October 12, 2024 -- Ezekiel 22:29-31 -- Jesus is the Man Standing in the Breach

29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice. 30 And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. 31 Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the LORD GOD.”
Ezekiel 22:29-31 ESV

The Bible was written for the people of God to hear the commands and decisions of the LORD of Heaven and Earth. Notice the extensive list of sins named in the passage today. In other places the prophets also add the fact that children disobey parents. Infants are sacrificed on altars. You may think smugly, we don’t do such barbaric things today. Sure it happens in this land—it is abortion. Abortion is child sacrifice. Add to the list those who are addicted. Those who have yielded their lives to controlling patterns of sin. Addictions enslaved to their addictions, when they have a moment of clarity, are aware of the devastation of their sinful, selfish ways.

What is the response of the LORD? He searches out for a man to stand in the breach—that is, someone to speak so powerfully that His people will listen. He seeks a prophet who can change the hearts of his hearers. He seeks a priest. One who receives the people convicted by the teaching of the prophet and offers a sacrifice for their sin. That is standing in the breach. For the breach is the unleashing of the wrath of God against sin and lawlessness and corruption. Finally, after the sacrifice is made, one who stands up and leads so  kindly, in strength, that frail men and women will be both protected from all enemies and led in righteousness—that is, led by the king who knows and serves God.

Dear fellow believer, this cry of the prophet Ezekiel was answered by the word of Jesus Christ. He proclaimed the sin of the people—until the people knew their need for a rescuer, they would continue to wallow in their wickedness. He came as the final, true prophet.

Jesus is the final High Priest. He laid down His life for His people so that their sins would be fully and finally atoned for and the wrath of God against sin averted.

Jesus is the final, perfect King. By His death He defeated the claims of Satan. Satan used to remind people of their sins and rebellion against God and so keep people from hoping that God ever could love them. At the cross all of Satan’s accusations were answered by the blood of Jesus so that no single wrong-doing, sin, or shred of guilt remained to be used by Satan as a leash leading people back into submission. No, every violation of God's law and all His perfect demands were met in Jesus's work on the cross. Those who believe in Him are forgiven. Now Jesus leads His people in the path of victory over their own former sinful ways. He leads in victory so that the pressures of the worldly people demanding that you conform to their ways are shown to be vile and ruinous. Jesus leads in victory over the innermost thoughts. Insecurity and fears so perfectly that they are thrown down  and defeated. Jesus declares: “Look to Me and live. Follow Me and I will lead you to the Father”.

Those who hear the testimony of Jesus and follow Him as prophet, priest and king find they now walk in newness of life. Jesus said to a religious leader of His day “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3 ESV). This new birth, or being born from above, means that the work of Jesus to stand in the breach between God and believer is so powerful, so reconciling, so perfect, that the one who receives His teaching is a completely new person. New submission, not to the Devil, nor one’s own depravity, or the abominations of the world. Never! One who believes in Jesus finds in submitting to Him there is freedom. New life. New hope.

Ah, believe me, it is hard work. Once disgrace is removed, once a believer is changed in his allegiance from serving the Devil to serving God, it is a fight to keep from following the old patterns of sin. However, Jesus stands in this breach also. He leads His people into peace with God. Jesus leads His people away from the snares and quick sands of old well-worn paths of debauchery. He leads His people away from their lostness and aimless wandering around the sinkhole of death. He leads His people by His Spirit so that this new life takes hold.

LORD God thank You for sending the Man Who can stand before You in the breach. Thank You for Jesus, Who teaches, Who offered Himself, Who leads us so that we can follow You. So often the day gets away from me and mindlessly I find myself on auto pilot going back familiar wrongs and life-controlling patterns. I confess it. I need You, Living God, to be the source of all power in my life so that forgiven in Jesus and strengthened by His Spirit I can keep going on this journey to freedom. Amen.

https://youtu.be/obtMO0X5Hp4?si=ifRQ5s_vW8Gzcq0f His Mercy Is More

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