[Edit: Reading schedule for this date should have been Ezekiel 20, 21; Psalm 111; Revelation 8]
S) "30 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 (NASB)
O) In this chapter, the LORD was giving examples to Ezekiel, with details about the various sins of Israel. At the end, God told Ezekiel the words above, that He had looked for a man among them to stand in the gap between God's holiness and their profanity. God was looking for someone to stand before Him, who would build up the wall (which can be seen as a metaphor for protecting the people from outside influence, which was a root-problem). It was the desire of God that He would not destroy them, but God's perfect judgment, His perfect justice, required their punishment (which He discloses in v.31).
A) There are two primary ways to read this short passage. The first, is for me to recognize that there was actually only one who could stand in the gap. Only Jesus Christ, in His perfect union of deity and humanity, in His perfect duality as perfectly holy and yet profaned, was able to stand in that gap. Throughout all of time, no one would ever be able to truly build up the wall, and permanently stand in that gap before the Father, for people to escape destruction. Having said that, there is also a biblical concept of intercession that I cannot neglect. Throughout the whole Bible, before, during, and after Christ Jesus, we find examples of intercessory prayer. I cannot neglect my responsibility to build up (like Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:10), and I cannot neglect my ability to pray for others. God's mercy is possible through the propitiation of sins, Jesus Christ. It would be a waste for me to not pray, that other people would hear, see, and accept that Jesus died for their sins, to build them up, to stand forever in that gap for them.
P) Father, You are holy. Your standard is both perfectly good, and impossibly perfect. On our own, we would forever be separated by a gap. Our walls were too broken, and that gap was too vast, and we never had any hope to bridge such a chasm. But, in Your incredible grace, You had a plan from the beginning. Your only Son, pure in His conception and life on earth, holy and unblemished, would be the perfect One to stand the gap. He came, building up broken walls, restoring right relationship with You, and then in the midst of His holy perfection, He took our sins upon Himself to be utterly profaned. He, Himself, was sinless but He died a sinners death. He was perfectly God and man, He was perfectly holy and profaned. I am humbled by this grace. It reminds me that I am a sinner, and I still need Jesus to stand in that gap every single day, before my holy God. On my own, I would forever be unable to stand before You. Thank You for that perpetual grace, and the daily mercy I receive because of it. And now, I know that I also have a call on my life. You have given me the responsibility to lead. There are people who are trying to stand behind a wall, but I know it's a broken one. Give me wisdom, courage, and strength to build that wall, Father God. Help me to stand in the gap, with Jesus, on their behalf and lift them up in prayer. We are powerless without You, but we are powerful with You. With ourselves alone, this would be impossible. With You, nothing is impossible. Be glorified by Your work in my life, and let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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