email: creyner@yahoo.com
By Dr. Mike Murphy
Dawn brought fear to the eyes of the captain. As he
looked over the walls of the city, he could see that their enemy had mobilized,
encircling them. The cover of night had brought this surprise to his eyes, and
he knew his fate by what he saw. The walls were his responsibility, and the
watchmen that filled it were under his command. His men were the eyes and ears
of the city, and his sole purpose was to make sure the city stayed safe from
all who would bring it harm. As he looked at the mass of troops that would soon
be approaching, he knew that the king would hold him responsible for this day.
The captain knew his fate would be far better to die in battle that day, than
what the king would soon have in store. As he stood alone on the wall that
early morning, but one question came to his mind. "Where had all my
watchmen gone?"
Before the days of home alarms, our house and family was
still well protected. We had a Shetland sheep dog that guarded us, and our
home, with her life. At the slightest of noise, or the first glimpse of
anything out of the ordinary, she sprung into action. She would bark until one
of us had gone to the window or door to see or hear what had alerted her. There
was never a doubt that she loved her family, and she would have protected any
of us at all cost. She was on constant lookout for any danger, and not once did
she fail to sound the alarm to warn those she cared for the most. She was the
gatekeeper of our house, always on watch.
In Biblical times, watchmen or gatekeepers played a very
important role. Most of the cities had thick walls that completely surrounded
and protected them. The watchmen were guards who would patrol these walls,
looking upon the land to make sure all within were safe. Only the elite, the best
of the troops were assigned to this position. They were trained to far higher
levels than the average soldier, because of the importance of their
responsibilities. They were the most dedicated, the most respected, and the
most honored of all troops. They took this role so seriously, that if they
witnessed a fellow watchman fail to uphold his responsibility, it was
considered a crime to not report it. The future and safety of all would often
rest upon the shoulders of these men.
The Hebrew word for watchman is 'tsaphah', and it means
to 'to look out upon or about'. This word has multiple implications in its'
meaning. It means to behold, to observe, to spy out, to wait for with
expedience, and to keep watch for. So these men would stand on the wall or in the
towers, looking out in the distance at everything that may come their way. They
would oversee the city, making sure all were safe. They would watch for
messengers, or as the king or top officials of the city returned. And they
would look for any sign of an approaching army that may bring harm their way.
Hebrew tradition tells us that these watchmen were often
positioned throughout the kingdom. The were positioned at the Temple, to make
sure the Lord's House remained safe, and did not fall into the hands of those
that may corrupt it. We are told they were positioned at the gates of many
cities and on routes that were often travelled. They would not only protect
these key locations, but would make sure all were on the right path, pointing
them in the right direction if they became lost. We are also told they were
positioned at the house of important people. They would stand watch while the
master of the house was away, and would keep watch for the master's return.
Today, the role of the watchman carries just as much
weight, and is just as important in the Lord's eyes. The modern watchmen, the
pastors and Christian leaders of today, are called to their place on the wall.
Standing at the very gate of God's Word, protecting it from enemies that would
attempt to destroy it without thought. As watchmen, we are to protect the
Church from worldly ideas, and the corruption that follow those ideas. We are
to stand true for the Word of God, unwavering and unfaltering, whatever may
come our way. We are called to protect the people, making sure they are not
deceived by false teachings and wrong doctrines. We are to protect the Church,
the Lord's House, making sure its' walls remain the example for all the world
to see. We are to guard the crossroads of society, making sure all find
themselves on the right path. And we are to keep the Church and God's Word
safe, always ready to defend it, keeping this house ready for the Master's
return.
But as we look at the Church today, we hear the Lord
reverberating the call of the captain that frightful morning, "Where have
all My watchmen gone?" As we look at the vacant walls of the Church today,
the words of Isaiah echo through my mind. " For the leaders of my people,
the Lord's watchmen, his shepherds are blind and ignorant. They are like silent
watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around,
sleeping and dreaming. Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied. They are
ignorant shepherds, all following their own path and intent on personal gain.
"Come," they say, "let's get some wine and have a party. Let's
all get drunk. Then tomorrow we'll do it again and have an even bigger
party!" Isaiah 56:10-12.
As I sit here today, I cannot help but wonder, what has
become of the Church's watchmen? Why does it's walls and gates stand empty?
Have they become disheartened, giving up on the very cause that brought them to
the wall in the first place? Have they left the gates, falsely thinking there
is no threat on the horizon? Have they left their post out of greed, falling
victim to the world's values? Or have they dropped their weapons out of
pressure, putting greater value on what those outside the city may say instead
of the words of their King? As we look at the Church today, we see those who no
longer are looking for a gatekeeper, they want a doorman who will simply open
the gate for everything and anything to enter. They seek leaders who tell them
what they wish to hear, without showing them the consequences of their actions
in God's Word and Law. They only seek gatekeepers who will not bar the gates,
no matter what they may do inside or outside of the city's walls. And
unfortunately, the leaders we often find inside of our walls fare no better. We
find leaders who fail to confront the sinfulness inside their own churches,
shepherds who have blindly lead their flocks into perdition. Without wisdom and
understanding in God's Word, they find greater offense in pointing out sin than
committing sin.
Within the last few days, we have seen three examples
that make this very point. We have looked on as true watchmen have been mocked
for pointing out the enemy as they have seen it approach.
We have recently watched as Hollywood released a movie
that mocked the story of one of the Bible's patriarchs. When asked about the
movie, the co-writer and director replied that this would be the least Biblical
movie ever made. The director, a self-professing atheist, did not use the Bible
to tell the story, but chose instead to use obscure Gnostic writings and the
mythical beliefs of Kabbalah to tell the story. Several pastors and Christian
leaders were quick to point out just how unbiblical this movie was, warning all
from seeing it. But while these watchmen pointed out the dangers of this movie,
many, if not most church leaders did not. They either ignored the issue, or
simply did not have the necessary knowledge of God's Word to be able to
recognize the danger in the movie.
Then there was another group, a group of 'so-called'
pastors and Christian leaders who mocked and demeaned those who pointed out the
truth of the movie. One of these 'so-called' leaders had this to say about
those within the Church that spoke out against the film, "It's
embarrassing to belong to a faith that attracts a group of people who always
have to be right, and when something pushes them just a bit, they want to shut
it down or keep people away." To this man, silence in the face of evil was
of greater quality, than watching as thousands were lead to a false sense of
God. I would love to ask these 'so-called' leaders if they have every taken the
time to read what God had to say about the issue, "If I warn the wicked,
saying, 'You are under the penalty of death,' but you fail to deliver the
warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their
deaths." Ezekiel 3:18.
Another example came when I read an interview with
Franklin Graham the other day. In the interview, He said that some people
working in this current administration were "hostile to Christians".
He went on to say, "And when I say White House, I'm not saying the
president, because I'm not sure how much of this he's aware of. But it's people
that work for him that have power, that are sitting in offices, and they are
hostile to Christ." "They are anti-Christ in what they say and in what
they do," said Graham. "And they are pushing this agenda into the
military. It's scary."
Franklin Graham, a watchman for Christ, securing the
gates and pointing out the evil he sees on the horizon. Since this interview, I
have watched as leader after leader within the Church has belittled, mocked,
and disparaged the warning of this watchman. They see it as a greater offense
to warn of this evil than to ignore God's Truth. I go back to the above verses
in Isaiah 56:10-12. Have these leaders become so drunk on the world's wine that
they no longer care to see evil as it approaches?
My last, but far from my least example, took place at the
recent conference of the Religious Communicators Council in Nashville. For
those who may not know, the RCC is an organization of marketing,
communications, and public relations officers of several faiths. It is an
interfaith group, that says it comes together to handle the challenges that the
world and all religions face. While I have many problems with the very concept
of this organization, within it are many who claim to be leaders of the Christian
faith. As this recent conference, Dr. Bill Warner and a group of Christian
leaders asked to address the conference about the issue of Christian
persecution that is on the rise throughout the world today. They were not only
not allowed to speak, but the RCC even refused to address the issue. The RCC
went as far as to tell this group of watchmen that they were barred from even
being in the premises of the conference. They called these watchmen
trespassers, rebel rousers, and even traitors, claiming this was a non-issue.
We are told that in 2012 over 100,000 Christian were martyred because of their
faith, and in 2013 that numbered over doubled. A non-issue?
The 'so-called' Christian leaders that are a part of this
organization can call themselves this in name only. They have willing tried to
make God into a god. In replacing the capital 'G', they have lost the very call
that Christ places on our lives. They have replaced God's wisdom, with man's
logic, and they have willingly chosen inclusion over God's Truth.
I see these stories, and again the captain's call comes
to my mind. "Where have all my watchmen gone?" We look at the wall,
and those who stand on it are sparse. We see the gates open and the walls left
all but unprotected. We watch as the unexpecting citizens of this city mock and
make fun of those that dutifully remain on the wall. They look up, and cannot
believe these few watchmen still stand there. The citizens ask themselves why
they are still there, thinking no enemy would ever approach this city. They
ignore the warnings of the few watchmen that remain, seeing them as demented
fools that still stand on an unnecessary wall.
My words today are not a call, and are far more than a
warning, they are a plea. Would the watchmen please come home, return to their
place on the wall. Before our enemies see us vulnerable and unprotected, Before
our Master returns home to find what is left of His city.
I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my
guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer
my complaint. Habakkuk 2:1
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