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.
It was revealed in the Book of Job that the devil could not make any inroads to attack Job because God had put a hedge of protection around him, his family and his possessions. God was pleased with Job because he was a “blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:1). However, the same could not be said for his wife and children with respect to their lifestyles and walks before God. His children did evil and his wife even asked Job to curse God. Subsequently, Job’s wife and his children all died.
In the Old Testament, the hedge or wall would be lifted or broken whenever the people of God sinned against Him intentionally or followed other gods. The same applies to us today.
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 went into bigotry, idolatry, and practised injustice in spite of God’s abundant love and care. God permitted the pagan invaders to trample over the nation when the hedge of protection and the walls came down. If the people of Israel had walked and abided in the laws and statues of God, none of the curses and the attacks by the enemies would have happened. We need to remember that God is just, righteous, and holy, and it is man’s acts of sin or rebelliousness that causes a hole or a gap to appear in the hedge or wall of protection, and the gap will allow the devil to make inroads to steal, kill and destroy us.
An intercessor is someone who stands in the gap or plugs the breach caused by the enemy. God is searching for people to intercede or stand in the gap whether in the Old Testament or New Testament. Prayer and intercession move God. It invokes Him to act! Therefore, when we know of a situation, we can choose to stand in the gap to intercede on behalf of someone or a country, so that there could be a change of action or intervention by God. When we are unaware of the situation, the Holy Spirit who is omniscient, will also nudge us to intercede for others—He will mobilise prayer warriors so that God can extend His mercy and grace to the people in need.
Sermon Series: Partnering in Prayer with God through Intercession
填补破口
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？他手所做的都蒙你赐福。他的家产也在地上增多。
在约伯记中揭示了，魔鬼无法攻击约伯，因为上帝为他、他的家庭和他的财产设立了保护的篱笆。上帝喜悦约伯，因为他是一个“完全正直，敬畏神，远离恶事”的人（约伯记 1:1）。然而，对于约伯的妻子和孩子们来说，他们的生活方式和与上帝的行走并不能说是如此。他的子女行恶，他的妻子甚至要约伯咒诅上帝。随后，约伯的妻子和孩子们都去世了。
在旧约中，当上帝的子民故意犯罪违背上帝或追随其他神时，保护的篱笆或墙会被撤去或拆毁。今天我们也是如此。
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，以色列人民尽管蒙上帝丰富的爱和关怀，却走入偏执、拜偶像，并且犯下不义之事。当保护的篱笆和墙倒塌时，上帝允许异教徒入侵者践踏国家。如果以色列人民遵行上帝的律法和法规，那么任何诅咒和敌人的攻击都不会发生。我们需要记住，上帝是公义、公正、圣洁的，是人类的罪恶行为或叛逆导致保护的篱笆或墙出现漏洞或破口，而这个破口会让魔鬼进入来偷窃、杀害和毁灭我们。
代祷者是那些站在破口中或堵住敌人造成的破口的人。无论在旧约还是新约，上帝都在寻找人来代祷或站在破口中。祷告和代祷感动上帝。它唤起上帝行动！因此，当我们了解到一个情况时，我们可以选择站在破口中，为某人或某个国家代祷，以便上帝能够改变行动或进行干预。当我们对某种情况不了解时，全知的圣灵也会促使我们为他人代祷-祂会调动祷告勇士，以便上帝能够将祂的怜悯和恩典给到有需要的人们。
讲章系列：通过代祷与上帝同工