The Trumpet Blower

Here in NZ, we don’t like people who blow their own trumpets. They are full of themselves and often are quite loud people who tend to rub us up the wrong way.

In Ezekiel 33 God presented to Israel the concept of a watchman - someone who would warn them of approaching danger. A trumpet blower. Failure to act quickly would have resulted in tragic consequences for the people and God was holding the watchmen accountable.

In verse 7 we read how God had made Ezekiel a watchman for the house of Israel. He was God’s mouthpiece to speak out and warn the people about the consequences of their sin.

The following verse says, “When I say to the wicked man, O wicked man, you will surely die, and you do not speak out and dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin and I will hold you accountable for his blood.”

This verse can leave us feeling uncomfortable. However, 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 plainly tells us that he (God) “has committed to us his message of reconciliation and that we are God’s ambassadors, just as if he were making his appeal through us”. Even though we might not be prophets, we are not exempt of the responsibility of speaking out, of being God’s mouthpiece, his trumpet blower.

In NZ, where political correctness is such a big issue, many of us struggle with the concept of “speaking out” and in the main, have opted for a gentler approach, that of letting our actions do the talking for us. I wonder what Ezekiel and God think of our lifestyle evangelism where the sound of the trumpet is seldom heard?

One of the things I really enjoy about working with SOWERS is having the privilege of meeting many folk who are completely given over to the cause of Christ. There are no ifs and buts and PC craziness has not tempered their desire to make Christ known to all. To them, no sacrifice is too great, be it living in very basic and uncomfortable circumstances or walking or cycling long distances over tough terrain – the love of Christ compels them to go on and the trumpet sounds out loud and clear at every stop.

Let’s be encouraged and challenged by God and his Word so that we do not grow weary and lose heart. The blessing promised to Abraham all those years ago that all the people on earth would be blessed by him still stands true for today…but only if we, as Abraham’s descendants shake off our apathy and fear and tell those around us about Jesus.

I expect to hear the trumpet sounding again in NZ and their might be some new tunes as missionaries from other nations come here to “sound the call” as we once did for them.

Murray

NZ National Director