But I Found None

Ezekiel 22:28-31

America has become a society as wicked as any described in the Old Testament. We have become a self-serving pagan people who only love ourselves. I do not mean that we love collectively ourselves, I mean we love ourselves individually. Being so self-centered, we have no problems abusing other people. The riots, vandalism, and desire for selfish socialism are one example. However, the continued rescue of children and even adults out of slavery HERE IN THE U.S. is another example of how wicked our nation has become. While we were once a Christian nation, those days have long since passed.

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And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken. 29 The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. 30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. 31 Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 22:28-31

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The idea of the "untempered morter" (sic) is that it had not been tested. In kindergarten we made Christmas ornaments out of flour, salt, and water. While this mixture was sticky and made good ornaments, is it really what we want to hold the bricks of our houses together with? No! It would fall apart under the weight of the bricks, and the pelting of the rain and wind. However, the U.S. has shifted from a nation founded on God and Godly values to a country held together by flour, salt, and water.

Ezekiel goes on to say, "The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy". This is not calling for social justice as the term applies today. It is saying that we should take care of our citizens. I do not believe in the government doing this. I believer that it should be the people who care for one another. It is so easy to say "They can get government assistance", and think that absolves us of any responsibility. However, any time you find care for the poor and needy in the Bible, the command was given to people. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Then he said, "They have oppressed the stranger wrongfully". Stranger means foreigner. I am all for strong borders. Jerusalem was surrounded by walls. On the other hand, we should not mistreat "strangers". When we pay them wages under the table to take advantage of them, that is wrong. When we force them into both sex and labor slavery, that is wrong. When we use them as political pawns to push our own agendas, that is wrong. There has to be a balance of securing our borders and caring for those who come to our door.

Perhaps the saddest part of this text is what follows, "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none". God looked for someone to take a Godly stand in the nation, but he couldn't find anyone. The idea of "make up the hedge" and "stand in the gap" is to fill in what is lacking. God looking for someone to "build a wall" not to keep people out or in, but to fill the moral and spiritual gap that is plaguing the land. Their sins have left them exposed and defenseless from judgment and there is no one that is interceding on behalf of the people. What a horrible position for a nation to be in. I wonder how different we are today.

While we cannot change the nation ourselves, we can pray. We can do right. We can be an example. We can stand in the gap. The question is, will we?

Father, help me to "make up the hedge" and "stand in the gap" where you place me. I pray that if you look out, you will see me being obedient to you. Lord, I do not ask this for my own glory, but that your name be glorified and that people see Christ in me, the hope of glory.