Watchmen on Zion’s walls. The word has a critical sound. However, what we saw is that a watchman has his place not over against, but among God’s people. He/she is prepared for the living tradition of the Word of the Lord, and not the dead traditions of men. Whoever wants to be a watchman, can never retreat from his position.

He continues to keep his responsibility.

Responsibility⤒🔗

You may ask yourself if that does not then become an immensely heavy task? It was such for the prophets. In a previous article we pointed to Ezekiel; you can also think of Jeremiah. They suffered from it. Many people these days feel the same way. You warn so many times, and no one seems to listen. People go their own way. Before you know it, you find yourself in a box. We just keep quiet.

Our church councils, who are often called upon to watch as it relates to discipline, can get the feeling that all they are doing does not help. You warn, because you must, but often you know beforehand already that you are lucky if people even hear what you are saying, let alone that people are actually listening to you. As I got to hear one time: you just do your job; we do not mind, but do not expect that we will now start to live differently. In this way you become a sort of external conscience. I see this as a signal that being a watchman is also becoming more difficult within the church. When you point to sin “a”, then right away people will excuse themselves with sins “b” till “z” of other brothers and sisters. To admonish someone can easily be interpreted as meddling.

Discipline←⤒🔗

Perhaps we need to have a thorough discussion about the position of discipline in the whole of the work of office bearers in the upbuilding of the congregation. Not that I want to discuss the discipline itself, but I feel there is tension here. A tension that you do not want to accept. Dr. M. te Velde writes in his article also about the corrective working and speaking, integrated in all of the work that the office bearers do. And yet, in daily practice, a contradiction can quickly occur: we are also here to discipline. Or from the side of the congregation: why do they choose in situation “a” for the road of further study, and in situation “b” for the so-called tough approach? As congregation member you maneuver yourself then in the role of observer.

In this article we cannot deal further with this. You may see it however, as an illustration of the danger that a watchman can easily lose proper sight of his function. That a nice word from the Bible is loaded conservatively or become just harsh criticism. Just because he thinks that only he is called to be a watchman and forgets that everyone else is a watchman for the other.

To Cain’s question whether he perhaps is to look after his brother, follows an unspoken but obvious “yes”.

That also makes the responsibility of an office bearer less of a heavy burden. If he thinks that he is the only person who watches over the souls of the members of the congregation, he is taking a burden upon himself that God does not place upon him and that is also much too heavy for him. Especially in the realization that he, together with all the other believers in the congregation, is responsible for watching over one another, his burden becomes bearable.

Watching for what is to come←⤒🔗

It helps here when we learn to look ahead. Therefore, I would like to point to Isaiah 62. There we see not only the combination: watchmen on the walls of Jerusalem (Isa. 62:6), but his sight is turned to what is to come and we get an ever better understanding of what his task is.

First of all then, we would like to underline that Isaiah uses a different word for watchman than we read in Ezekiel. In Ezekiel it is someone who stands watch and warns (the people) of approaching danger. Especially the keen looking around and paying attention is important here. The recognition of danger. Think of the warning against false teachings in our time. This is not always received with thanks. Especially a false doctrine can take on such a nice appearance.

Think of the people who do such a nice job telling the Christmas story, but for whom it is no more than just a story. Not God’s history.

Isaiah as well, was working like this, looking around. Whoever hears his name, often thinks right away of the comfort which pours generously from his book. But throughout the book of Isaiah, you also hear about the preaching of God’s judgment and the warning against drifting away (from God) within God’s people. No less than with the other prophets. He often had to bring a heavy message (of impending judgment).

Especially because of that, it is so remarkable that the word he uses for watchman points more to the “keeper” function. So, it is not about people who are sounding the sirens, but about God who saves his children through those people. Whoever truly warns from the Bible is not busy conservatively but is allowed to assist in the preservation of God’s people. Watchman on the walls of Zion are people who look toward salvation.

Think in this context also of the way Luke characterizes the elderly Simon and Anna: they are awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. Also in those days there will have been plenty of reasons to complain about the (moral) decay. But their basic disposition is positive.

In Capitals or in Lower Case?←⤒🔗

When you read Isaiah 62 in the (Dutch) New Bible Translation, then you are already used to the fact that the words about God that were written with a capital in the past, are now written in a lower-case font. Then the following is not so remarkable anymore. If you read the Comprised Commentary (of J. Ridderbos) then you will notice that he writes the word “I” in verse 6 in a lower-case font. With Ridderbos that has a lot of meaning. In this explanation, Isaiah has set watchmen, those are his own prophesies. These are safeguarding the church for the salvation that is promised. In most translations you will find “I” with a capital. This means that God has appointed prophets, who act as watchmen.

It looks like quite a difference. But for our topic it is not that bad. God works through these prophets. They still watch today by the words that they then spoke. The watchmen of the twentieth century can only do their work when they provide a passage for the words of the watchmen from long ago. They still speak to us today through his Word.

In this difference in interpretation (which we do not have to discuss further in this article) we see first of all that a difference in interpretation is not necessarily disturbing. And in the second place it becomes clear again, that the only hope and safety for the church lies in the prophetic words of Isaiah, of Moses, of Paul…of God himself.

Watchmen — For What?←⤒🔗

So, we have seen up till now that God safeguards his people through the watchmen, also through their warnings, and that the only starting point for their work is the Word of the Lord himself.

We will now observe that their work is focussed on the future. That future is the content and the soundboard of their work. We will say something about both. First about the content.

They must speak about this, about the rebuilding of Jerusalem, of the compassion of the LORD for his people. They must continue with that until the end. It is worded very strongly: do not give yourself a rest! To withdraw within yourself is out of the question.

Perhaps that is obvious to us, but it is not. Think of the prophet Ezekiel who receives the message that he is to be silent till the fall of Jerusalem. His silence was like a speech. From this special assignment at a certain time, we should not take the liberty to also be quiet when we think that all is lost. For it is about the future.

In Isaiah’s time it was all about the future of the Messiah who was to come. We will celebrate his coming again soon. And yet, we are not done by celebrating at Christmas time. Also now, the majestic view is the future of the Lord. When he comes again, then salvation for Jerusalem will be complete.

I think it is good to keep an eye on this perspective in our struggle as church. There are many issues which are worrisome. Some people have the feeling that everything is going backwards. Sure, when they look back to the time right after the Liberation. I can understand that feeling. But the Lord asks all of us to watch for the future.

The watchmen on the walls do not just look out for possible enemies; they are also expecting the day of the Lord’s return, which will surely come.

And that is then the soundboard of their work. Also by hard and critical comments, that is the background and the purpose of their speech.

Pinnacle of Secularization←⤒🔗

When you regularly listen to the “Songs of Praise” program, you hear there from time to time a song that would not have made it through the stringent selection of the deputies of church music. It is a song about Jerusalem (that is the title, after a poem by William Blake). It reminds us that Christ did not live in England and did not walk on the pleasant grounds of England. Subsequently it makes a vow that, over against the dark satanic mills, a new Jerusalem will be built on these same pleasant grounds. It is a human activity. I can see that this song becomes very popular: a compelling melody with a compelling text. And yet, for me this is the pinnacle of secularization. We, the people must do it.

Watching and Praying←⤒🔗

The song does demand attention to the following: what is remarkable in Isaiah 62, is that the watchmen have their function not just over against the people, but also over against God himself: “and give him no rest” (Isa. 62:7). So, watching and praying go hand in hand. You may therefore storm the Lord with prayers to keep his people safe. You may also know that in this way, of a people who is faithful in prayer, the future of the Lord will certainly come. For the umpteenth time you notice then that praying is not a last resource, when all else has failed (now we can only pray…), but praying is something that surrounds and supports everything else.

Watchmen and The Keeper←⤒🔗

Subsequently, this again shows how small we are in the whole picture. The Lord gives us all the task to watch prayerfully. No one is exempt from that. And at the same time, he first of all shows us that he himself is the only secure Watch. Watchmen and keepers here below can fall asleep at any moment. The night is long. Even the wise maidens from the parable fell asleep in the end. At an unexpected moment in time for everyone the morning of God’s new day will come. The Keeper of Israel however will neither slumber nor sleep (Ps. 121:4).

Think about the calling vision of Jeremiah. God shows him an almond branch (Jer. 1:11). The almond is the first shrub to bloom. It blooms very early. And God says: “…for I am watching over my word to perform it”.

The connection between what Jeremiah sees and the explanation escapes us, but the almond branch and watching are connected. Watchman’s rod, as some people explain it, but with those words we do not see a flowering branch anymore.

We find again another word for watching here. It is here about being awake, being up early, and not falling asleep.

In Conclusion←⤒🔗

When you connect the one thing with the other, then you see here below a church, where the people find that it is all taking a long time. Where the people also become disappointed because they do not listen. The watchman speaks to deaf ears, is what he is thinking. At the same time, you see the Lord in heaven. He never lets a moment pass. He is always early. With Jeremiah those words first sound threatening. He had to preach God’s judgment and the message in this is that this is not for the future, far away, but for soon to come.

You may also see that (message) in a general sense. Also for the message of salvation, which we may long for according to Isaiah’s prophesy, it holds that God will not delay this.

He watches to execute his plan. He takes all the time needed to execute his plans, but at the same time does not delay it even for a day.