In Ezekiel chapter 22 the prophet explains that the punishment of God must fall on the Israelites because of their sin. He tells them that in verse 15 that He will "scatter them among the nations". Ezekiel goes into much detail to describe the many sins of the people. All manner of society, from corrupt leaders only interested in gain, to prophets who dared to say, "Thus sayeth the Lord," as they lied; to priests who did not treat what was holy as holy; all the way down to the people, each group is called out with their sins.
How has Israel Sinned?
In verse 12 we read the root cause of all their sin. "You have forgotten me," says the Lord. Because the people had forgotten their God, they fell into sin easily. They had not honored their fathers and mothers, they had mistreated orphans, widows, the poor and the needy. They hadn't taken in the stranger, they had profaned the Sabbath, and they had gotten dishonest profit by extortion, bribes, and even murder. Adultery and incest had become rampant.
God Seeks for Someone
And so, for all of this, the Lord's wrath and judgment was brought to bear upon them. At this point, almost with a hint of sorrow, the Lord says in verse 30,
"So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one."
God desperately wanted to find a man who would "stand in the gap" so that this judgment could be avoided. As Ezekiel 33:11 tells us, God does not take pleasure in the deaths of wicked people.
Cities with Walls
In those days cities were surrounded by large defensive walls that could withstand the attacks of the enemy. If they were breached by having a gap, or a hole, put into them by the enemy, the enemy would pour through it unless the city could mount a defense to keep this from happening. Unless someone stood in the gap.
Moses Stood in the Gap
This expression is used in several places in the Old Testament. In Exodus 32:9-14 Moses prays for the people that they would not be destroyed when they are found worshipping the golden calf. In Psalm 106:23 referring to this event Moses is said to have "stood in the breach" stopping their utter destruction. When we stand in the gap, we are pleading with God to have mercy on His sinful people.
Others Stood in the Gap
In I Samuel 12:23 Samuel says "Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord, by failing to pray for you." Samuel prayed for the Israelites because they had made the sinful request of asking for a king. In Amos 7: 5-6 Amos prayed for the sinful people and the Lord decided to withhold judgement for a time. In the book of Jonah, even though initially unwilling, Jonah delivered a word to the people of Nineveh who repent and are spared judgment. Abraham prayed for the people of Sodom that for the sake of a few righteous souls it would not be destroyed. Only Lot and his family were spared (Genesis 18).
Are We Standing in the Gap?
Are we standing in the gap today with intercessory prayer for our spouse, our children, our church and our nation? According to Samuel, it is sinful not to pray for those who are potentially being judged. Looking back I know that the intercessory prayer of my mother helped to bring me back to the right path, to God. Today we know that we are blessed with the ultimate intercessor, our Savior. In John 8:34, I John 2: 1 and Hebrews 7:25 we read that Jesus is our advocate before the Father, always interceding for us.
Repair the Breach
In Isaiah 58 Isaiah says that "we are the repairer of the breach" when we are obedient to the commands of God. Are we actively working to show love to others? Are we honoring our fathers and our mothers? Are we defending the widow and the orphan? Are we sharing food and bringing into our homes those who are cast out? Are we honest in our financial dealings?
You are Needed
Sin is what breaches the wall, sin is what tears down the wall. It is the destroyer of our soul. As our Savior stands in the gap for us, so we should for others. Through our actions and our intercessions we can affect the world around us, from our families to the halls of government. Now more than ever there is a need for someone who could be found standing in the gap.
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