ICS Daily Devotions
Repairer of Broken Walls
Ezekiel 22:29-31 (NKJV) The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger. 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. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord God.
Sometimes, we forget that while God is merciful, because He is also holy, righteous, and just, He does not tolerate sin, which us why He must judge sin and rebelliousness. Because the people in the opening passage were evil and far away from God, God commanded Ezekiel to prophesy against the sin of Jerusalem declaring that He had no choice but to judge the land.
However, because He loves us and longs to show us mercy, He sought for a man to stand in the gap on behalf of Jerusalem—someone to stand between Him and the people of the land to plead on behalf of the people, which would cause Him to be merciful towards them. Standing in the gap is the metaphor for committed intercession. The intercessor’s role is to try and repair the gaps or breaches in a wall.
Genesis 18:27-28 (NKJV) Then Abraham answered and said, “Indeed now, I who am but dust and ashes have taken it upon myself to speak to the Lord: Suppose there were five less than the fifty righteous; would You destroy all of the city for lack of five?” So He said, “If I find there forty-five, I will not destroy it.”
The above passage shows us that Abraham chose to stand in the gap by reasoning with God before He judged the city of Sodom. Abraham was asking for the mercy of God to be shown to Sodom even if there were just a handful of righteous people in there. Just like Abraham did, someone must stand between God and the people, the cities, or the nations today. While God is gracious and merciful, He cannot go against His attributes. Therefore, He is constantly looking for people to stand in the gap to intercede, or else the devil would be able to accuse Him of being unjust or violating His attributes and God would not allow that to happen. Therefore, He must look for people who are willing to stand in the gap both in the Old Testament and now.
Sermon Series: Partnering God in Prayer
