The dog waits on his chain, through the night, through the day.  Warnings come, bringing comfort to those who own the chain.

He is not a house dog.  He is more useful living outside the camp; outside the place of man.

His strength, to his owners, is not in his bite.  It is found in the strength of his nose and ears.  The eyes that see into the darkness find expression in his noise.  His bark is a warning.  His bark is help.  The wise owners learn to discern between the sounds of their dog’s barks.

One bark is for those things that threaten, because those things are not of “normal”.  But the other bark is intense, because of the things that are a direct threat; the approach of a stranger.

Left outside the camp, I am chained to watch.  Wrong approaches.  Wrong exists.  Wrong lives in the camp as well as outside.  But he is set to defend his charge.  He is not set to judge those he protects, but to warn of things “unnatural”.

“There is Sin!  There is Danger approaching!  The Living God has determined to crush all His unholy enemies!  He has spoken the Eternal Royalty of His Holy and Righteous Son!  All who stand without Jesus, stand alone before the Holy Judgment and Righteousness of the Living God.  Without Him is NO LIFE.  Only in His Holy Son’s Sacrifice is safety found.”

Thus the warning of the stranger is sounded.  Thus the restrained dog barks.  Let the wise understand and respond.  Let the dead hear and live.  Let the blind see.  Let the wise in the camp rise up and prepare themselves to receive the Glory of God.  For surely as death, The Holy Lord Jesus approaches.