Watchmen on the Wall

In the city where I live, public safety officials set up an early warning system to alert the community about severe weather conditions. Sirens signal the approach of thunderstorms or tornadoes, warning everyone to take shelter. The system works reasonably well, although it's not much more effective than the early warning system the Lord himself created. (Thunder warned about approaching storms long before sirens were invented.)

Warnings are a necessary part of life. Parents warn young children not to touch a hot stove or play in the street. Cigarette packages warn about cancer risks. Highway signs warn about sharp curves ahead. Prescription drug ads take longer to warn about potential side effects than they do to tout the advantages of the medicine.

Warnings are so plentiful they are easy to ignore. Who really listens to the flight attendant who reminds us what to do in case of an emergency? Who reads the fine print on household cleaning products?

Some warnings actually have the opposite effect. The fussy mom who warns her child, "If you eat that ice cream, it will spoil your dinner," thereby makes the ice cream more appealing. A "Wet Paint" sign makes us want to touch and see if the sign is telling the truth.

Because warnings are hard to hear, they are likewise difficult to deliver. Tired of criticism, preachers take the route of least resistance and avoid speaking biblical truths that challenge the status quo. Weary parents give up the battle, lay aside their authority in the home, and leave their children without the moral guidance their young minds crave. Afraid of rejection or ridicule, Christians remain quiet when a classmate or coworker makes an inaccurate statement about the Bible or mocks the Lord's church.

It's foolish to ignore God's warnings.

The Lord gave Ezekiel the solemn responsibility to speak up when people were in danger. In those days it was a common security measure to post a watchman on the city walls. When an enemy approached, the watchman was responsible to sound the alarm by blowing a trumpet. When he faithfully warned of coming danger, the watchman had done his job whether or not the people chose to heed the warning. If he failed to warn the people, though, their blood was on his hands.

"Son of man," the Lord said, "I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me" (Ezekiel 33:7). The prophet couldn't control the response of those who heard his words, but he was responsible to faithfully proclaim the warnings God gave him.

Like Ezekiel, the Lord calls us to be watchmen—a strategic but difficult assignment in today's world. Life isn't a game, but many just want to play around. Eternity hangs in the balance, but many believe the lie that momentary pleasure is life's main goal. Ethical choices have enormous implications, but our jaded world is adept at evading responsibility. Christ provides the only sure hope when we die, but skeptical postmodernists reduce him to one of many options or dismiss him altogether.

Sadly, no matter how clearly and lovingly we express biblical truth—no matter how reasonably and passionately we present it from the pulpit or in personal conversation—some will ignore our warnings and shrug us off. But regardless of the response, like watchmen on the wall, we must faithfully proclaim the Word of God. After all, it's dangerous—even cruel—not to sound the siren when a deadly storm approaches.