The Night Watch

As we drifted off to sleep, I listened to Carson softly snoring and felt Evelyn's toes pressed against my leg. Aw...this was peace, this was rest. Soon Evelyn woke me up, and I was just drifting off again when...

Suddenly there was a blaring alarm, my senses were slowly awakened, "Why was the fire alarm going off, was someone burning toast in the middle of the night?" Carson got up quickly, and I realized this might be a real FIRE! I grabbed Evelyn and headed out to see what was up, I met Emily in the kitchen. There was no sign of fire, and still half sleeping, I began to wave a kitchen towel at the hall smoke detector, as I had done many times before. The alarm quit blaring and we made our way back to bed. It was just after 1 am.

About 20 minutes later, we were up with the alarm again. This time I just laid in bed next to Evelyn, hoping to keep her asleep. Carson tried to reset an alarm or two and came back to bed. This continued for over an hour, the alarm going off every 20 minutes or so until Carson took the hall smoke detector down and removed the batteries. Whew! Now for some peace and quiet!

After the first alarm proved to be a false, I began to think. Why would God wake us up in the middle of the night? I tend to not believe in coincidence, so I believe if we are awakened in the middle of the night by an unusual means it's usually because God wants to get our attention. My first thoughts went to family who are terminally ill. Perhaps one of them had just passed away, and God had summoned us to pray for the family. So I prayed for everyone I could think of, and about the time the second alarm went off I was just thinking, "If God is powerful enough to set off our fire alarm, he is powerful enough to let us know why too. "

That was when my thoughts turned to watch. Had God awoken us to teach us a lesson in being watchful? I thought of the ten virgins. Five had been foolish and five had been wise, but they had ALL slumbered and slept while they waited for the bridegroom. But the five wise were the only ones to enter into the marriage when the call came that the bridegroom cometh. I've heard it said that the oil in the lamps is the Holy Ghost. The five foolish had the Word, as did the wise, but only the wise had the Spirit. And only the wise were able to answer the call when the bridegroom came.

This morning I looked up watch in an online KJV concordance. Watch, or it's variations, are referred to 144 times. Most are talking about holding a watch in the night. What stood out to me though, were the ones that talked about watching for Jesus' return.

 Mark 13:34-37 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. (emphasis mine)

As I like to do, I looked up watch in the Noah Webster 1828 Dictionary

WATCH, n. [It is from the same root as wake.]

2. Attendance without sleep

3. Attention; close observation.

4. Guard; vigilance for keeping or protecting against danger.

 

5. A watchman, or watchmen; men set for a guard, either one person or more, set to espy the approach of an enemy or other danger, and to give an alarm or notice of such danger;

 

 

To be on the watch, to be looking steadily for some event.

 

WATCH, v.i.
 2. To be attentive; to look with attention or steadiness.

 3. To look with expectation.

 4. To keep guard; to act as sentinel; to look for danger.

5. To be attentive; to be vigilant in preparation for an event or trial, the time of whose arrival is uncertain. (emphasis and the choice of which definitions to use are mine)

I love the clarity of these scriptures and definitions, and the picture they bring to mind. As we walk here on this sin cursed earth, we are cautioned to watch. Not just any kind of watch, but a diligent watch that may deprive us of sleep. A watch that is looking to that day that Jesus will return, with hope and expectation. NOT with doubt and carelessness.

 

We are also told to be that watch that cautions others along the way that there is a danger, and it is fast approaching! We do not get the leisure of only saving ourselves and our family from certain death, but we are called to warn and encourage those who aren't yet aware of the danger.

Luke 12:45-47 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

Luke 12:36 & 37 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. (emphasis mine)

 

We are comforted with these words and told to comfort one another with them also.

Isaiah 40:1-2 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.