that I would become a daily Bible reader. At first, I have to admit that I didn't get too much out of it for I was still seeing the work but missing the opportunity. But I pressed on, reading every day without fail. At the beginning there were even a few nights where I had already gone to bed, only to realize I had failed to read the Bible that day. On would come the light and I would read a verse or two. "What a waste" you might be thinking, and it is true that I didn't get much out of a verse or two when half asleep, but there was something I gained: It was a habit for life.

 

Furthermore, I am convinced, it is a habit which saved my life! Or, more accurately, put me in contact with the only One who could save me.

 

By becoming a daily Bible reader, I began to see that the Christian life is far deeper and more profound than anything I had experienced to that point. I always fancied myself as a logical person and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Word of God, contrary to those who attest that it is filled with superstition and nonsense, was actually the most practical book ever written. It tells us the history of the world, and even though it is not a history book, it contains the most accurate account of history ever given. It reveals many scientific facts, and though it is not a science book, I have found no contradiction to true science within it. It certainly contradicts the evolutionists, but if ever there was a theory with more holes in it than are found in your typical golf course, evolutionary theory is it.

 

But it was the truth that I discovered for myself that changed my life, for this Book really does contain the words of life. It has changed my life completely and, as a result, has changed the entire course and legacy of my family. It is the most precious document ever written - more influential than the Magna Carta, and more impressive than the Constitution. It tells us the best way to live, and it gives us hope for the future. And why not? It contains the perfect words of our Creator!

 

There is one other point I want to leave you with before I conclude my plea to you to become a daily Bible reader  in this New Year, if you have not yet begun: The Bible contains everything you need to be saved, and those who find it and comply with this message of salvation will therefore be saved. But for those who do not, I wouldn't give you much hope for ever being saved. This is not my own personal opinion by the way; it is a truth from the very Word of God. 

 

Have you read your Bible today? If not, I hope that you will and that you will never stop.

 

It has the power to save your life!

Then I set before the men of the house of the Rechabites pitchers full of wine and cups; and I said to them, "Drink wine!" But they said, "We will not drink wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, "You shall not drink wine, you or your sons forever."

Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, "Thus says the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, 'Go and say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem', "will you not receive instructions by listening to My words?" Declares the LORD. "The words of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are observed. So they do not drink wine to this day for they have obeyed their father's command. But I have spoken to you again and again; yet you have not listened to Me."

Jeremiah 35:5-6, 12-14, NASB (1995)

 

Of all the things that went into the destruction of Judah as a nation, at least for a time of captivity, was their refusal to accept the legacy that had been passed down to them. They were God's chosen people, and He had given them a powerful kingdom for hundreds of years. Yet there came a time when despite all of this, that they decided to abandon God's direction and go their own ways. God Himself had given them a legacy of being His special people, and for many years the people obeyed. Parents passed God's way down to their children from generation to generation, and they were blessed as a result. 

 

They had a legacy that was worth something - a proud heritage that was a marvel to the rest of the world and a tremendous blessing to themselves. Yet there came a time when this legacy meant less and less to them, until it finally came to the point where it meant nothing at all. So God sent them prophets to warn them of the consequences that their foolish behavior would surely bring upon them, but they did not listen. He divided the powerful kingdom, and instead of being united as one nation under God, they became two nations that engaged in wars and civil wars for hundreds of years. God punished them with famine and enemies, and though it caused some to temporarily repent, most still turned away.

 

They turned away from their God and, therefore, their legacy. They sold their heritage for sin, and they reaped the consequences that such evil and reckless behavior brings.

 

Finally, after Israel (one half of the divided kingdom) was defeated and carried off into captivity, it became a time of decision for the other half; for Judah. And Judah being Judah decided that their legacy meant nothing, so they gave themselves up to idolatry. God sent one final set of warnings. The words you read above were part of His plea. He reminded them that the house of Rechab honored the legacy left behind by their father. And while the legacy was an honorable one, it was still a manmade set of standards. Still, the house of Rechab honored those standards and are remembered to this day as a family of honor.

 

They left behind a legacy which lasts to this day!

 

But Judah, though they had been left a true legacy from God Himself, did not honor that legacy. So God wiped them out, almost to a man. The remnant that remained and which was carried off into captivity was about one percent of the once mighty nation. They turned their back on their righteous legacy and left behind a legacy of shame!

 

What kind of legacy are we leaving for our families? If you really hadn't thought about it much in the past, think about it now! Here is one that is worthy of your consideration:

 

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.

Joshua 24:15, NIV (1978) 

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." 

Luke 2:8-11, KJV

 

There is a wonder about this time of year that is hard to put into words. Of course, the biggest part of this wonder is the celebration of our Lord's birth that so many of us take part in. It's true that we don't know the exact time of year that Jesus was born, and we don't have any commandments to celebrate it at all, but we are told that we have the right to observe some days as special if we so desire.

 

And we know that even the angels rejoiced at the coming of this day! That seems more than enough for me to do the same!

 

Beyond this most important "Reason for the Season" there is just something about this time of year. When I was a kid, it was obviously a time of gift giving and, being a kid, especially gift receiving.

 

My parents did Christmas right, in my opinion. We would often go out and cut down our own Christmas tree and then bring it home to decorate. There is nothing quite like the smell of a freshly cut pine tree, and especially when your extremities have recovered enough from their near frostbit for you to enjoy it! Dad would get out the lights and after a bit of searching for the inevitable burnt-out bulb that prevented the whole string from working, we would wrap them around the tree and get to the serious decorating. We would hang candy canes on the tree and if we were lucky might even get an early sample of one. This was all done with a Christmas record playing in the background that we had been listening to since the Thanksgiving meal was served. One year, a new Christmas special called "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was on television so we got to decorate the tree while sneaking peaks at the best cartoon ever made!

 

Then Mom would put up a small nativity scene on the hall table and pull out a wall-hanging that had a space to tie on twelve candies (usually the Brach's ones in the paper wrappers) and we kids got to take turns having one of these candies as we counted down the twelve days of Christmas. Then we went back to school until the two-week break came which signaled the final countdown to the greatest day of the year! We kids would be untypically kind to one another, even to the point of civil conversations and the playing of board games with only a minimum of disputes.

 

On Christmas Eve we got to open one present!

 

But first, Mom and Dad would torture us by taking us to look at every Christmas light in the entire city! Since we lived at times in Seattle, Houston and Denver, this could take an eternity! The reward though was often a cup of hot chocolate (with marshmallows!) and then we would put on our pajamas and get to select a gift from under the tree. Mom would often help with this (you didn't want to waste your pick on a box of underwear that had been diabolically disguised as a gift) so her help was usually appreciated. I say usually because it seems like my brother and I got matching "footed" pajamas one Christmas Eve. Oh, the agony of such a wasted pick still burns as one of childhood's most painful memories!

 

Then, it was off to bed! Sometimes my brother and I got to sleep in sleeping bags on the floor of our bedroom. Dad would come in a thousand times or so to threaten us to sleep, but this was the one night of the year that no outside discipline was needed. A simple reminder that Santa would not come until we were asleep was enough! Then, usually somewhere between the hours of 3 AM and sunrise, we would awaken to the cry, "Santa has come!" We would dash into the other room and experience the closest thing to magic that a child could ever have...

 

...under the lights of the Christmas tree would be our gifts that had been eagerly anticipated since the last Christmas! Before that, we went to our stockings - usually a great disappointment for they would often be filled with fruits and nuts! Those we carefully dumped out onto the couch or floor to be saved for Mom and Dad, but then there was always a few pieces of hard candy mixed in to salvage the experience. But the presents! They were never a disappointment. Soon the whole house would be so filled with the noise of our playing that our parents would awaken and tell us to keep it down. Before too long, our sister would even get up and the whole process would start again. 

 

Now I do have to admit that there was one day of the year that we kids did not want Christmas to fall on - Sunday! Now I want you to know that Sundays are typically a great day for Christmas to come on for non-heathens, but Mom and Dad had at least one child who loathed the thought of putting away his toys long enough to get out of his footed pajamas and into something more presentable for church. To add to this heathen child's misery, we worshipped twice on Sundays so there was a similar interruption that evening!

 

All in all, I would have to say that Christmastime - along with its marvelous memories of Christmases gone by, is still the most wonderful time of the year. It is a time when people just seem to be a little sweeter to one another. It is a time of family and of celebration of the gift giving and receiving. It is a time to watch the whole cycle come 'round again with our children and then our grands! I wouldn't trade this time of year for any other season. 

 

And to think that it all began with an announcement by angels declaring that to us "a Child is born"!  And I have to tell you that even though we all don't have to celebrate Christ's birth, I am glad that so many do. It makes not just those who celebrate the season, but the entire world remember the reason for why we have hope. That would be more than enough, but to think that we get everything else too!

 

I pray that God will bless you with a great season this year, and that we can all take pause to take joy at the thought that our Savior was indeed born into this world in order that He might live the perfect life, become the perfect sacrifice, and then rise again to life in order that we someday might have that same opportunity to rise to live forever. Merry Christmas!