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Day 128: Past the Watchmen (SoS 3:3&4)

 The watchmen who go about the city found me; I said, “Have you seen the one I love?” Scarcely had I passed by them, When I found the one I love. I held him and would not let him go, Until I had brought him to the house of my mother, And into the chamber of her who conceived me. (Song of Songs 3:3‭-‬4)

The first example of a watchman in the scriptures is Abraham. Abraham was a friend of God and rightly so. God said concerning him in Genesis 18:17:

...“Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing

Another remarkable intercessor in the Bible is Moses. Psalm 103:7 says Moses knew God's ways but Israel only knew His acts. Moses many times because of that privilege deterred God from destroying Israel in the wilderness when they provoked God.

Men who faithfully stand in their place as watchmen become friends of God. Because they take on a task that is most dear to God, such men are privy to knowing God's heart, character, and plans.

Whether a spiritual leader or just a church member, faithful watchmen know God. But even though they know God and know how to find Him, no man can find God for another. Every man must embark on his own search. The watchmen did not find her Beloved for her, she found him by herself. We cannot dismiss them, however. She ended the first two verses of this chapter with the phrase ‘but I did not find him’. This time however she said instead:

As soon as I had left them, I found the one I love... (New Century Version)

Even though the Bride didn't find her Beloved where the watchmen were, their presence indicates the Beloved's proximity. Watchmen are essential guides, knowledgeable and experienced in spiritual matters. When they are effective at their jobs, they find those hungry for God and desperate for Jesus before danger does. They are never far from the Lord. No watchman watches effectively when far from Jesus. So when you find a true watchman, Jesus is close by. They are able to only point the way and instruct individual Christians as they search.

Isaiah 30:20-21 (Message Translation) says:

Just as the Master kept you alive during the hard times, he’ll keep your teacher alive and present among you. Your teacher will be right there, local and on the job, urging you on whenever you wander left or right: “This is the right road. Walk down this road.” 

And Jeremiah 6:16-17 says:

Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls... Also, I set watchmen over you...

When we find ourselves in tough seasons we must not seek watchmen but seek the Lord with the aid of watchmen. They know the ancient paths but it's our choice to walk on them. If we do not walk on the ancient paths, we can never find God.

In the Old Testament, men relied on the prophets for divine direction. In the New, we have the same Holy Spirit who came upon the prophets residing within us. We have the privilege of receiving guidance directly from God.

Watchmen, prophets, spiritual overseers, and mature believers should never be the final authority over our lives. God in His love uses them to point us to the right path. However, we must have a corresponding witness in our hearts from the Holy Spirit to follow. We must never settle for the spectacular or a man when God is always within reach.

Nothing and no man can satisfy a heart that truly wants Jesus. Mary Magdalene in John 20 remained at Jesus' empty tomb after others left until she saw the One her soul loved.
To stay with the watchmen is to settle for another kind of safety and comfort. We must be willing to go past the watchmen.

When the Lord called Samuel in 1 Samuel 3, he heard the Lord's voice as Eli's. When he responded to Eli, Eli guided him to respond to the Lord.

In John 3, after John the Baptist pointed out Jesus as the Messiah, His disciples complained of losing the crowd to Jesus. John replied in verses 28-30:

You’ve heard me tell you that I am not the Messiah, but certainly I am the messenger sent ahead of him. He is the Bridegroom, and the bride belongs to him. I am the friend of the Bridegroom who stands nearby and listens with great joy to the Bridegroom’s voice. Because of his words, my joy is complete and overflows! It is necessary for him to increase and for me to decrease. (The Passion Translation)

We point men to Jesus and do all we can to help them safely follow, step back, and watch joyfully. It is crucial that we direct men to Jesus and follow only counsels that point us to Jesus.

PRAY WITH ME:
My Beloved Jesus, let my desire be for You alone and no one else. Open my eyes to see the men You've placed as watchmen around me. Let all that I say and do point men to You. Amen.

REFLECT AND ACT:
  • Do you know who God set as watchmen over you? Do they direct you to Christ?
  • Do you seek Christ for yourself, know His leading, and follow His Spirit?
  • Are you helping others find Jesus? How can you do it more effectively?

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