“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.” Ezekiel 3:17
“Note, that a man whom the Lord sends forth as a preacher is called a watchman. A watchman always stands on a height so that he can see from afar what is coming. Anyone appointed to be a watchman for the people must stand on a height for all his life to help them by his foresight.”
Gregory of the Great (c. 540-604) in Ezekiel as recounted Milton Walsh in Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012) 501.
With the LORD calling Ezekiel, “Son of man,” it comes into view that Ezekiel foreshadows the work that Jesus would have. In this text, Ezekiel is told to wait for a message then deliver it.
That’s where I find myself today. I am a watchman waiting. I am preparing for my travels from 16 June to 7 July 2023 and not precisely sure what the Lord wants me to say in some of the meetings, so I will block time this week to wait on Him.
Ezekiel had to wait a week for this message. and the message was a warning. Once He got it from the LORD it was not an easy message to deliver. If God has you as a preacher and a watchman, do not cower in proclaiming the truth.
This comes into view as generosity because both the one who delivers a warning and the one who receive it get a gift from God. What is the gift? The watchman gets the opportunity to help others, and the receiver gets the help from God.
On the first Sunday in 2 July 2023 I will preach in Kharkiv. I will be with Andrey Kravtsev. He ministers there. Jenni and I along with Michael and Nina Cherenkov will deliver aid to him.
We will also discuss the formation of an alliance with Christian workers like him across the former Soviet Union. GTP has been asked to help ministries follow standards and rally local support.
I shared this a couple days ago. If you missed it, watch the video here. And please help send us. Make a gift to GTP today. Click here. And say a prayer for me, as a watchman, to wait for the message from the LORD and be bold to proclaim it.
And what about you? Has put you in a key spot to receive and deliver a message? Is it time to proclaim that truth to others? I just might be the most generous thing you do today, this week, this month, even this year.