Sermon #54 Series: Isaiah

Title: Watchman, What Of the Night?

Text: Isaiah 21:11-12

Subject: The Watchman’s Answer To the Question -

What Of the Night?

Date: Sunday Evening - September 9, 1990

Tape #

Introduction:

“The burden of Dumah.” After reading all the commentaries I have and consulting all the authorities at my disposal, I am convinced that no one really knows who Isaiah was addressing when he said, “The burden of Dumah.” The only indication we have is the reference made to Mt. Seir, which was in Edom. So we must assume that Dumah refers to Edom and the Edomites.

In this chapter and the ones preceding, Isaiah prophesied of the judgment of God upon all the nations surrounding Judah. And they are prophecies that literally came to pass at God’s appointed time. However, as Judah represented the church of God’s elect, the pagan nations surrounding Judah were but representative of the world in which we live, the world of spiritual darkness and religious superstition.

In verses 1-10, the prophet of God foretold the fall of Babylon. While he was referring to that ancient city in a literal sense, his prophecy looked through the ages of time to the destruction of spiritual Babylon, all pagan, free-will, works religion, which encompasses and deceives the whole world - (cf. vv. 9-10 and Rev. 18:2-3).

God has an elect people in all the nations of the world whom he will call out of Babylon, that they may escape both her sins and her plagues (Rev. 18:4).

· Babylon represents all false religion.

· God does not say, “Stay where you are and try to reform Babylon.

· God says, “Come out of her!” (II Cor. 6:14-7:1).

In our text the prophet of God tells us of one among the cursed sons of Edom, or Dumah, who, upon hearing of the night of judgment and destruction, cries out for help and direction - “Watchman, What Of the Night? Watchman, What Of the Night?”

I readily acknowledge my inability to explain the detailed prophetic significance of “The burden of Dumah.” I will leave it to other men, who are either wiser or more foolish that I am, to unravel. But I am confident that God has given me the message these words were intended to convey - (Read vv. 11-12).

Divisions: I want to divide our text into four parts, which will be the four points of my message.

1. The Watchman Addressed.

2. The Question Asked.

3. The Answer Given.

4. The Watchman’s Counsel.

I. THE WATCHMAN ADDRESSED.

Who is this watchman to whom the man from Seir addressed himself?

A. Some say that the watchman is God himself.

And there is a blessed sense in which God himself is the Watchman over the world and particularly the watchman over his elect. Daniel describes the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity as watchers (Dan. 4:17).

1. Acts of watching are ascribed to the omnisient God throughout the scriptures.

· He watches over the sins of men to punish them in the last day.

· He watches over his elect to be gracious to them, to chasten them, and to bless them.

2. The Hebrew word translated “watchman” is applied to the Lord God in Psalm 121:4-5, where it is translated “Keeper” - The Lord himself is our Watchman, in the sense He is our Keeper.

· He keeps us in His Providence.

· He keeps us by His Grace.

B. Others say that our text refers to Christ, our Messiah and Redeemer.

Again, we rejoice in the fact that Christ, who is our Eternal Surety and Almighty Shepherd is our Watchman.

· Like a shepherd watches his sheep, Christ has watched over his own from everlasting, to guard us, protect us, defend us and save us.

· We are preserved and kept in his hands.

· He watches over us at all times - We are the apple of his eye.

We rejoice in the fact that the Lord our God watches over us and keeps us. We are under our Father’s eye, secure in our Savior’s hands, and kept by the Spirit of Grace.

C. But I am sure that the watchman of our text is a gospel preacher.

God’s prophets and preachers are watchmen set upon the walls of Zion to watch over the souls of men.

· Isaiah was one (21:6, 8).

· Jeremiah was one (1:5).

· Ezekiel was one (3:17).

Every true gospel preacher is a watchman set for the salvation of God’s elect (Isa. 52:8). This word “watchman” is an allusion to a shepherd who is responsible for a flock of sheep. It also refers to one who is set-up to stand guard over a city, or a garrison in time of war and unrest - (Isa. 62:6-7). God’s servants are men whose business and responsibility it is to watch over the souls of men, as they that must give account to God himself.

1. They are to warn sinners of the danger they are in and show them the way of life - Faith in Christ (Ezek. 33).

2. They are to arouse, awaken and reprove sleeping saints (Song 3:3; 5:7).

3. They are to protect the flock of God from wolves.

Note: It is a sad day when Zion’s watchmen are blind and

sleepy, ignorant and greedy. But they often are

(Isa. 56:9-11).

· God places the watchman where he would have him.

· And the watchman is responsible for the souls of those whom God has placed under his care!

4. Another part of the watchman’s work is to give the time of the night, so that God’s people may know what is past and what is yet to come.

The watchman addressed in our text is God’s preacher, whose responsibility it is to discern times and seasons, and to instruct men and women in the knowledge of the Lord. Next, I want us to take notice of…

II. THE QUESTION ASKED.

One man in Seir, who had heard the burden of Dumah, being aroused and awakened by the warning of God’s impending wrath, cried out to God’s watchman - “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?”

To paraphrase, the question is - “What has happened since nightfall? Have you observed any movement? Is the enemy near? Is danger at hand? - What can you tell me about the night of darkness and affliction which has come upon us? When will it be over? How much of the night is gone? What is there yet to come? What news do you have?”

A. There was a night of darkness that preceded Christ’s incarnation (Isa. 60:1-3) - Israel - the Gentiles.

B. And there shall be a night of great darkness that will precede our Lord’s second coming - (II Thess. 2:1-14; I Cor. 11:19).

C. Moreover, a night of darkness in the soul always precedes Christ’s coming in saving power (Ps. 107:10-15).

Holy Spirit conviction is a night of darkness in a man’s soul! But the night of darkness is the forerunner of light. The question is asked, “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?” Look at the text again and see…

III. THE ANSWER GIVEN.

Here is the watchman’s answer to the question, “What of the night?” It is honest and straightforward. “The watchman said, the morning cometh, and also the night.”

John Gill wrote - “There is a morning at hand, and a night will follow: a morning of prosperity and a night of adversity. And as sure as the one comes, so will the other. There will be a constant succession and revolution of these until the end of time.”

“In the course of God’s providence it is usual that morning and night are counter changed and succeed each other. Is it night? Yet, the morning comes, and the day spring knows his place (Ps. 30:5). Is it day? Yet, the night comes also. If there be a morning of youth and health, there will come a night of sickness and old age; if a morning of prosperity in the family, in the public, yet we must look for changes. But God usually gives a morning of opportunity before he sends a night of calamity, that his own people may be prepared for the storm and others left inexcusable” -

Matthew Henry.

Let me see if I can make a practical application of this to our own hearts and lives.

A. First, I will address myself to you who are yet in the dark night of sin and unbelief -

· “The morning cometh!” The morning of opportunity is now risen upon you. “Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart.”

· When the morning of opportunity is over, the night of awful darkness will seize you forever (Pro. 1:23-33; Luke 13:24-25).

Yet, God does not promise his people a bed of roses, filled with ease. If you trust the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of Righteousness shall shine in your soul. But, be assured, you will yet have your night seasons -

· Temptations!

· Falls!

· Unbelief!

· Languishing!

B. Secondly, let me address you who are God’s dear saints in a night of darkness - “The morning cometh.”

1. When the night of trial is over, the morning of comfort will come.

Illus: Abraham and Isaac - (Gen. 22).

2. When your night of languishing is over, the morning of revival will come.

3. But, as long as we are in this world, night will follow morning, as surely as morning follows night.

Illus: The Song of Solomon.

C. Thirdly, let me address THE WHOLE CHURCH OF GOD.

“The morning cometh, and also the night!” But, blessed be our God, there is a morning coming that shall last forever (Rev. 21:22-25).

We have looked at À The Watchman Addressed - Á The Question Asked - and  The Answer Given. Now, let me show you…

IV. THE WATCHMAN’S COUNSEL.

“If ye will inquire, inquire ye: return, come.” There is no time for trifling. I am in dead earnest. God is in dead earnest. And you better be in dead earnest. The watchman’s answer to the sinner who is alarmed by God’s impending wrath upon his sin is threefold:

A. “Inquire ye!” That is to say, “Seek the Lord while me may

be found.”

B. “Return!” Repent of your sin, your sins and your

righteousness.

C. “Come!” Come to Christ, oh come today, the Father,

Son and Spirit say. “The Spirit and the Bride

say, Come, and whosoever will, let him take of

the water of life freely.”