"....Son of man, do you see what they are doing?....Turn again, and you will see." (Ezek. 8)
This is the call of a watchman; "do you see?...You will see." In 1972, Jesus spoke to my heart to study Ezekiel. I felt there was a "call" here------- "I have made you a Watchman...."
In Ezekiel 3:17, The Word of God tells the prophet, "....I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth...." The word translated, "watchman," means, "To look out, or about, spy." He was to observe. The word, "watchman," is not the highly visible professional, the spiritual-giant-big-deal which some today like to make it. When you read of Jesus' words to Ezekiel, they are a call to watch, observe. When Jesus takes Ezekiel to various locations throughout The Land, He tells Ezekiel to, "see." In the chapter of our text alone, Jesus says to Ezekiel, v.5:"....Lift your eyes to the North.... v.6: Do you see what they are doing?...Now turn again, and you will see.... v.9: Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.... v.12: Have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols?... v.13: Turn again, and you will see.... v.15: Have you seen this?...Turn again, you will see.... v.17: Have you seen this...?" The question remains for you and me and the Church of Jesus Christ in general, What will we do with what we see?
While there may be some called to a "particular aspect" of a, "watchman," there is indigenous to all Followers of Jesus the fundamental call to, "What I say to you, I say to all: Watch!" Now we are not called to just rail on wickedness and/or the wicked, to continually thunder against the evil, "the abominations," we see. Yes, if I read the Bible correctly, I see this from Genesis to Revelation. But The Word of God is also constantly calling humanity to repentance, to turn to Him from their wicked ways. And it is not just a call. He has provided authority and power to repent and walk in that repentance. It is in the Cross of Jesus, "The pivotal point of history." When I see the Cross of Jesus I see love, forgiveness, and the power to walk in all for which Jesus died, e.g., deliverance from, "the abominations," which Ezekiel saw, and you and I see every day. You and I "see" life. But then we are to do something, to obey, to pray, to serve, make a difference. We don't do this from our "prayer closet" only. We do this in the home, the work place, how we vote, how we, as the Word of God declares, "bear witness to the truth," Who is Jesus Christ. Most of Christendom does, then observes to see what happens. Maybe a good mission statement for all churches and individuals would be, "Watch then do."
Father, in Jesus' Name, "open my eyes that I may behold...." Amen.
This is the call of a watchman; "do you see?...You will see." In 1972, Jesus spoke to my heart to study Ezekiel. I felt there was a "call" here------- "I have made you a Watchman...."
In Ezekiel 3:17, The Word of God tells the prophet, "....I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth...." The word translated, "watchman," means, "To look out, or about, spy." He was to observe. The word, "watchman," is not the highly visible professional, the spiritual-giant-big-deal which some today like to make it. When you read of Jesus' words to Ezekiel, they are a call to watch, observe. When Jesus takes Ezekiel to various locations throughout The Land, He tells Ezekiel to, "see." In the chapter of our text alone, Jesus says to Ezekiel, v.5:"....Lift your eyes to the North.... v.6: Do you see what they are doing?...Now turn again, and you will see.... v.9: Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.... v.12: Have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols?... v.13: Turn again, and you will see.... v.15: Have you seen this?...Turn again, you will see.... v.17: Have you seen this...?" The question remains for you and me and the Church of Jesus Christ in general, What will we do with what we see?
While there may be some called to a "particular aspect" of a, "watchman," there is indigenous to all Followers of Jesus the fundamental call to, "What I say to you, I say to all: Watch!" Now we are not called to just rail on wickedness and/or the wicked, to continually thunder against the evil, "the abominations," we see. Yes, if I read the Bible correctly, I see this from Genesis to Revelation. But The Word of God is also constantly calling humanity to repentance, to turn to Him from their wicked ways. And it is not just a call. He has provided authority and power to repent and walk in that repentance. It is in the Cross of Jesus, "The pivotal point of history." When I see the Cross of Jesus I see love, forgiveness, and the power to walk in all for which Jesus died, e.g., deliverance from, "the abominations," which Ezekiel saw, and you and I see every day. You and I "see" life. But then we are to do something, to obey, to pray, to serve, make a difference. We don't do this from our "prayer closet" only. We do this in the home, the work place, how we vote, how we, as the Word of God declares, "bear witness to the truth," Who is Jesus Christ. Most of Christendom does, then observes to see what happens. Maybe a good mission statement for all churches and individuals would be, "Watch then do."
Father, in Jesus' Name, "open my eyes that I may behold...." Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
