Jim Riddle Supporter Old, tired, retired, fat, bald, gimpy and happy

Using scripture to interpret scripture, let us back up in Ezekiel 22 to the word of the Lord in verses 19 - 22: " ‘Because all of you have become dross, therefore, behold, I am going to gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 ‘As they gather silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into the furnace to blow fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in My anger and in My wrath and I will lay you there and melt you. 21 ‘I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you will be melted in the midst of it. 22 ‘As silver is melted in the furnace, so you will be melted in the midst of it; and you will know that I, the LORD, have poured out My wrath on you.’" Since Ezekiel was written before and shortly after Israel was taken to Babylon, this is a prophecy that God is going to send his wrath on Jerusalem as a test or, as it were in metaphor, God is going to smelt Jerusalem to "melt" the Israelites and separate the value from the dross. Of course, when He did so none were found to be metal and they were all skimmed away as dross to Babylon.

In direct reference, then, God was asking for someone to stand up in those years between Ezekiel's initial prophecies (he started in 592 B.C.) and the conquering of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar (in 586 B.C.). Although "stand in the gap" is usually thought of, in Biblical history, with reference to Nehemiah's rebuilding of the wall, I personally doubt that this was, other than alllegorically, a reference to the rebuilding effort.

I base that conclusion on the rest of Ezekiel 22, a scathing description of Israel of the day:
Idolatry; defilement; bloodshed; a reproach and a mocking by other lands; ill repute; turmoil; rulers for the purpose of shedding blood; oppression of aliens, fatherless and widows; mistreatment of parents; despising and profaning God, his symbols, his sabbaths; slander; lewdness to and well into abominations of depraved sexuality; bribery; ill-gained financial profit; injury of neighbors for gain by oppression; and, finally, just plain forgetting the Lord.

When I realize that God's response was to, pretty much, wipe out Jerusalem and leave only a few, poor, caretakers, force everyone else to a new land, a new culture, a new religion and a life continuing such depravation and abomination as the standard, what do I fear? I fear the same thing happening to us in the USA today. It's not really to hard, be you Democan or Republicrat, to see all of these things going on.

Stand in the gap. Prayer is, of course, the first step in any process, as is mentioned wholeheartedly in 2 Chronicles 7:14. True Christian response HAS to go WELL BEYOND the beginnings found in prayer. To serve the Lord as he requests is the greatest honor we have. It is given in Colossians 3. Read the whole chapter, for that matter the whole BOOK of Colossians, but remember these important directions (when all else fails, read the directions):
Start out with that prayer and by taking care of YOURSELF:

5 PUT TO DEATH THEREFORE WHAT IS EARTHLY IN YOU: SEXUAL IMMORALITY, IMPURITY, PASSION, EVIL DESIRE, AND COVETOUSNESS, WHICH IS IDOLATRY... 8 PUT THEM ALL AWAY: ANGER, WRATH, MALICE, SLANDER, AND OBSCENE TALK FROM YOUR MOUTH. and

Here it is, how to stand in the gap! 

compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, bearing with one another, forgiving as our Lord forgives, and binding with love and God's peace, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

August 14 2016 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

JD Abshire Supporter

I believe the answer is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 

God's blessings reign through righteousness, not at the expense of. The key is repentance.

August 14 2016 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter Arizona Bible College graduate and Dallas Seminary graduate

Good question, Betty!

Intercessory prayer. Read Isaiah 59:1-4, 16. 

Isa. 59:1 "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save,
or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
2 
but your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God,
and your sins have hidden his face from you
so that he does not hear.
3 
For your hands are defiled with blood
and your fingers with iniquity;
your lips have spoken lies;
your tongue mutters wickedness.
4 
No one enters suit justly;
no one goes to law honestly;
they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies,
they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.

16 
He saw that there was no man,
and wondered that there was no one to intercede;
then his own arm brought him salvation,
and his righteousness upheld him."

What to pray for? Mercy on God's part and then on ours, and returning to holiness on our part.

One other cross-reference is 				
1 Timothy 2:1-2 

1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

"Prayer Responsibility

I did so in an unorthodox way at the baccalaureate service at Roberts Wesleyan College in late spring 1990. Not wanting to embarrass the faculty and administration seated in the choir loft behind me, I excused them from participating. Then I asked everyone else to stand. 'I am putting you on your honor,' I said. 'When I mention a political position for which you have a prayer responsibility, silently determine if you know that official’s name. If not, please be seated.'

I began with the president. Fortunately no one sat down. But embarrassment colored a few cheeks when I moved on to the governor. Casualties continued to mount when I mentioned 'one U.S. Senator from your state.' Naming 'the other senator from your state' brought real downward movement. By the time I asked about 'the Congressperson who represents your district,' only about 25 percent of the audience remained standing. Had I named the sixth and seventh who should have been on that prayer list—their state senator and state representative—not more than one in twenty would have remained on his or her feet.

It doesn’t take a Sherlock Holmes to draw some deductions from this demonstration. If Christian people do not know the names of those whom they elect, it follows that they have not been interceding for them—and that they are disobeying their Lord.

I had one further point to make with the audience that day at Roberts Wesleyan. As I wrapped up my demonstration, I said softly to those still on their feet: 'If you have not prayed for each of these at least once since the beginning of this year, please be seated.' One man, and one man only, continued to stand."

Winning the New Civil War, Robert P. Dugan, Jr., pp. 54-55

November 10 2023 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report