Sunday, June 12, 2011
pm
STANDING IN THE GAP
Ezekiel 22:30
IN our lesson tonight we want to examine that phrase – “stand in the
gap” – and the context in which it is written.
We will then make some applications to the times in which we
live.
a.
Ezekiel 22:23-31 –
there was corruption everywhere
i.
He began, “Son of
man, say to her: “You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in
the day of indignation.”
This is a summary of the WHOLE.
In actuality, you can go back to the beginning of Ezekiel 22 and
you find that Jerusalem is described as a bloody city full of violence –
exploiting the innocent and corruption from top to bottom.
22:1-16 paints this dismal picture.
22:17-22 describes how the Lord will melt them and burn off the
dross that they have become.
It is described as the fury of the Lord.
ii.
The prophets
prophesied falsely
- they are described as roaring lions tearing their prey.
They devour the people (22:25).
They take advantage of the people and greedily bankrupt the poor
and widows. 22:28 says they
plastered the walls with untempered mortar speaking false visions and
divining lies in the name of the Lord.
iii.
The priests were
corrupt
(22:26) – they had defiled (profaned) that which belonged to God.
They failed to discriminate between the holy and unholy.
They ignored the Sabbaths.
In essence, they were engaged in a corrupt and immoral worship.
The types of things mentioned seems to indicate they were
offering a religion of convenience telling the people they could do
whatever they wanted to do.
iv.
The leaders
(22:27)– were described as wolves tearing their prey.
They shed (innocent) blood, acted immorally.
They took bribes to shed blood and exacted usury.
They extorted from the people and forgot God.
(Much of this is found in Ezek. 22:1-16)
v.
The people themselves
(22:29)– the rich oppressed, committed robbery against the poor and need
and strangers, etc.
vi.
God’s wrath
– see
22:13-16 – God will scatter them because of this.
vii.
NOTE:
What is disturbing to me, is that there is very much a sense in which we
find such things in our society today.
We have greedy and corrupt leaders in government, the business
world and in some cases, even in churches.
Such cannot be good.
b.
Ezek. 22:30 - The
Lord was seeking for someone, ANYONE who would stand up for truth and
defend His cause so that He could cease His wrath against Judah.
The idea of a gap was a breach in a wall.
Walls were common for protection during the time of Judah’s
history. It was a primary
defense against enemies and when built and maintained they worked.
Recall how Nehemiah rebuked the people because they had failed to
rebuild the walls of the city of Jerusalem.
As a result, God had withheld blessings and they were vulnerable.
Nehemiah, called for them to repair the walls so that God would
protect them. BUT until the walls were built, IMMEDIATE efforts needed
to be made to plug whatever breaches that were present.
That meant setting a guard.
In the book of Nehemiah we don’t find such wording, but we are
told that as they built the walls, that a defensive strategy was set in
place – a system where forces could respond where the enemy encroached
AND workers who repaired the walls (i.e. breach) with one hand and held
a weapon with the other.
(Nehemiah 1-6 tells the account of this monumental task)
Back to our text, God was seeking someone, ANYONE, who would see
the enemy approaching and take up a defensive stand where the wall was
vulnerable to stop him from entering the city.
IN THIS CASE, we were dealing with spiritual corruption and
worldliness. He wanted
someone who saw the ungodliness of its leaders and prominent citizens
and would take steps to stop it.
c.
Other similar texts –
i.
Jeremiah
5:1,
"Run to and fro through
the streets of Jerusalem; See now and know; And seek in her open places
If you can find a man, If there is anyone who executes judgment, Who
seeks the truth, And I will pardon her. “
ii.
Mal.
1:9-10, “But now entreat God's favor, That He may be gracious to us.
While this is being done by your hands, Will He accept you favorably?"
Says the Lord of hosts.
"Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, So that you would
not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you," Says
the Lord of hosts, "Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.
d.
Examples
of men who stood in the gap – some interceded for others while some
defended God. But they all
stood in the gap for what is right.
1.
Abraham interceding
for Sodom
(and Lot) – Gen. 18:23-32
2.
Moses
– Ex. 32:10-14. After
Israel built the golden calf, God was ready to destroy the people and
start over with Moses. In. vs. 10-14 – Moses appeased God’s wrath by
reminding Him of His promises.
3.
Phinehas
– Num. 25:6-9 – while Israel was dying because of their sins of Idolatry
with the Moabites in the wilderness, we read of one Israelite who
presented himself before Moses and the people with a Midianite woman.
Phinehas, a priest, went into their tent with a javelin and
thrust both of them. IN so
doing, he stopped the plague which God had sent.
24,000 had died.
4.
Samuel
– 1 Sam. 12:23 – when the people asked for a king.
They knew it was NOT what God wanted.
Samuel said, “Moreover, far be it from me, that I should sin
against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the
good and the right way.”
5.
David
as he faced Goliath –
1 Sam. 17. He stood up for
God against the blasphemous rants of Goliath and the Philistines.
He did this when the soldiers of Israel cowered.
6.
Jesus
– the ultimate intercessor – Heb. 7:25, “Therefore He is also able to
save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always
lives to make intercession for them.”
2 Cor. 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we
might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
e.
Truly, the history of
God’s people and His word has consistently shown the need for someone to
stand in the gap.
II.
Will we stand in the
gap?
a.
It is no secret that
we live in a wicked society.
There is corruption all around us.
WE see wickedness everywhere, sometimes closer than it ought to
be. We live in a society
where the Lord’s church and His word are under assault.
Our homes are being filled with ungodly values.
Our entertainment is full of profanity, blasphemy and outright
filth. Our
politicians are continually being caught up in scandals of immorality
and corruption. Business
leaders are caught cheating the poor and naïve and running greedily for
gain. Integrity is a
fleeting characteristic in mankind.
Our schools are driving any mention of God out and replacing Him
with humanism, materialism and egotism.
The religious world is filled with compromise that will allow you
to believe anything you want to, regardless of what the Bible says.
We can go on and on!
WE NEED WALLS to separate us from the ungodly and the wickedness of the
world. At times we let down our
guard and in time there is a crack in the wall.
Neglected it becomes a breach that needs to be addressed.
When these “gaps” appear, someone is needed to
stand in the gap to
keep ungodliness from creeping into our lives.
WILL WE STAND IN THE GAP FOR GOD?
Let God be true and every man a liar – Rom. 3:1-4
b.
Men and women needed
today to “stand in the gap”
i.
Elders
– Titus 1:9-10 speaks of how elders stop the mouths of insubordinate and
idle talkers.
Acts 20:28-32 warned the elders at Ephesus of wolves.
ii.
Preachers
– how we need more preachers who will declare the whole counsel of God
(Ac. 20:27). 2 Tim. 4:2-4
– the consummate text on the responsibilities of a teacher.
iii.
Teachers
- 1 Pet. 4:11 – if ANYONE
speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God.
Eph. 4:11-16 – God gave
evangelists, pastors and teachers – “for
the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying
of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and
the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be
children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of
doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful
plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things
into Him who is the head — Christ —
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what
every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every
part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of
itself in love.”
iv.
Fathers and mothers
– needed in homes to stop the ungodliness of the world.
Eph. 6:4, Col. 3:21 speak of fathers loving their children.
Heb. 5:9-10 speaks of fathers chastening their children.
v.
Men who will stand up
and defend the integrity of the home
– by being godly men,
husbands, fathers and citizens.
vi.
Churches
- to stop worldliness and false doctrine from creeping into its midst.
Eph 5:25-26 – the church is to
be kept pure. 1 Cor.
5:6 – an example.
Apathy and indifference are also
a problem – Rev. 3:15-19 – Laodicea.
vii.
God’s word
– it is no secret that it is under attack – atheism, humanism,
modernism, emotionalism, denominationalism, etc.
Will anyone stand in the gap and defend the truth at all costs?
Gal. 1:6-9, Titus 2:1 speaks the things which are proper for sound
doctrine.
c.
Will we stand up for
Him?
i.
In our own lives,
with integrity we need to stand in the gap between right and wrong.
We need to do what we can to defend ourselves against evil.
Eph. 6:10-18 speaks of putting on the whole armor of God.
Will we?
ii.
Example
– Matt. 5:16, Phil 2:15 – among whom we shine as lights.
iii.
Stand for the truth
– 1 Pet. 3:15, Eph. 4:15, Jude 3 – contend earnestly for the faith…
iv.
Between ourselves and
evil –
we are to live holy and godly lives.
We need to study the Bible for ourselves.
v.
Concerning our
attitudes
– godliness, purity,
honesty, integrity, virtue, faith, love, peace, etc.
Will we build a wall to keep these intact in our lives.
AND let that same wall keep out the evil attitudes of pride,
hatred, selfishness, jealousy
& apathy.
Based on a lesson by Don McClain