When we look at the wickedness surrounding us and the problems that plague the world, we may wonder what good one person can do to fix all of it. Individually, how much do our actions impact the situation around us? From our perspective, the impact may be minimal, but God’s perspective can be much different. Consider what God told the prophet Ezekiel:
“I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one” (Ezekiel 22:30).
In the verse above, God was searching for “a man” to change His mind about destroying the people. That one man was not found, so the people were destroyed: “‘Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads,’ declares the Lord God” (Ezekiel 22:31).
This passage reminds us of the importance of our efforts as individuals. As we consider the lessons from this text, let us not think our efforts are in vain.
Summary of the Situation
God told Ezekiel, “Son of man, say to her, ‘You are a land that is not cleansed or rained on in the day of indignation” (Ezekiel 22:24). What conditions existed that caused the nation to become corrupted and deserving of divine punishment? The Lord explained:
- “There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her” (Ezekiel 22:25). “Her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the Lord has not spoken” (Ezekiel 22:28). Those who claimed to be God’s spokesmen were motivated by money and sought to profit off of the people. Rather than speaking the truth, they refused to warn about the coming judgment and only spoke what people wanted to hear.
- “Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My sabbaths, and I am profaned among them” (Ezekiel 22:26). Those who offered religious service to God and made offerings on behalf of the people blurred the lines between what was clean and unclean. They failed to make a distinction between the holy and the profane.
- “Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain” (Ezekiel 22:27). They forsook their responsibility as civil authorities to protect the people. Instead, they took advantage of them in order to gain power and wealth for themselves.
- “The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice” (Ezekiel 22:29). As a whole, the people sinned and violated God’s law, particularly by doing harm to their fellow man.
It is not difficult to see parallels between their situation and the conditions around us today.
- Like the prophets, we have religious leaders today who preach pleasant-sounding errors and refuse to teach difficult truths, and they enrich themselves while doing so.
- Like the priests, we have churches today that have corrupted the work and worship of the church by adding things that the Lord never authorized or intended.
- Like the princes, we have government officials today who accumulate wealth through corruption and enact crippling taxes on citizens to fund their extravagant lifestyle.
- Like the people of Ezekiel’s day, our society is filled with people who are only concerned about themselves and do not care if the lives of others are destroyed as long as they get what they want.
When conditions like this exist, things need to change. God identified the problem to Ezekiel. Although God was certainly capable of acting directly to address it, He instead “searched” for one to see the problem and confront it. Let us notice what God said about such an individual.
A Man Among Them
God was looking for one individual, but “a man” in particular. While there may be times when anyone may act to help address a problem, God expects men to step up. The husband is the head of the household (Ephesians 5:23); therefore, he is responsible for what happens in the family. He is also responsible for protecting his family against harm from the outside. Men are to teach in the church (1 Timothy 2:11-12); therefore, they are responsible for proclaiming truth and refuting error. Men serve as elders to oversee a local congregation (1 Timothy 3:1; Titus 1:5-6); therefore, they are responsible for leading, strengthening, and protecting the flock.
Individually, we are required to act regardless of what others do. Remember how Phinehas immediately and decisively dealt with the sin of the Israelite with the Midianite woman while the rest of the congregation was “weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting” (Numbers 25:6-8). God commended Phinehas for his action and made His covenant with him because of it (Numbers 25:10-13). We must be willing to act when we see a problem that needs to be addressed, and this is especially true for men. This is the responsibility that God has given us.
God was searching for a man “among them.” In other words, a hero would not be coming in from the outside to save them. God expected someone to step up and help his brethren. Being among God’s people means we should be ready to act. As Peter wrote, “Prepare your minds for action…” (1 Peter 1:13).
It is implied that God was searching for one among them who was aware of the situation. One cannot respond to a problem if he does not know that it exists. So we are to be “of sober spirit” and “on the alert” because “[our] adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). We cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand and expect others to do all of the watching. We need to pay attention and notice the threats that are building against God’s people today.
One Who Would Build Up the Wall
The wall was built in order to prepare for future attacks. This is an important work. Nehemiah urged those in Jerusalem to work to “rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach” (Nehemiah 2:17).
To “build up the wall” today means strengthening the church’s defenses against attacks. How do we do this?
- We first need to strengthen ourselves. Jude wrote, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith…” (Jude 20). We are “living stones… being built up as a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5), which is the church. We need to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” and “put on the full armor of God, so that [we] will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11).
- We then need to strengthen others. Paul wrote, “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). We do this as part of the body of Christ, as Paul explained to the church in Ephesus, “From whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:16).
How can we strengthen ourselves and others? This will be done using the word God has revealed to us through the apostles and other inspired men. Paul told the Ephesian elders, “And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32). If we are going to defend ourselves and others in the church against attacks, we need to know and use the word of God.
One Who Would Stand in the Gap
A gap or breach in the wall is where the city is vulnerable. There are two applications we can make from the description of one standing in the gap.
- First, to “stand in the gap” is to make intercession to God for the people. When God planned to destroy the people of Israel for their sin with the golden calf, Moses made intercession for them (Exodus 32:9-14). The psalmist wrote of this event: “Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him, to turn away His wrath from destroying them” (Psalm 106:23). We should be concerned enough about the state of God’s people to pray for them. Paul endured the “daily pressure…of concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:28). We should have the same concern for our brethren, which should prompt us to pray to God for them.
- Second, to “stand in the gap” can also refer to defending against attacks. We must be “set for the defence of the gospel” (Philippians 1:17, KJV) and take our stand against sin and error that threatens the church (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:2; Titus 1:9).
No One Was Found
Though God was just looking for one man, He “found no one.” Because of this, destruction was coming.
It is possible for God’s people to reach the point that no one is left willing to take a stand for what is right. The church in Pergamum refused to deal with those who held to the teachings of Balaam (Revelation 2:14-15). The church in Thyatira tolerated the woman Jezebel as she led disciples into immorality and idolatry (Revelation 2:20). When no one is willing to take a stand, God’s people will inevitably be “carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).
When this happens, there is no hope. We can be thankful that God intervened on our behalf by sending Christ because we could not be saved otherwise. Paul wrote, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). However, if we fail to do what we can, He will not intervene further. The Hebrew writer said, “So Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him” (Hebrews 9:28). If we do not take advantage of Christ’s sacrifice before He comes again by putting away our sin and serving Him, we will have no hope.
Conclusion
It may seem like one person cannot do much, but our efforts are not in vain. Paul reminded the brethren in Corinth of this: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Of course, we should expect our fellow Christians to be active in serving the Lord and standing for the truth. But we first need to look to ourselves. No matter what others do or fail to do, let us make sure we are doing all we can for the cause of Christ, defending the truth, and protecting others from the destructiveness of sin.
