Ezekiel 22: 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, so that I should not destroy it; but I have found no one.”
Hedge – a windbreak, privet, border, shrubbery, from the Old English hegg, which means grasp. As a trasitive verb it means to put bushes around something, and in the intrasitive in finance it means to try to offset possible losses. So what in the world does this have to do with anything, you may ask. Well, I couldn’t figure out for the life of me why some commentaries mention being a hedge to stand in the gap when God clearly is asking for a wall. With a little research what I discovered is there are three different types of hedges, one being bushes, but the othere two being a stone wall or foundation topped with grass or shrubs. In fact, in Wales the drovers (or shepherds) lead their flocks along the Drovers Road, and at certain intervals the road makes a dogleg (or S bend). The stone hedge that lines this road creates a shelter in these bends to protect the shepherd and his flock in bad weather.
With that mystery solved an even bigger question looms that is really the crux of this text; who will stand in the gap? In Isaiah 6:8 God asks’ “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”. Isaiah replies, “Here I am! Send me.”. Now some of you undoubtedly are saying “yeah, but I’m not good enough, or Christian enough”, etc. The truth is God isn’t looking for perfection, just a willing heart. Look at who God chose at various points in the bible to lead or represent; Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Soloman, Peter, and Paul to name a few. None of these men were perfect – in fact they all fell short at various times, but allowed themselves to be used for God’s glory.
To be a hedge you will need to have commitment, courage, character, and integrity:
Commitment to keep God’s words and precepts. Are you the sprirtual leader of your home, as God has called you to be? Joshua 24:15 states “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Is the “me” you?
Courage to stand the course for your faith in God. Can you say no to the things of this world, even when you know it won’t be popular? Will you tell your daughter that outfit is a little too revealing or will you turn the channel when the program your watching becomes immoral or blasphemous?
Character to walk away when your friends or coworkers start to use course language. Godly character enough to wear the badge of “holy roller” with a broken heart for those who pin it on you?
Integrity to say I can’t do that. Do you give the extra change back when the checkout person makes a mistake? Or do you justify things by saying you’ll make it right later? God doesn’t deal in iniquity, and a man of integrity makes it right, right now!
Men, your call is to be a hedge and stand in the gap, stand up for your faith, and protect your family from the world. “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” – “Here I am! Send me.”