Israel is Blowing the Trumpet

Scripture: Son of man, speak to your people. Tell them, "If I bring war on this land and the people take one of their citizens and make him their watchman, and if the watchman sees war coming and blows the trumpet, warning the people, then if anyone hears the sound of the trumpet and ignores it and war comes and takes him off, it’s his own fault. He heard the alarm, he ignored it—it’s his own fault. If he had listened, he would have saved his life." Ezekiel 33:2-5

Observation: The Lord gave Ezekiel a mission as 'the watchman'. His mission was to speak what the Lord said. If the people listened and obeyed, great! If the listened and disobeyed, that was on them. However, if Ezekiel failed to deliver the message, their resulting disobedience was on him. In this manner, over and over again Ezekiel was also the metaphorical example of all of Israel ... he was the one example of what an obedient Israel was supposed to be like, and then an example of the punishment to come on the disobedient people.

In this same manner, Israel is, in fact, the watchman. They are the people-group on the spiritual wall, looking out for war - the spiritual attacks of evil in the world - to come. When they see it, they sound the alarm, and if we ignore it, the fault is ours and the resulting punishment is upon us.

Application: Today ... and I mean literally today, this very day, this very hour and day and week and month ... Israel is sounding the alarm. Are we listening??

I was on a business call with a colleague in Israel this morning - again this very day - and I started the call the asking how she is, and encouraging her by letting her know that our hearts and prayers are with Israel. She cried and told me of her son who is on the frontlines, stationed on the Gaza border, and she hasn't heard from him for three weeks. But she also said how discouraging it is to know that Israel is being attacked by something that is clearly a spiritual evil, and the world is responding with ... increased antisemitism.

The people of Israel are asking, does the rest of the world not understand what is going on? Doesn't every see this? How can you not perceive that this is not a war about political borders, but an evil attack on the decency of mankind?

Israel was and is assigned by the Lord to be the watchman. Israel is blowing the trumpet to declare war is coming, warning the people of the world. ANYONE who hears the sound of the trumpet and ignores it ... they will be carried off by evil, and it will be their own fault.

Prayer: Lord, I hear the trumpet, and I am prepared to fight the spiritual war against evil. This is a spiritual war, the evil influence of satan striking at you, Lord, and at the goodness of your love, and at your promises found in Jesus. I stand on the side of you, Lord, and therefore on the side of Israel, and on the side of your promises, and on the side of your commands and instructions for our lives. Amen.