ENGAGING THE WORD TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH ABOUT THIS TIME OF LIFE

                     A TEACHING BY: ADETAYO BENJAMIN   (THE FINAL SERIES)

"So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one. Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads," says the Lord God (Ezekiel 22:30-31).

I will climb my watchtower and wait to see what the Lord will tell me to say and what answer he will give to my complaint.(Habakkuk 2:1)

Sometimes God is looking for the individual to stand in the gap for a situation that requires judgment that can only be averted by one who is willing to stand on behalf of the offender.

Our Father Abraham in his days, in Genesis chapter 18 verses 22 to 33, interceded as a king and as father over the land of Sodom.

So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, "Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" 26 And the Lord said, "If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake."27 Abraham answered and said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?" And he said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there." 29 Again he spoke to him and said, "Suppose forty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of forty I will not do it." 30 Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there." He answered, "I will not do it, if I find thirty there." 31 He said, "Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there." He answered, "For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it." 32 Then he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there." He answered, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it." 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place. ESV

Moses' operated as both a king and priest. He operated as a king as the leader of an entire nation. His role as a king was a very public one with the people. When the people committed the grievous sin of making the golden calf for an idol, Moses had to play a new role. That role was priest. He stood in the gap on behalf of the people in order to "stay the execution" of his own people. God was very angry and was going to wipe them off the planet just as He did in the time of Noah (Genesis chapter 32 & 33).

David as a King interceded for the nation of Israel. After that, God answered prayer in behalf of the land.

During the reign of David, there was a famine in the land for three successive years. So David sought the Lord regarding this famine, "Why is there famine on this land?" The Lord answered David, "It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.

Years earlier, Joshua made a peace treaty with the Gibeonites. This, too, was an act of disobedience. When God called Israel to come into the Promised Land, they were to destroy all the enemies of God. Joshua failed to see through the ruse of deception when the Gibeonites portrayed themselves as travelers. The Israelites signed a peace treaty only to discover who the Gibeonites were after the fact. Now, they had to honor the treaty. However, this led to intermarriages and much sorrow for Israel. Years later, Saul made a decision to kill the Gibeonites.

The nation was now receiving the punishment for their sin of disobedience through a famine. David knew that famines could have a spiritual source, so he inquired of God and God answered. The source was Saul's murder of the Gibeonites. Once David knew the source of the problem, he took action. He repented on behalf of the nation and made restitution. The famine was then lifted. Sometimes you and I must stand in the gap for preceding sins committed. David understood this and stood in the gap for his nation (2 Samuel 21:1-6).

Daniel also interceded for the nation of Israel and God sent the Angel Gabriel to grant the reply to Daniel’s request (Daniel chapter 9).

So I encourage you to get up to this call and labour as intercessor for the kingdom.