The story of a watchman

The watchman I speak of is the night watchman of the ancient days. He is called watchman because he keeps watch, keeps awake, throughout the night guarding the town with its people, livestock and wealth.

Time, during those days were divided into first watch, second watch etc.
Thus the modern wrist watch we use got its name which was later abbreviated to watch.

Watchman is the guard of the town, it's people and all precious things in the town during the night. He never sleeps.

He is an image for one who waits hopefully and patiently for the dawn of success in his life.


The life of a watchman and a shepherd share certain similarities. Both are entirely different professions. But they both go through nights and nights of loneliness. They perform the important duty of protecting, but are left to bear the loneliness of the night all alone. They were the time keepers through out the night, but time always moved slower for them.

During the ancient days Middle East towns were formed by people living together. They were afraid of neighbouring enemies and wild animals. So they had night watchmen to guard the town people throughout the night.

The appointed watchman takes charge by the dusk. As he takes charge as the watchman for the night, a trumpet is blown to let the whole town know that it is dusk. It is time to go into their house, lock it safe and sleep in peace. The trumpet announces the beginning of the curfew time. As soon as the people hear the trumpet, they go into their house and prepare to sleep. They sleep in peace because the watchman keeps awake.t

Before they sleep, the watchman man goes to every family, knocks at their door and asks two questions:

1. Have you put off the fire in the kitchen- because they were afraid of fire hazards th
2. Have you locked your house safely.

The watchman takes the responsibility of guarding the town from enemies- both human and animal.

The night starts. Everybody retreat to their safe house. Lights are put off. Sounds of human whisper stops. The watchman is left alone. He feels the first pinch of loneliness.

Darkness thickens as time moves forward. Loneliness grows along with the hardening night. There is no solace around him. No comforting words, No light and no friends. There is only the sound of deep sighs coming out of the watchman.

He looks around. The darkness is thickening. He prays. He does all that he can do. Still the darkness thickens.

No relief, no deliverance, no support. Only thickening darkness

Still, He is hopeful

There is an unchanging universal law decreed by the creator of this world. The sun will surely rise in the morning. Night is not the last phase of time. Night is always followed by a bright morning.
Night is an assurance that a beautiful morning is just waiting beyond the bent. Morning has never failed to follow the night. No night could ever stop the rising sun. The same will happen to this night also.

Morning will come. It will not tarry, nothing can stop it. Every morning comes with refreshing sunlight.

At certain circumstance we may feel that the night we go through is unusually long. We may be left alone. Loneliness may be our plight. It may seem that none of our prayers are heard by God, because we get no answer. We look around and see only the thickening darkness that is growing.

Do not lose hope. A bright and refreshing day for us is already appointed. It will come. It will not tarry. Nothing can stop it. It is sure to come with new vigour, new power and with the freshness of a morning sun.

Professor Jacob Abraham