Ezekiel 3:17
“Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.”
When God called Ezekiel to be a prophet to Israel, one of the greatest responsibilities God gave him was to be a watchman. The watchman was the person who stood in the tower on the wall and watched for the enemy. It was the responsibility of the watchman to warn those within the city of any dangers that could hurt the inhabitants. God was careful to warn Ezekiel of the grave responsibility of being a watchman.
We often refer to the watchman as the pastor of a church. We often say that the pastor is to warn the congregation of dangers that could harm them as Christians. While this is true, I believe we are too narrow in defining the watchmen. Every parent is to be a watchman of their child. Every parent, especially the father, should stand on the walls of their home and look for dangers that could harm their children. There are four duties that every parent must fulfill as the watchman.
The first duty of the watchman is to stay on the wall. You will never be the watchman of your home if you are absent from your responsibilities. Parents must stay on their watch all the time. This is not to say that you cannot have times of enjoyment, but as a parent you are to constantly watch for any dangers that the Devil may use to hurt or influence your children. Parenting is not easy and it can get wearisome, but for the sake of your children you must constantly watch for dangers. All it takes for the enemy to infiltrate and influence your children for wrong is to miss your duty as a parent one time. Don’t be AWOL in your duties.
Second, the watchman can’t be worried about being liked. There are going to be times as a parent when you are going to have to tell your children that they can’t do something. If you are concerned with being liked, you will fail in your parental duties. Parents who warn are oftentimes disliked, but if you love your children you will warn them in spite of being disliked. Stop being concerned with your children liking you and be the watchman you are supposed to be.
Third, the watchman must watch. I know this sounds obvious, but you have to constantly be alert. There is never a time when a parent can let down their guard. There are going to be times as a parent when you think your children are doing well and that is when the enemy attacks. Parents, you must stay alert all of the time. Know where your children are and what they are doing all of the time. An older gentleman gave me advice years ago that applies to this point. He said, “Never trust your children.” This may sound restrictive, but you must understand that your children are too young to know all the dangers out there. You are going to have to watch for them, and at times it will seem to your children that you are overbearing, but you are a watchman for their soul.
Fourth, the watchman must close the gate when needed. There are times when a parent will have to say, “NO!” It is amazing how hard a two letter word can be, but it can be the most protective word a parent can say. When you see friends, activities or influences that may cause your children not to serve the LORD, you are going to have to close the gate to those influences. It isn’t easy being the watchman to your children, but you will be thankful you did when they are serving the LORD as adults.