what does it mean to bridge the gap
Question
What does it hateful to stand in the gap (Ezekiel 22:30)?
Answer
In Ezekiel 22:30 the Lord says, "I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand earlier me in the gap on behalf of the state so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one." The word picture show painted in this verse is that of a wall with a hole or a gap in it. A wall was the best ways of protection in ancient times. A breach in the wall would let the enemy through. If at that place was a alienation in the wall, defenders would have to swarm to that location and hold the breach. The gap would demand to exist repaired as soon as possible. If a breach was left unattended or unrepaired, the urban center would fall.
Ezekiel 22 summarizes the sins and abuses of the nation. Every bit punishment for State of israel's sins, God says He will disperse them among the nations. He says in verses thirty–31, "I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the state so I would non have to destroy it, but I found no one. So I will pour out my wrath on them and consume them with my fiery acrimony, bringing downwardly on their own heads all they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord." The "gap" here represents the danger facing Jerusalem: God'south wrath is nearly to intermission through in judgment on the sinful city. Was there no one who would, in righteousness, intercede on behalf of the city and seek God'south mercy? God searched for such a defender, but He could find none. It seems that, if someone had been willing to "stand in the gap," the destruction of Jerusalem could have been avoided. Since no one was available or willing to defend the breach and rebuild the wall, judgment roughshod.
Similar diction is found in Psalm 106:23. This psalm summarizes the sins of Israel in the wilderness, primarily concerning the gilt calf. Verse 23 explains, "So [God] said he would destroy them—had not Moses, his chosen 1, stood in the alienation before him to keep his wrath from destroying them." Moses "stood in the gap" and saved the people of Israel with his petition on their behalf. In continuing in the gap, he "stepped between the LORD and the people" (Psalm 106:23, NLT). Moses had been chosen for that very purpose.
The original story of Moses standing in the gap is establish in Exodus 32:nine–xiv: "'I take seen these people,' the Lord said to Moses, 'and they are a strong-necked people. At present exit me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will brand you into a great nation.' But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. 'Lord,' he said, 'why should your acrimony burn confronting your people, whom y'all brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, "Information technology was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth"? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Call back your servants Abraham, Isaac and State of israel, to whom you lot swore past your own self: "I will brand your descendants as numerous every bit the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it volition exist their inheritance forever."' Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened." To stand in the gap is to intercede and plead for God'southward mercy.
In Ezekiel 22:30, God uses language that reminds the people of Moses' deportment centuries before. At Moses' intercession, God had relented of His wrath in the wilderness. In Ezekiel's solar day, there was no Moses. No one interceded for State of israel. No one understood the danger God's people were in. With no intercessor to stand in the gap, the destruction of Israel would exist carried out.
To make matters worse, in Ezekiel 13, the false prophets in Israel are condemned considering they had not repaired the alienation in the wall. Instead of continuing in the gap, they simply denied that judgment was going to come.
Besides Moses, at that place are several who have had the courage and insight to "stand in the gap" and intercede for others. In Genesis 18 Abraham intercedes for Sodom. Stephen prayed for those stoning him (Acts 7:60). Paul prayed for Israel's conservancy (Romans 10:1). And of grade, the Lord Jesus is the principal of standing in the gap, praying from the cantankerous, "Father, forgive them, for they do non know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34), and continuing to intercede for us (Hebrews 7:25).
In the New Testament, we are told to pray for others (i Timothy 2:1). In God'due south wisdom and sovereignty, He has chosen to use the prayers of people to accomplish His volition. He even so seeks those who will stand in the gap for friends and family, for people groups and nations. Like Abraham and Moses, we should exist willing to stand up in the gap, asking God to spare and to save.
Questions well-nigh Ezekiel
What does information technology mean to stand up in the gap (Ezekiel 22:thirty)?
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This folio concluding updated: January 4, 2022
Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/stand-in-the-gap.html
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