Standing in the gap

 

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SUNDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2023 am

EZEKIEL 22 VERSES 23 – 31

“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.”

The Lord chose Zion and desired it for his habitation.  Many of the Jews claimed the Lord loved it more than anything else.  The great city of Jerusalem is on the verge of being invaded – why – because people had sinned against God and he needed to punish them.  Ezekiel exposed the past sins of Jerusalem.  He brought them into court and read their sins up to date.  A day of reckoning was fast approaching when they would be exiled to Babylon and scattered to other countries.  All that they had gained would be lost when the judgment day came.  The Lord searched for one individual who would stand in the gap.  One man to make up the hedge so the enemy would not be able to invade.  The city could not find one righteous man who would save the city from ruin.  The Lord is still looking for that one man.  We are living in a godless society today. God is looking for one person to stand in the gap, to present the gospel.

 

A potential personality.  When things seemed hopeless, a glimmer of some hope was needed.  Finding a personality for the hour of crisis was needed.  What sort of man was God looking for?  An eligible individual.  That is why he looked among his people for one specific man.  The Lord was looking for one person.  It was scarce, hard to find.  There was no-one standing nearby capable for the task.  No great potential candidates suitable.  They were few and far between.  The scarcity was there.  Is there not such a situation in our generation?  Yes the Lord has raised up great personalities in the past but where are they today?  Where is the man or woman who will stand in the gap and make up the hedge in our generation?  Bible colleges are crying out for people.  Churches are crying out for pastors.  The mission fields are crying out for people.  Where is the potential personality?  Where are the men or women for the gap?  They are scarce.  In our Saviour’s day Jesus said in Matthew 9 verse 37 “the harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.”  The need has always been greater than the workforce.  The Lord is also looking for a single man – one man to stand in the gap.  Verse 30 “I sought for a man”.  One man among many men.  There is no telling what God can do through one man.  Holy, separated unto the Lord.  The Lord works through the minority.  Zechariah 4 verse 10 “for who hath despised the day of small things?”  God used Moses a reluctant leader to bring the people out of slavery.  God used the shepherd boy Daivd to defeat and overthrow the giant of Gath, Goliath.  God used Peter a fisherman who saw over 3000 souls saved on the day of Pentecost.  The Lord has done mighty things through individuals in the past – he can do the same through one willing man or woman today.  You might ask “what can I do for the Lord, how can the Lord use me?”  Be encouraged, the master can do a great deal through you.  He can use you for his glory.  When John wrote his gospel in chapter 14 verse 12 he said “he that believeth on me and the works that I do shall he do also.”  The Lord has a great work for you to do and he can do it through you.  One person can make all the difference.  God is looking for a sensitive man as well.  Who would be willing for a new depth and heart in his experience?  To change his location and to move from where he is and stand in a gap, in a new place.  Someone wanting to do a new thing for a willing man.  Does the Lord want to bring you into a new place for himself?  To bring you to new depths and heights in your Christian experience today?  Something more greater and wonderful.  He wants us to make progress in our Christian lives and is sensitive to his leading.  He wants us to go higher up the mountain with himself.  Isaiah chapter 43 verse 19 “behold I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth, shall he not know it?”  A potential personality.  The Lord was looking for a single man, a scarce man and a sensitive man.

 

A perpetual priority.  God was seeking to place a man in a situation that would become an ongoing obligation.  He would have a great task ahead of him.  Note the project.  He was called to make up the hedge, put down a marker.  The hedge of demarcation was securely in place.  It was not to be moved or shifted.  His job was to maintain it, to make up the hedge.  Our project as faithful followers of the Lord is to make up the hedge that has been pulled down.  We are living in days when demarcation and separation has been moved, shifting away from the paths.  Everything has become acceptable.  We have an important project to make up.  We are to keep the lines of demarcation and keep the standard of God’s word.  The Lord was looking for someone to stand.  Sitting gives the impression of idleness but standing depicts a readiness.  There is no room for idleness when it comes to the Lord’s work.  We must stand our ground and do what the Lord asks of us.  Ephesians 6 verse 7 “with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men.”  His project, his portion, his place.  The Lord wanted someone to stand in the gap.  There was a specific place for this man.  It was the gap.  No need to stand in the gaps already occupied.  He needed to know the empty gap he was to fill.  Have we found our place in the Lord’s work?  Do we seek the gaps that are unoccupied?  Are we going to fill them?  There are some gaps already positioned but many are still vacant.  There are gaps in the work of God that need to be filled.  Who will step up and fill the gaps?  Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?  His passion – “before me”.  This is the Lord who is asking the man to stand.  His passion would be the Lord.  The almighty was eager to find a man who would wait before him.  It is one thing to be busy for the Lord but it is another thing to be waiting before the Lord in prayer.  What is our greatest passion today?  Is it waiting before the Lord in prayer?  Do we seek him early?  Call on him earnestly?  Do we make time for everything else but what about intercessory prayer?  Our Saviour is still looking for real intercessors.  Isaiah 59 verse 16 “And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor.”  His purpose – “for the land”.  What a great witness he would be to the heathen and ungodly.  If only he could be found by the Lord.  His godly life would spare the land from ruin and destruction.  He would be standing in the gap.  A living testimony to the grace and mercy of God.  This applies to us.  We have a wonderful purpose.  A living testimony to the grace and mercy of our Lord.  Our lives should be lived in such a way that they speak to the ungodly around us.  There are many bound for destruction who could be saved in a moment of time by viewing our Christian conduct.  That is our purpose – to be good testaments to those around us.

 

A painful possibility.  As the Lord set out in his search for eligible men to stand in the gap there was a hope of finding someone.  There was the possibility of finding one individual who would be able to make up the hedge but there was also the likelihood of finding no-one and the painful possibility became a reality.  “But I found no-one”.  How disappointing this must have been.  As God searched among his backsliding people there was no individual who could stand in the gap for him.  He could not pick out one individual with a real passion for the Lord.  If he could not find one eligible individual then what did he find?  A polluted land – verse 24 “Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation.”  A polluted people – verse 26 “Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.”.  A deceived people – verse 28 “And her prophets have daubed them with untampered morter, seeing vanity and divining lies unto them, saying Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken.”  The Lord searched.  He sought plenty of people but he couldn’t find one man among them.  He couldn’t find one who was suitable for the project who would stand in the position, who knew his place, who had a passion for the Lord.  One with a real purpose in life.  No-one could be found to stand in the hedge and make up the gap.  What a tragedy.  God is still looking for individuals.  If he searched through this land today would he find one?  What if he was to search through our own homes today?  Who would he find?  If he was to search through this church fellowship would he find one man or one woman who would make up the hedge and stand in the gap?  It would be an awful tragedy if he was to find none.  It would be a terrible reality if no-one was found to stand in the gap. We commenced by looking at the potential and the personality of the person God is looking for.  If one could be found it would make a difference.  There is a great task ahead for the perpetual priority but we noticed also the painful possibility, the likelihood of nobody could become a reality.