"WATCHMAN, WHAT OF THE NIGHT?"
“WATCHMAN, WHAT OF THE NIGHT?”
These verses in chapter 21 will be familiar with many, as they are much used in the gospel testimony, and rightly so, and I have read them particularly to call attention to the obvious spiritual meaning of Dumah, connected as it is with Edom, that is Esau. It describes a state of soul in that nation — Esau being the twin brother to Jacob, and of whom it was said that the elder should serve the younger, and who in time became in character an antagonistic enemy of God’s people, although related to them after the flesh.
Now the state of silence prevails, hence the burden of Dumah, which means silence; not silence in regard to ordinary affairs and the usual conversations current in the world today, where they will talk about the weather, the nations, wars, and all such current topics, but silence in regard to God — silence in regard to eternal matters, as is seen in thousands and millions of people today throughout christendom.
The word, as I said, describes a state. It is the burden of Dumah. Is it perhaps the burden of some parent here, whose boy has no interest in the things of God, whose girl would rather go to the theatre than hear the word of God? The burden of such hearts is great. It is a question of indifference to God — they will talk of anything else.
It is a remarkable thing that the papers are full of trifles, filling page after page, so proving that the editors and proprietors of papers are feeding a certain state of soul. Correspondingly magazines and current published books, in great volumes, are of a most trifling character. This current trifling state of soul is in men, women and children. They have no [p. 337] interest in the things of God, no interest in the welfare of souls, the eternal welfare of souls. They will talk of football, tennis, horse or boat-racing and all these matters that are in themselves really nothing, they occupy the general mind at the present time. The soil is most sterile, yet God is not giving up.
Is there anyone here who would call out of Seir, who would inquire as to the night? Not the latest game or the newspaper, but “Watchman, what of the night?” The voice is serious, it inquires what of the night, and the watchman is awake — not taken up with the trifles that are current at the present time, he is the watchman, the representative of God, the watcher of souls, and here he hears the inquiry from Dumah. Someone is awakened, someone is affected by something serious, maybe the loss of his wife, taken from his side suddenly, or perhaps sudden incurable illness of self, loss of position — any such things God uses to pierce the soul hitherto so adamant to the overtures of God.
The soul wails, but he calls to the watchman, he knows whom to ask. Many go to the wrong man. There was Naaman, that man of great distinction in his country, but was a leper — that loathsome disease. He heard the watchman, heard of the prophet in Samaria through the little domestic maid in his house, and instead of going to the prophet, goes to the wrong man; he went to the king of Israel, to the wrong man.
The devil diverts many with patent medicines, making no headway, like the woman that suffered of many physicians and only grew worse. This cry is directed to the right person, this wail from Dumah. He is the watchman of God, connected with Jesus in heaven as the great Watchman, and another Watchman, the Spirit of God on earth. All the servants of God are ready to hear and to help. So the watchman says. “The morning cometh, and also the night”. Isaiah 21:12.
[p. 338] He did not send back the message, ‘Why do you ask of the night?’ Young people look for the night; from the morning they look forward to some place of amusement for the night, the devil always being busy providing something for the evening, and the inquiry is, “What of the night?”
This cry from Dumah is not about that. There is a solemn sense of judgment pending, he has the sense that something will happen, is awakened to the seriousness of no response to God, something pending, something that has to be met, and nothing to meet it with but a load of sins upon his shoulders, a misspent life, and something to answer to God for his history of lawlessness, worldliness, and disobedience. How are you going to meet it?
The watchman said, “The morning cometh”. We say the morning has come. The instructed christian knows the morning has come for the soul that cries to God, for Christ has been dead, and has been raised again for our justification. Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God, and have access to the favour wherein we christians stand. There is no night for us in this sense. We are standing in divine favour through His blood.
The Philippian jailor addresses a question to the watchmen of God, those sufferers in gaol with their feet in the stocks, and inquires of them how to be saved. The answer was unequivocal, far beyond the expectations of the jailor. “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house”. Acts 16:31 What an answer to the night that was indeed in his soul. Silence to God marked him, that cruel Roman jailor, who mitigated in no way the suffering of those prisoners. Now the light of God comes in, and he is now inquiring. His soul was in darkness, but at last he knows he is lost.
Is there anyone here who has never accepted the [p. 339] fact that he is lost? You will all remember in Luke 15 how it is said about those things lost, the lost sheep, the lost money, the lost son, all are lost and all found. Now maybe someone here has never accepted himself as being lost. We do not know, but God does. In 2 Corinthians 4:3 it says, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not”. 2 Corinthians 4:3. If Satan has succeeded in blinding the eyes of a soul till he dies, he will be lost for ever.
In Luke 15 we have not only the lost sheep, lost money, lost son, but all found, all being found and saved. That is what this meeting is for. If there is anyone here who accepts this in their own soul, and is honest about it, there is hope for you. The next question will be, What can I do to be saved? You want to be saved. The apostle Paul says that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes, and most here belong to this class. To us the cross is no reproach, we love it, it is the power and wisdom to us. As soon as you accept a lost condition, the next question is how to be saved. You will not be among the Dumahites now — eternal matters will come topmost in your soul. How am I going to get right with God? You have to do with God, as you have to meet Him at the judgment-seat, and how will things go with you if you refuse the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is coming with His holy myriads to execute vengeance on those who obey not the gospel? This is no time for silence in these matters — there is no time to spare. There is a time to be silent, and a time to speak, and if you are in the lost state it is the time to inquire.
It is the business of the Lord’s people to answer all questions asked. The Philippian jailor asked and was answered, and moved at once in the light of the answer. Others called had equally decisive answers, and put matters off, as did Felix, “Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee”. Acts 24:25.
[p. 340] The Spirit of God is serving here as you sit on the seats there. God will not always strive with you, but is doing so now.
The world at present is in reconciliation. Perhaps you have never heard that word before — the world is in reconciliation. The world murdered Christ, and persecuted His people, but God is now looking favourably upon them, not imputing trespasses, but is proposing forgiveness, is offering the worldling forgiveness.
The Lord Jesus said to the apostles before He went to heaven that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem. For nineteen centuries this wonderful testimony has been going out in spite of the guilt of the world. God is not holding trespasses against men, is not willing that anyone should perish, but waits in patience for all to come to repentance and be saved. The word here is “if ye will inquire, inquire; return, come”. Isaiah 21:12. That is the attitude of God. If a soul is really convicted — aroused to the seriousness of the position, we would say, “return, come”; the word ‘come’ is very striking.
There are volumes in the gospel, and it is the question of believing it, of you looking into it. It is the power of God. Give it scope — apply it to yourself — it opens out to us and illuminates the soul. You need salvation every day.
Some souls are satisfied for years with a verse of Scripture, or with something such-and-such a preacher said; well, thank God for that much, but that is a very poor state of soul. We should prove salvation every moment, and prove the gospel for ourselves. You will see treasures you could never exhaust: the glad tidings of the unsearchable riches of Christ!
[p. 341] Oh! the folly of hanging to one text of Scripture, and depriving yourself of such riches. Return, inquire, and as you inquire the truth of the gospel opens up, and you will see it is infinite and unsearchable. Why be a pauper spiritually?
I am not trying to unchristianise you at all, but if you believe in the gospel, it is infinite. See what is put in your hand! See how victorious and rich God would make you! Salvation is not only from the wrath to come, but also from this present evil world. Do not look at your salvation as merely historic, that is a very poor way of viewing it.
We shall now go on to the passage in Isaiah 62. Is there any exercised person here tonight, especially a person who realises the seriousness of the night? If so, many are here ready to speak to you, and the Lord is waiting to unfold the gospel to you. In Luke 15 the shepherd comes to the sheep, and the woman sweeps the house to find the money, but the father waits for the returning son. The returning son is the culmination of the chapter. There is the seeking, and the sweeping, but there is movement on the part of the lost one to God. The son returns. The sheep did not move — it was God; and the money was found, but the prodigal moved to the father. There was intelligence in him, he weighed up the actual facts of the case — “I will arise and go to my father”, Luke 15:18 which means a sinner going to God, steady logical movements based on facts. He knows that in the father’s house there is bread to spare — “and I perish with hunger!” Luke 15:17. But he has to go to the father, not his father’s house come to him. He says, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son”. Luke 15:18,19. Note, he sinned against heaven, but also sinned before his father’s eyes. He makes a distinction between God and heaven. He was awakened to a sense of responsibility [p. 342] May God grant that someone will move that way tonight.
God is looking out for the returning ones — His eyes pierce the distance and that is going on tonight. He is looking for a movement in your heart. Not because I say it, but the word of God comes to you. The sheep does not move, it is so foolish, or the money, but the man has intelligence, and says, “I will arise”.
He moves, has intelligence. The sheep has none, the money none, but the man has a spirit in relation to God. As soon as you move, God runs to meet you. He is here tonight to do it.
I have the children of the saints in mind. Perhaps some are like Dumah, no interest in the things of God, no interest in the morning reading. Presently one says, ‘Father, I am not happy’. Thousands of cases are like that. “Watchman, what of the night? ... inquire; return, come”. As I said, the gospel is for all — I am speaking to saints as well as the unsaved. The apostle Paul would have liked to hear Peter preach the gospel, and Peter would have liked to hear him speaking of the infinite and unsearchable riches of the gospel of Christ.
Well now, Isaiah 62 says, the watchmen are on the walls. Indeed, it is not the ‘watchman’, but “watchmen”. Thank God for these watchmen. They are here tonight to watch for anyone who wants to be saved. They hold not their peace. God has made a great provision in these watchmen. He has set them on the walls. Jerusalem today is the assembly, and the watchmen on the walls never hold their peace. They are not in Dumah, but are concerned about young people, and the salvation of souls, and the word of God. They never hold their peace day or night; they keep not silent. Prayer meetings are of supreme importance — not merely formal ones, but when we come with burdened hearts, not depressed hearts, but hearts burdened with certain things, and so it is, “ye that put Jehovah in remembrance ... give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth”. Isaiah 62:7.
The soil was never more barren than today, but the word is, “Give him no rest ... till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth”, so there should be more results for God.
Well, that is what I had to present tonight: inquire, return, come. Give God no rest till something is accomplished for Him.