Shomerim

The Hebrew word for watchmen here is shomerim, from the root shamar, which means to keep, guard, watch, and preserve.

A Shomer Shabbat (literally, Guard of the Sabbath) is a person who keeps the Shabbat according to rabbinic fashion.

A shomer is also a security guard in Israel, such as one who is hired to watch over a group of students going on a hike close to an Arab area, or one who is a security guard at the entrance of a shopping mall.

Whenever things in Israel look dark or difficult, we who stand with the Jewish nation can take encouragement from God’s Word. 
He says that He Himself is the Shomer of Israel:

He who watches [shomer] over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. Psalm 121:4

We may also say that He who watches [shomer] over The church does not slumber or sleep.

The watchmen (shomerim) appointed by God on the walls of Jerusalem could be angels, such as those who patrol the earth in Zechariah 1:11, or the one who fought against the Prince of Persia on his way to minister to Daniel in chapter 10 of the Book of Daniel.

We think of angels in the bible as supernatural spirit beings and so they are, but when we look at the meaning of the word, an angel can also be regarded as a messenger, or angelos. This means that a human being, when sent on a specific assignment by God, could be classed as “an angel”. Be careful however in loosely applying that term.

We may however regard ourselves as watchmen, especially over Jerusalem. Thousands of prayer warriors around the world continually pray for the shalom (peace) of Jerusalem. It is reported that in South Korea, for instance, hundreds of Christians get up daily at 4 a.m. to pray for Israel. We can’t we?

Guarding Israel in these ways is the desire of God’s heart, as He tells the Prophet Ezekiel:

I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before Me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one. Ezekiel 22:30

To help with this problem, still present today, God appointed Ezekiel and other prophets as His watchmen.

Watchmen warn of danger, but they also tell us of good news.

God often calls the prophets His watchmen. He told Ezekiel:

Son of man, I have made you a watchman [tzopheh] for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. Ezekiel 3:17

 The Hebrew word for watchman here is tzopheh, which comes from the word tzaphah (), which means to look out, spy, or keep watch. So serious is this position to God that He said He would hold Ezekiel accountable for the deaths of those he was told to warn and did not.

If the watchman [tzopheh] sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman [tzopheh] accountable for their blood. Ezekiel 33:6

This was the call of the prophets in ancient Israel and it is still the basic ingredient of genuine prophets today.

One element involved with them is that they want to draw people closer to God. They point to the Lord and speak of His kingdom and they only speak when He speaks. If anything, they try to stay out of the limelight and John the baptist is a great example.

Many of the “prophetic movements” and “prophetic ministries” today do not really operate like that. Most of them want to give nice sounding words to tickle itching ears. Many seem to “give words” on a regular and frequent occasion. Test them! Some may speak only on judgmental terms and speak of impending judgment, doom or disaster, whilst others like to concentrate on “end time events” or “prophecy” as such although there may be times perhaps when that is acceptable. Again, I say to test the spirits!

One of the best illustrations of New Testament prophets and their messages is seen in Acts when Agabus correctly warned Paul of what he faced if he went to Jerusalem. He also warned of a drought that was coming for the specific purpose of telling God’s people to prepare themselves for it. A genuine prophetic word from the Lord should also include a solution. It’s like warning people that a cyclone is coming and to prepare for it. It is up to them to act appropriately.

For a wide range of reasons, some of which are legitimate because excess and abuse, the ministry of a prophet of God today is not always well received, despite being ”set” in The Church as a valid and necessary ministry gift.

Jesus sent 72 of His disciples throughout Jerusalem to share the Good News that the Kingdom has come near, it also came with A Warning for those who rejected them. He said in Matthew 10:15:

It will be more bearable on the Day of Judgment for Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.

The Lord also told us that a genuine prophet is not always accepted in his own town or country. We may perhaps add the word “church” in many  circumstances. Sometimes a real prophet is very unpopular in churches because they may ”see things” that upset the status quo. They are not there to ““challenge” the pastor or leader but to help, but the pastor can feel threatened , often to the pointof being hostile for some strange reason.

I do not understand it.

Quite often, we need to become watchmen over our own hearts and minds.

When the Prophet Habakkuk complained to God, he stood as a watchman, looking for something.

I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Habakkuk 2:1 Note my emphasis.

That was personal. He made a quality decision to do something, to stop and listen to what God had to say to him, and no one else and then act on it. He stood at his post and stayed put until he heard God speaking to him.

When we hear a word from God, we must be prepared to actually do it. James indicated that if we do not do that, we are sinning.

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. James 4:17

That challenges me. We all want hear from the Lord I suppose, but if and when He speaks, we have to follow through. Sometimes it’s hard to do that.

He might ask us to do something we do not want to do, or stop doing something we like to do. He shook me to my very foundation many years ago when He told to walk away from my church and close it. I had planted other churches previously and other men were appointed to become their pastors, but the Lord told me to leave the denomination to which I once belonged and that was heart wrenching. This time I started a new church alone and it was growing, but He told me to leave! I arranged for the people to attend other churches, but just before I moved to South Australia I held “home church”. I am coming the opinion that this was the original pattern and one that is returning.

Many of my pastor associates thought I had lost the plot. One even told me to my face that I was deceived and needed deliverance but his church imploded and the people left him. Others failed and some went through scandals, many of which were financial and quite a few fell morally. That was a large Pentecostal denomination.

I think the lesson is not to touch the (genuine) anointing.

What I am discovering that the Lord is Israel’s ultimate watchman and He is the ultimate watchman of His Church and that we are all called to be watchmen.

Notzrim

In Israel today, a Hebrew word for “Christians” (those who follow Christ/Messiah) is Notzrim, another word for watchman. It is not as common in scripture as shomer or tzopheh.

Notzri, which means watchman, guardian, or overseer is notzrim is in the plural! It comes from the root natzar, which means to watch, guard or preserve.

Close analysis of the meanings reveals a key element of prophets and prophecy. We are to watch over, guard and preserve the truth as if it is a treasure. Jesus revealed truth and expects us to do likewise. The Holy Spirit reveals truth and helps us to do likewise.

It’s a beautiful word in Scripture as it describes the Lord’s oversight in keeping Israel (and His church) precious and safe.

In a desert land He found him [Jacob], in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him;
He guarded [natzar] him as the apple of His eye. Deuteronomy 32:10

In the Hebrew, the apple of His eye is often known as the little man in the eye. It means the pupil of the eye of course, but also means pupil as in student—or as a disciple. God wants to have such a closeness of intimacy of relationship with us that it is as if He gets up so close, our noses touch and He can see His own reflection in the pupil our eye. It also infers that if we get close enough, we too can see ourselves mirrored in His eye.

You are my hiding place; You preserve [natzar] me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7