The Ministry of the Watchman

Ezekiel was made a “watchman”, a person peering through a spiritual “scope” in order to warn the righteous and unrighteous of the danger of apostasy.   The New Testament term “overseer” comes from the same word used in the Septuagint – “skopon” (our English word for scope).   Ezekiel’s ministry was to scope out  disobedience and sound the warning in order to give the righteous and unrighteous opportunity to avoid the consequences of their sin.  This was to be God’s means of mercy and grace to His people Israel; herein is the ministry of the watchman defined.

The ministry of the watchman reappears in the New Testament: “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”  James 5:19-20   “Wandering away from the truth” is what the watchman is to "scope out" and warn against.   Consider the parallel verse from Ezekiel 33:12 “And you son of man, say to the sons of your people, the righteousness of the righteous man shall in no way rescue him in whichever day he should wander.”  Again in verse 18, Ezekiel is told “In the turning away of the righteous man from his righteousness, should he do lawlessness, he shall die in them.” 

The ministry of the watchman is a ministry of “turning “ men away from lawlessness.  Paul understood that this "turning away" is the key indicator of those who truly belong to the Lord. “The solid foundation of the Lord stands firm, sealed with this inscription; The Lord knows those who are His and let everyone who names the name of the Lord turn away from unrighteousness.”  II Timothy 2:19    Paul warned the Corinthians in much the same way – “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived…” I Corinthians 6:9

The ministry of the watchman is grace and mercy to both the righteous and unrighteous.   The righteous man who trusts in his righteousness and wanders away from the truth will die in his sin.  The unrighteous man who turns away from his lawlessness and does righteousness will live and the multitude of his former sins will be covered.  The watchman is assigned to make the message heard - No one will live who continues to sin without turning away.   This is the message and ministry of the watchman. 

This is what James is reminding the believers whom he is addressing.  “Brethren if anyone AMONG YOU wanders away from the truth…”   Only those who have received the truth and walked in it for a season can be described as having “wandered away from the truth.”   This verse should not be understood to be addressing those who have never believed the truth or been converted.   Turning a sinner from the error of his way is meant to rescue the “sinners” who have walked AMONG US!   Those who have once walked in the truth and wander away from it need to be turned back in order to save their souls from death.  

Paul was one of the greatest watchmen of all times.  He so understood the need of this ministry to the church that he reminded the elders of Ephesus “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. …Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.”  Acts 20

The church is in great need of instruction, but instruction without the ministry of warning falls short of God’s full grace.  The grace that brings salvation, disciplines (corrects) us to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts, so that we might live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present age.  Paul so understood the importance of instruction and admonition working together, that he described his own ministry in this way – “…to whom God willed to make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  Him we preach, warning and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”  Colossians 1:27-28

Therefore, let us be thankful for and render that cup of water to those watchmen/overseers who give themselves no rest and give the Lord no rest until they see God's people established in Jerusalem (the city of peace) that home of the spirit of righteous men made perfect.  They do this first out of love for God and secondly because they know that they will render an account for the souls under the scope of their assigned ministry.   We can help these watchmen/overseers by being submissive to them so that their work can be with joy rather than with groaning.  If the watchmen/overseers groan, they may be tempted to stop their ministry so beneficial to everyone - remember Elijah!

The prophets are the watchmen in Israel, yet they are usually dishonored in their own home town and among their own people.   Because their primary ministry involves warning those who have begun to wander away from the truth, their message brings them difficulty.   Confronting those who have wandered away from the truth has never been popular according to Jesus.  “Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely because of me….for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”   Prophets always have more persecution than popularity. The teacher is honored with the endearing title of  “Rabbi”, the prophet is derided as a “religious fanatic.”

Hosea explained the reason for this treatment “Let Israel know this. Because your sins are so many and your hostility so great, the prophet is considered a fool, the inspired man a maniac.  The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim, yet snares await him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God.”   Those who need the watchman’s ministry the most, usually welcome it the least.  Even our Lord tasted this – “He came to that which was His own, and His own received Him not.”  Jesus came not to call the righteous, but the unrighteous to repentance.  He brought the word that would heal His own people of their wrong ways and they crucified Him for it.  This fulfilled the words of the prophets - "they hated me without reason."

makrothumia