STANDING IN THE BREACh

        Before the devastating exile of Israel to Babylon Ezekiel, in chapter 22, delivered a word from the Lord that was a blistering indictment upon Jerusalem.  He called it a "bloody city" and then described in detail the violence, sexual immorality, idolatry, extortion and corruption within it.  He left no one out.  Princes, prophets, priests and people were all guilty.  In the Lord's eyes, he said, you are dross, a useless slag heap of dross that will be thrown into the furnace and melted into nothingness.

        With the threat of destruction at the hands of the Babylonians on the horizon he added this sad word:  I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.

        Sometimes it takes only one courageous, righteous man to stand in the breach, stop a great evil and save the land.  Psalm 106:23 points to a time when this happened.  It was in the Sinai wilderness when the Lord was ready to destroy disobedient Israel because they were worshiping a golden calf.  The Psalm says, Therefore, He said he would destroy them -- had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them. 

        As I read the sins of Israel that Ezekiel listed I thought of Paul's equally blistering indictment of both Gentile and Jew that covers nearly three chapters in Romans.  I am afraid that all of us can find ourselves someplace in his description.  He concludes, in part, with these words in Romans 3,

None is righteous, no, not one;

No one understands, no one seeks for God.

All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

No one does good, not even one ...

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

        Can destruction be far behind?  Is there someone who can stand in the breach on our behalf?  Yes, Paul continues in Romans 3, there is one.  God himself has put forth his chosen one, his own son, to provide redemption for all who believe.  As he hangs on the cross he stands in the breach, faces the greatest enemy we could ever have, and wins the victory.  Therefore, we can join Paul as he says later in Romans, We are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

        For him we give thanks as we partake of this bread, which he said was his body given for us, and of this cup which he said was the new covenant in his blood, shed for the remission of sins.