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©FOUNDATION
A MAGAZINE OF BIBLICAL FUNDAMENTALISM
Dennis W. Costella, Editor; Karel Beyer, Production Manager; Matt
Costella,
Copy Editor
M.H. Reynolds, Jr. (1919-1997), Founding Editor
Who Will Stand In The Gap?
Ezekiel 22:23-31
Pastor Marion H. Reynolds, Jr.
April 19, 1919 - Sept. 3, 1997
©FOUNDATION Magazine, September-October 1997
[Excerpts from a message preached on January 7, 1996, at the , Los Osos, California]
Ezekiel was one of God's
truly faithful servants and prophets who lived approximately 600 years prior to the birth
of Christ. Ezekiel was given a message from God that he was to proclaim to the people of
God--Israel and Judah--because they were in a sad predicament. God commanded Ezekiel to
give the people His message whether or not they would hear and heed it.
The situation was very pitiful, for God's people had lost their intended, divinely
provided blessings. They lost God's blessings because they disobeyed Him and chose to go
their own way. While this message in Ezekiel chapter twenty-two was directed by God to His
Old Testament people, many of the commands found herein can apply to those who are in the
church today. Therefore, as we notice some of these instructions in the Old Testament book
of Ezekiel, let us remember that God wants us to learn by the example of His chosen
people. The things that happened unto them happened for our examples, so that we might not
lust after wrong things as they did.
Ezekiel 2:3 reveals that the Jews had a history of transgressing against the Lord. The
verse says, "And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel,
to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have
transgressed against me, even unto this very day." The transgressions of this
generation to whom Ezekiel was speaking had followed in their father's footsteps and had
rebelled against the commandments of God. They did not have the advantage of having
parents who taught them the right way and who reminded them of how God had brought them
out of Egypt and into the land flowing with milk and honey. Notice that their
transgression was against God. When we, like the Israelites, disobey God's Word, we are
actually sinning against Him. It is also possible for us to simultaneously be sinning
against others who, because of a poor example, will discount our Gospel message. They
might see in us a lack of fidelity to the Word of God and be inclined to say, "If you
don't obey God, why should I?"
Ezekiel 2:4 says, "For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee
unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD." God describes His
people as "impudent children and stiffhearted." It is not uncommon for us to do
or say things that are wrong as a result of our hardened, stiff hearts. However, if
someone corrects us and we become stiffhearted, then the problem only gets worse. God
wants warmhearted people--people whose hearts are soft and receptive when a godly rebuke
is spoken and even appreciative of it. God wants to find individuals who would repent and
turn from their wicked ways and be an example of how to walk aright.
Who would "stand in the gap" for the Lord? In Ezekiel's day, the Lord looked
for someone to stand in the gap, and He could not find anybody. God says in Ezekiel
22:23-24, "And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto her,
Thou are the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation."
The people did not stand cleansed before the Lord; therefore, it was impossible for them
to "stand in the gap" and be a testimony and example of godliness and holiness.
Stop for a moment and think about what many renowned religious leaders are telling our
country and the world. They are telling us that God is blessing our land with great
revival. However, much of this "revival" to which they refer is not scriptural
revival but revival based on unbiblical charismatic emotionalism and evangelical
compromise. Yes, there are thousands of people holding prayer meetings, but their prayers
do not go anywhere. These multitudes are not praying scripturally. They are not praying in
company with others who have access to the throne of grace. While we may find an increase
in religion, evangelism and various activities that bring people together, biblical belief
and godly repentance are nowhere to be seen. Contrary to what many religious leaders are
saying, America as a nation is headed for judgment, not revival.
I recently received a long letter from a man who had read our article warning about the
dangers of the Promise Keepers Movement. Initially, I thought he was going to say thank
you for speaking about this error, but instead, it was a letter of rebuke. I knew he had
not read the article very carefully as soon as he stated that there was only one of the
seven promises with which we did not agree, and that was the Promise Keepers' affiliation
with and move toward the ecumenical movement (promise #6). Our pamphlet clearly states
that promise # 6 is not the only promise we have to speak against. We also warn against
promise #5, which says that Promise Keepers men are committed to going back to their own
church (whether it is a liberal mainline Protestant church, or a charismatic, Pentecostal,
Catholic or Mormon church) and saying to their pastor, "I am going to be praying for
you. I am going to work with you." God's Word forbids allegiance to any church or
individual who either preaches a false gospel or who refuses to separate from those who do
preach a false gospel (Rom. 16:17; 2 Thess. 2:15, 3:6). The response of this man is
characteristic of many others who believe that it is unscriptural to speak a word of
reproof and rebuke against almost any religious endeavor that claims to be accomplished in
the name of Christianity or evangelism.
Ezekiel 22:25 says, "There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof,
like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the
treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof."
God defines the religious movement of Israel's day as "a conspiracy of the
prophets." That is the way He viewed the backward religious situation in Ezekiel's
day.
Furthermore, God describes the conspirators as "a roaring lion ravening the
prey." This is a serious matter, for the next expression says, "they have
devoured souls." As I read that, I thought about how many people Billy Graham has
kept within or brought to the Roman Catholic Church. I thought of Jack van Impe, who was
once a fundamentalist, then changed to a new evangelical and now is a defender of Roman
Catholicism. Jack van Impe could have led many people in the right way in the Word of God,
but he now is responsible for leading so many precious souls astray. Those misled people
will not hear the truth of the Gospel in the Roman Catholic Church; they will not hear the
truth of the Gospel from Charismatic Catholics and certainly not from Pope John Paul II.
The pope has deceived most of the major leaders of the New Evangelical and Charismatic
movements, and of the few who are not deceived, how many are speaking out and warning
against the dangers of Roman Catholicism?
Dr. Adrian Rogers, who has been president of the Southern Baptist Convention on three
different occasions, has spoken some very strong words about standing for the truth and
against error. He specifically said that accepting revelations in addition to the Bible is
dangerous because if a person begins to accept additional revelations to the Bible, then
he will eventually accept anti-biblical revelations. Dr. Rogers' observations are correct,
but knowing that the Charismatic movement is growing by leaps and bounds, should he not
feel that as part of his ministry, he has a responsibility to publicly warn against
leaders of the Charismatic movement who are promoting error? Apparently he does not. In
fact, he became a member of the board of directors for Focus on the Family a year ago and
is now a promoter of the Promise Keepers movement. He is involved in a movement that is
led and motivated by Charismatics, and he is not giving any warning. Therefore, the
deception is even greater because he is saying one thing and doing another.
Continuing in verse twenty-five of our text, "...they have taken the
treasure...." False prophets today have taken from people the relationships that they
should have to God and to their own families. Of course, when the husbands are not
faithful and are not giving proper leadership in their homes, as they were supposed to do
in the Old Testament and as they are commanded to do in the church today, then their wives
and families suffer.
What about the priests, the religious leaders in Ezekiel's day? Verse twenty-six says
they "have violated my law." God told them to do one thing, but instead, they
did something else. He says, they "have profaned mine holy things." The priests
themselves, the very individuals who were to exemplify godliness and holiness, were not
distinguishing between what was right and what was wrong. Today, many people who claim to
be the leaders or servants of God say that the world does not listen to the Gospel message
because Christians have put too much emphasis on the difference between what is holy and
what is profane. However, it is evident in this text, as well as throughout the entire
Bible, that God saves people through His Word, and His Word places a great emphasis on
holiness. To be saved is to be separated from uncleanness and unbelief. Pastors and
teachers today must base all their words and actions on the Holy Bible, not on the ideas
and words of individuals who think they have a better way of reaching the lost for Christ,
even though their way is contrary to the teaching of God's Word.
The problem faced in verse twenty-six is an issue that greatly concerns believers
today. People are putting no "difference between the unclean and the clean."
They try to justify their compromising associations by saying, "Well, I may disagree
with these people, but they love the Lord and are trying to get people saved. They're
praying and evangelizing." But believer, if we fail to let people know that there is
a difference between truth and error and between that which is holy and profane, then we
ourselves are disobeying the Lord.
The more I come across various individuals with different ideas, the more I realize how
important the Bible version issue is. There are many churches that take offense if anyone
says that the NIV or other modern versions are unsafe versions to read and are polluted by
the beliefs and philosophies of men. Nevertheless, we must warn. If one does not believe
he possesses a pure, accurate Bible, how will he know which portions are accurate or which
portions are inaccurate?
In Ezekiel 22:26, God says the children of Israel "hid their eyes from my
Sabbath." New Testament believers today are not commanded to keep the Sabbath, for
this was an Old Testament command to Israel. However, just as Israel was searching for and
finding reasons to violate the Sabbath, so people today are looking for and finding
reasons to disobey what God specifically commands them to do. Many today, as in Ezekiel's
day, do not want to make God the foremost priority in their lives, and they are searching
for any excuse they can to live comfortably in a way that conforms to their materialistic
lifestyle.
Now here is a word to the princes, or the political leaders, of the land. Ezekiel 22:27
says, "Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed
blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain." That was the situation of the
political leaders in Ezekiel's day, and sadly, it is the position of many, if not most, of
the political leaders in our day. I could hardly believe my ears when I heard a recent
speech by President Bill Clinton. Most of his speech sounded as though it came from the
mouth of a strong conservative. He made it sound as though the duties the new
representatives in Congress had been elected to perform (to cut down the size of the
government, to trim the budget, and to cut down on a lot of the amazingly superficial and
extravagant expenses) were being accomplished due to his own philosophies and ideas.
Obviously, from reading reports in newspapers and periodicals, many Americans believed
him. It is easy to understand how many people who do not know Clinton's record since he
became President would be deceived by his words because he is doing the same thing the
religious leaders do. He is saying one thing, pretending to be conservative, when his
record actually proves that he is a staunch liberal. He is the one who pushed for the
acceptance of homosexuals and lesbians in the military service. He is the one who tried to
push various government officials to protect the so-called "rights" of those who
openly practice their sins. He is the one who strongly supports abortion on demand.
The sin of homosexuality and lesbianism, which is continuously growing and affecting
the lives of innocent children and young people, is a very serious thing. We also need to
recognize that God speaks plainly about the dangers of it. As believers, we need to
continue to speak plainly about the dangers of this sin, even though religious and
political leaders are joining the bandwagon and saying, "We must give liberty to
all." It is not freedom to be able to sin without penalty. "The wages of sin is
death" as far as salvation of the soul is concerned; and "the soul that sinneth,
it shall die," God says.
Christians who disobey the Word of God by failing to warn others are going to lose
reward. We have the same responsibility to warn that Ezekiel had. God said to Ezekiel in
chapter thirty-three that the people were to appoint a watchman to protect the city. That
watchman was instructed to warn if the enemy approached so that everyone could be alerted
and could close the gates of the city and summon the troops. If the watchman saw the enemy
coming and gave the warning, but the people refused to heed it, then the watchman
fulfilled his responsibility. If the people died or if they were wounded and carried away
captive, then their blood was upon their own shoulders. The grave part of God's statement
to Ezekiel was the fact that if the watchman knew the enemy was coming, but failed to give
the warning, then the blood of all those who perished would be upon his hands. That is a
serious matter. What was the watchman to watch for? He was to watch for those who would
try to physically destroy the inhabitants of the particular city he was commissioned to
watch.
The responsibility of all of us who are watchmen today is even greater. God has put
each one of us in a particular place of ministry-- maybe in a family, among fellow
students, in a workplace or in some other situation. If we fail to warn sinners about
impending judgment, if we let them think that God will not send anyone to hell, if we let
them think that they are not so bad and can simply turn over a new leaf, then we are not
giving them the warning that God wants us to give. Therefore, our responsibility is
serious; and our fulfillment of that responsibility, or lack of fulfillment, has eternal
consequences.
Ezekiel 22:28 tells us, "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." The first part of this verse speaks of building a wall and not
putting the right mix in the concrete or the clay. What happens? The wall will not stand.
Furthermore, the false prophets say, "Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not
spoken." This is exactly what is happening today, especially from the leaders of the
Charismatic movement. "God told me to do this," the Charismatic leaders say.
Benny Hinn utters that clause over and over again, and Jack Hayford parrots the same
thing. In reality, God could never have told these leaders to say many of the things they
are claiming He told them to say, for their words are contrary to the Bible. The God of
the Bible will never contradict what He has written in His Word.
Verse thirty says, "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." The wall had been breached, and people had departed from standing for
the truth and against error. I trust the Lord will speak to you as He has spoken to me
throughout the years through His Word, with a reminder that I cannot do everything, but I
can do something. I cannot stand in every place in the wall, but I can stand at one place
in the wall, not in my own strength but in God's strength, not for my glory but for God's
glory and for obedience to His Word.
What happened to those who refused to stand in the gap? God pronounced the consequences
of disobedience in the last verse: "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." God gave them their own way--He gave them what
they wanted, but their disobedience brought leanness into their souls.
If we disobey the Lord and fail to stand for the truth and against error, if we fail to
stand in the gap in the place where God has put us, if we keep saying to God, "I
don't want difficult things," or "I don't want to stand alone against the
apostasy of the day," then there may come a time when God gives us the desires of our
hearts. However, like the children of Israel, there will be leanness in our souls. I do
not want to have a lean soul; do you? God does not want us to have lean souls either. So
let us hear His Word and believe It and stand upon It and rejoice evermore.
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