March 21, 2025

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Come, all you beasts of the field, come and devour, all you beasts of the forest! Israel’s watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep.” (Isaiah 56.9-10)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

His people. Yes, His people and more who made the choice to be His people. The sharp contrast between verses 1-8 and then that of 9-12 couldn’t be more noticeable. Perhaps that is why so many desire to ignore it. They are the ones, or is it “we are the ones,” who say “He must be talking about someone else, not me.” What is so critical about verses 9-12? It is that God is speaking to the very “people” to whom He first revealed Himself as being “their God.” God is directing a word against those who should know more and better about what it means to be “God’s people.” We are told of the consequences of their choices to either “ignore their appointed service” or to “take advantage of their position to serve their own desires.” In either case, “they” allow sin to guide them in execution of their duty. I struggled to find the best word for that description praying that the right phrase would be given. “Execution” of their duty is quite fitting. Throughout Isaiah’s “word from the Lord,” we have seen its application as speaking to the people in their “here and now” as well as to the projected future where God’s people would be found. At first reading, we might interpret “execution of their duty” to mean the use of their resources to fulfill the requirements of their position as watchmen. The role of the watchmen were to be “on the alert,” the advanced notifiers, of any and all who would approach the city. Set as sentinels on the wall, it was the duty of the watchmen to keep an eye out for the coming of any threat which would be set against the city and her people. If the alert was given and the people took heed, then they would be prepared (at least in the state of preparation) for whomever was coming being they friend or foe. The most urgent context for the watchmen was to be on the lookout for the approach of an enemy. If the alert was given and the people ignored it, then the watchmen was no longer culpable for whatever happened to the people. The watchman may be killed along with the people but he would be justified on earth as in Heaven. If, however, the watchmen did not execute their duty, and instead ignored the enemy or ran away to keep themselves save, then they would be held accountable for whatever happened to the people. They may all still be killed, but it would then be the people who were seen as “innocent” and thus justified on earth as in Heaven. The watchman would receive “a fate worse than death” for their dereliction of duty. In other words, the false watchman “executed,” or put to death, their duty by setting it aside and put their own self-interests first. [Two examples of this come to mind at the moment: the five foolish virgins who did not tend their lamps and when the bridegroom approached, were literally and figuratively “left in the dark” and Judas of Kerioth who led both Temple and Roman guards to where Jesus was so He would be arrested, judged and punished for failure to “execute His duty.” For the “foolish virgins,” the consequence of their actions was apocryphal as they missed out on the “wedding party” or the restoration of the Messianic kingdom. For Judas of Kerioth, in his grief for not seeing the truth himself, he took his own life and missed the glory of the Kingdom of God as it was announced by Jesus Christ himself, the true watchman of Israel.

I spoke of the “future” application of the watchman image. In mentioning Judas of Kerioth and the “five wise and five foolish bridesmaids,” there is a revelation of what would have been future to those in Isaiah’s day but is past for our own. We become the “future” envisioning of the watchmen set at the city gates and on the city walls of our own communities, even if it is no more than “our house is our castle.” For me, this context becoming the Church who is the watchman/watchmen (not gender specific) for the community of faith and the community-at-large. This is a striking accountability statement proposed for the Church as the body of Christ. If we take into consideration the image presented in verses 1-8 of chapter 56, we are struck by the mercy, grace and willingness of God to honor “any” who choose to pursue the life of righteousness which God offers. It was for Israel to be that “light of truth” set on a hill to draw all people to God. The opportunity was for Jew and Gentile to dwell in the safety of God’s pasture under the shepherd’s care. The shepherd was a watchman. In that stark contrast mentioned before, however, the abandonment of that shepherding duty which was given to Israel (we cannot simply heap it on the “leadership” of Israel but on all people) would reap the disaster of judgment and the “execution of duty” for the failure to complete the service assigned and given.

Of course, we see the extension of the “suffering” watchman concept in Isaiah which happens prophetically in Isaiah’s day and in reality in Jesus’ day. Jesus sounded the alarm of the approach and the presence of the Enemy of God and humanity. He sounded the alarm of realization that false teachers, prophets, leaders and shepherds were in the midst of the flock of God’s people, Jew and Gentile and especially of those who were considered outcasts by whatever definition was used in either community. The enemy came, resided and “executed their duty.” The watchman, Jesus, lost His give surrendering it for the sake of the people. He stood the ramparts to the end. He did not run nor surrender. He laid down His life for the sake of “all others.” He even cried down from the cross “Father, forgive them as they do not know what they are doing.” Why did they not know? Because they had allowed themselves to be blinded to the truth by pursuing their own understanding. They failed to heed the warning of the watchmen down through the ages to their present day. So blind were they that they embraced the enemy of righteous friend and the righteousness (or righteous One) of God to be the enemy. In executing His duty, Jesus was executed. He would be deemed righteous and innocent by God on earth as in Heaven and restored to life on earth as in Heaven. But for those who failed to receive Him, honor Him and follow Him all the days of their lives? Well, we can go back to those foolish virgins, Judas of Kerioth and even the impenitent thief on the cross and see for ourselves the consequence of those actions. In the words given to Isaiah, “Come, all you beasts of the field, come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!” (56.9) Which will you choose?

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness which we know is folly but righteous works which declare Your glory and further witness the truth that can set all who believe free from death. So may we live by the name of Jesus our Christ. AMEN.