“So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me” (Ezekiel 33:7).
TEXT — Ezekiel 33:1-7
Message
Immediate threats or possibilities of harm and danger necessitate watching and warning. The more precious a person or possession is to us, the greater the care and attention we devote to their safety.
This passage about God’s concern and care for His people contains essential lessons. First, every soul is precious to God, who creates and cares for all without discrimination. He does not want anyone to perish. Second, to ensure this, God gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the highest price to redeem souls. Finally, we see that God, having made the provision, did not leave things to chance but commissioned believers as watchmen. They are to watch over the souls of sinners so that they do not perish and over fellow believers to prepare them for eternity.
God expects every watchman to value souls the way He does. Watchmen in every generation are to take their responsibility with utmost seriousness. Sadly, not all watchmen blow the warning trumpet that leads souls to repentance and averts divine displeasure against them. On the other hand, when diligent watchmen sound the trumpet, many unbelievers ignore warnings and even mock and persecute the watchmen to their peril. They forget that God had commissioned the watchmen to “warn them from [Him]”.
The call to salvation is from God, to whom we shall all report on the day of judgment. The sinner or backslider should humbly hear the word of God and promptly heed the warning that shall deliver his/her soul.
Thought for the day
Not sounding the trumpet is the watchman’s fault but failure to heed the warning is the sinner’s.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
1 comment
I am blessed by this homily, which requires me and others, to be responsible and reliable watchmen. O Lord, please help me to be a diligent and fervent watchman, who cares for souls, by sounding the warning trumpet, in Jesus name, Amen.
I am blessed by this homily, which requires me and others, to be responsible and reliable watchmen. O Lord, please help me to be a diligent and fervent watchman, who cares for souls, by sounding the warning trumpet, in Jesus name, Amen.