The Wall Is Breached
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Intro- In J.R.R. Tolkein’s “The Lord of The Rings” series he depicts a battle scene at a strong fortress known as “Helm’s deep”. The good guys knew that they were severely outnumbered. So they retreated to this strong hold. They set their archers up on the wall of helm’s deep and hoped for the best. Once the enemy was able to breach the wall, it seemed all hope was lost and the casualties began to pile up. Once they could no longer keep the evil outside, but it came inside the result was lot’s of pain and death.
In the passage read for us this morning we read that Israel’s wall has been breached. However, it wasn’t by an army from a distant land, it was in fact breached by sin.
Ezekiel was written a few years after Babylon began its seige on Israel. It’s around the time period of . Israel has already taken some major hits, and is about to fall completely. Ezekiel was in one of the first groups to be led away from Israel, and so the setting of Ezekiel is a dark one.
The Brokenness of Israel
In order to understand the brokenness, we must first understand what Israel was supposed to be.
And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”
God made promise to Abraham. The land was supposed to be theirs forever, and God was supposed to remain their God.
and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’
They were supposed to be blessed by the abundance of the land, they were going to be comfortable, well taken care of
I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God.
They were to not only have abundant physical blessings, but God would dwell with them.
The promise was fulfilled. Israel had it all. They had possessions, physical blessings, power, they had God dwelling among them… Until… their walls were breached by sin.
Chapter 22 reveals many sins that Israel had allowed in.
Shedding of blood
Disobedience to parents
Extortion
Various sins of sexual nature
Then came the gravest one of all.
In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord God.
How is it that Israel had gone from God’s holy people, set apart from the world, to being just like everyone else? They had forgotten Him.
The Healer
God was angry, and brokenhearted at the sight of his children, turning their back on Him, and turning back to to the world. (Maybe you can relate) He sought for a solution. Sought for one who could turn the tide.
And 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.
Notice the language in the text. “One who should build up the wall” “Stand in the breach” “before me and for the land”
This is not an indictment on the whole of Israel that there was not one righteous man living. At this time, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Jeremiah were all living. However, There was none living who could do what needed to be done.
There wasn’t anyone who could rebuild the wall of protection, there wasn’t anyone who could keep sin out of the gates, and keep the holiness in. No one could do what was needed, so ultimately, Israel was destroyed.
Fast forward to
Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
Paul reveals that there is only one man “Christ Jesus” who could mediate or go between God and man. Remember, what Israel needed? Someone to rebuild the wall, keep sin out, and stand before God for man? No one could do what needed to be done.
Daniel reveals for us multiple visions and prophecies of God during this period of time, of the coming kingdom, the eternal kingdom. What would make this kingdom different than Israel? What would make it last, when all others had failed? Because the king on this throne, “Jesus” could do what no one else could.
We today, are among the most blessed people to ever live. Because, we have access to an eternal kingdom, through the King, who is able to do what man cannot.
The confidence of the church
knowing the history of the world, and the history of God’s people throughout time, we can have confidence, because we have the healer.
We do not have confidence because we are a sinless people, we are not. (If there is anyone visiting with us today, we want you to know, we do not think ourselves to be any better than you. We are sinners, in need of God’s grace)
Just as ancient Israel was broken… we are broken.
The hard pill to swallow is that since we are the broken ones, we cannot be the healer.
How sad it is when we see people who are wrapped up in sin and brokenness and they try and they try and they try to “fix it”.
How heartbreaking it is when we see the corruption around us and our first thought is “We need to get the right man or woman in office so they can fix this mess”.
We need Jesus… I Need Jesus. None of us, no politician, to expert business person can do what we need. We are broken and we need to be healed.
We need someone to stand in the breach of the wall and defeat sin. We need someone to stand in front of God on our behalf. We don’t just have someone, we have a king who serves His people in this very way.
Conclusion- Do you have brokenness in your life as a result of your sin? Do you need someone to stand before God on your behalf? If you have not given your life to Christ, having your sins washed away in baptism, and beginning your life anew (being born again), Can I encourage you today, not to wait any longer? You can’t overcome this world of sin and brokenness alone.