The Watcher

In verses 11–12, God is depicted as a “watcher,” one who carefully watches over his word to bring it to fruition. In the film Rear Window (directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions, 1954), Jimmy Stewart plays a wheelchair-bound photographer who sits by his window all day and keeps his eye on his neighbors across the courtyard. He believes one of his neighbors has committed murder, though his friends are slow to be convinced. As we watch the film, we see the character watching, studying, and documenting his neighbor’s behavior in order to bring him to justice. God sovereignly and providentially watches over his prophetic word, which is often a means to enacting justice in the world, to ensure that it is fruitful and efficacious.