Job 1:10 (NKJV) Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
God builds a hedge of protection around His people, because He is a loving, gracious, merciful and faithful God who watches over His covenant people. There is no evil or darkness in Him at all.
It was revealed in the Book of Job that the devil could not make any inroad to attack Job because God had made a hedge around Job, his family and possessions. God was pleased with Job because he was a blameless and upright man, who feared God and shunned evil (Job 2:3), though the same could not be said of his children and his wife.
Isaiah 5:5 (NKJV) And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.
In this instance, the people of Israel had gone into bigotry, idolatry and practised injustice despite God’s abundant love and care. Therefore, God permitted the pagan invaders to trample over the nation when the hedge of protection and the walls were removed. If the people of Israel had walked and abided in the laws and statues of God, the curses and the attacks of the enemies wouldn’t have happened. We need to understand that because God is just, righteous and holy, man’s act of sin or rebelliousness will inevitably cause a hole or a gap to appear in the hedge, and this gap will enable the devil to make inroads to steal, kill and destroy us.
Ezekiel 22:30 (NKJV) 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.
According to this Scripture, God in His mercy, was looking for someone to make a wall, and stand in the gap before Him on behalf of the land, that He wouldn’t have to destroy it. Unfortunately He found no one. This implies that if we stood in the gap and interceded on behalf of someone or a country, there could possibly be a change of action or intervention by God. In the Old Testament or the New Testament alike, God is always searching for people to intercede or stand in the gap. Therefore, we must be willing to sacrifice our time to do so when we are called so that He can extend His mercy and grace to the people or the situation.
Sermon Series: I Have You Covered
你会站在破口处吗？
约伯记1:10 你岂不是四面圈上篱笆围护他和他的家，并他一切所有的吗？他手所作的都蒙你赐福；他的家产也在地上增多。
神在祂的百姓周围建起篱笆来保护他们，因为祂是一位有爱，有恩慈，怜悯和信实的神，祂看顾与祂立约的百姓。在神没有任何黑暗和邪恶。
约伯记启示我们：恶者无法攻击约伯是因为神在约伯和他的家人及产业的周围建造了篱笆。神悦纳约伯，因为约伯在神的面前是一个完全且正直的人，他敬畏神并远离恶事（约伯记2：3），但他的孩子和妻子却不是这样。
以赛亚书5:5 现在我告诉你们，我要向我葡萄园怎样行：我必撤去篱笆，使它被吞灭；拆毁墙垣，使它被践踏。
在这个例子中，以色列人顽梗，拜偶像并行不义的事，完全不顾神丰盛的慈爱和关切。正因如此，当保护他们的篱笆和城墙被撤去的时候，神允许那些异教徒在以色列四境随意践踏。如果当初以色列人遵守神的律法，行出神子民的样式，那么所有的诅咒和敌人的攻击就不会发生在他们身上了。我们需要记住：神是公正、公义、圣洁的，人的罪行和悖逆会不可避免的招致篱笆上的破洞或豁口，这个破口会给仇敌留地步乘隙来偷窃、杀害和毁坏我们。
以西结书22：30我在他们中间寻找一人重修墙垣，在我面前为这国站在破口防堵，使我不灭绝这国，却找不着一个。
根据这段经文，神因着祂的怜悯，正在寻找一个可以建立墙垣并代表这地在祂面前站立，堵住破口的人，好教祂不致毁灭它。不幸的是神寻不到任何人。这意味着，当我们代表国家或者个人，站在破口中为此代求的时候，就有可能使神改心意或作为。无论是旧约时代还是新约时代， 神一直在寻找代祷或者站在破口之人。所以当我们蒙召时，我们要心甘情愿摆上自己的时间站在破口处代祷，好教祂将怜悯恩典泽扩展给人或境况。
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