Ezekiel 22:17-31

“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one.” (Ezekiel 22:30, NLT)

The Bible tells us that the LORD is our Judge and Lawgiver (Isaiah 33:22). He gives us the rules and holds us accountable to keep them. Judgment is His awesome work and unusual act (Isaiah 28:21). He is slow to anger, and for our sakes it is good that He is! But He will ultimately bring judgment.

God was putting His people “through the fire”. He was turning up the heat, not to destroy them but to purge them from evil. He does the same thing in our lives. Judgment begins at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). But He also seeks to postpone judgment as long as possible. He wants to give people every opportunity to repent.

The wall of Jerusalem protected her from enemy invasions. The Babylonian siege lasted eighteen months before they finally breached the wall. In the same way, righteousness is a wall that protects a nation from evil.

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34, NKJV)

When the wall is broken down or has gaps because of sin, the enemy comes in to make havoc, to spoil and destroy. When this happens, God must ultimately bring judgment. But before He does, He looks for someone who will stand in the gap—to intercede on behalf of the people so that He does not have to destroy the land.

When Israel sinned in the wilderness by making and worshiping the golden calf, God was ready to destroy the people. But Moses interceded and stopped the LORD’s hand. Before Jerusalem’s destruction, God was looking for another person to intercede so that He did not have to destroy her by the hand of the Babylonians. But He found no one. How tragic!

Likewise, the wall of righteousness that once surrounded our nation is broken down with large gaps. As Billy Graham once said, “If God doesn’t judge America, then He owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology.” However, I believe this verse in Ezekiel shows us that God is willing to postpone judgment if someone is willing to stand in the gap to intercede. We do this through our prayers and through our acts of righteousness.

Will you join me on behalf of our nation and stand in the gap?