Seven billion. If the experts are to be believed, the “people odometer” clicked over a major milestone sometime in the past few days . . . this planet now houses seven billion men, women, and children. And I’m reminded that my God is aware of each one . . . that we have not exceeded His capacity . . . that none are hidden from His sight . . . that none are beyond the reach of His saving grace.
Reading in Job 7 this morning. The debate has begun . . . on the one side, Job’s friend have started the “you must have done something really wrong to deserve this” line of argument . . . on the other side, Job splits his rebuttal between his friends, pleading his righteousness, and his God, demanding God let him die or at least explain Himself. And it’s in the midst of his heaven-directed rant, that I learn something about God from these God-breathed writings:
“I loathe my life; I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are a breath. What is man, that You make so much of him, and that You set your heart on him, visit him every morning and test him every moment? How long will You not look away from me, nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit? If I sin, what do I do to You, You watcher of mankind?” (Job 7:16-20a ESV)
Get out the blue colored pencil . . . underline that last phrase . . . take note of this attribute of God . . . God is the Watcher of Mankind.
He is the Keeper of adam. He is the Guardian of those who are the most precious of all His creation . . . all seven billion of them. How amazing is that?
Say what you will about Job’s outbursts toward heaven . . . about His challenges to God for a “face-to-face” discussion about his situation . . . for, even in this, Job honors and glorifies God. He looks to God as the final arbiter of the affairs of men. He acknowledges God as the One who not only created but sustains and guards over all mankind and, as such, He lifts up the Watcher of Men as the highest authority . . . as Him who presides on the bench of the Supreme Court of all the earth . . . thus, Job pleads His case. And, through Job’s plea, I’m led to turn my thinking away from the stage of Job’s drama and toward the balcony of the One who observes all adam from heaven . . . and it fills me with a sense of awe.
Our God is the Watcher of Men . . . the Keeper of Mankind . . . all mankind . . . those who follow and those who refuse . . . those who worship and those who curse . . . those who bow the knee and those who shake the fist. Not one of us on this huge planet escapes His notice. He is the Creator . . . He is the Watchman. How big is our God? Really big!
And He is not some passive observer . . . He is the Sustainer of all things. What’s more, He is the Redeemer of all things. He has visited this planet . . . experienced it “up close and personal” as flesh and blood through His Son, Jesus the Christ. He has become Immanuel, God with us . . . and, as such, has intervened . . . paying the debt owed for transgression and rebellion . . . paying the ransom needed to rescue us from bondage of sin . . . setting us free to live as children of light in anticipation of one day being in the very light of His glory . . . sealing us with the blessed Holy Spirit, our Comforter, our resident Guide leading us home.
It makes me want to shout out Job’s words, “What is man, that You make so much of him, and that You set your heart on him?”
Oh, the expanse of the love of God . . . oh, the reach of the grace of God.
He is the Watcher of Mankind . . . all seven billion of us. Amen?
My Morning Meal 
Hi Pete,
Amen!
The amazing part to me is that after watching us He doesn’t fry us to a crisp in His righteous anger! In Ez. 20 this morning He shows us just how amazingly gracious He was to Israel (and to me/us)!
MSG© 20:9 Then I thought better of it. I acted out of who I was, not by how I felt. And I acted in a way that would evoke honor, not blasphemy, from the nations around them, nations who had seen me reveal myself by promising to lead my people out of Egypt.
Over and over again God through Ezekiel tells us how Israel has been unfaithful and should be wiped out, but then that phrase, “Then I thought better of it. I acted out of who I was, not by how I felt.” God’s character is at least as amazing as the creation.
When I think of His mercy toward us it reminds me of the last verse of yesterdays reading, ESV© 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
As you said, “Our God is the Watcher of Men.” He is the Great Watcher, Lover, Redeemer, Saiour, (and Judge) of us all!
Praise His name!
Thanks for breakfast, have a good lunch and dinner too.
Bob