Ezekiel 22:30 – “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.”
Ezekiel chapter 22 is a continuous pronouncement of judgment upon the people of Jerusalem and the leaders of the land. Sin was rampant and had to be dealt with. The last resort with God is always judgment.
If there is any verse in the bible that illustrated the power an individual can have with God, this is it. The picture is that of a wall or a hedge that is used to encircle something in order to protect it. That protection is compromised when there is a hole in the wall or a gap in the hedge. What is being protected is now vulnerable to enemy attack or to any outside force. The welfare of what is on the inside is now at stake. God is searching for someone, not a team, not a committee, not a group, but an individual who will plug up the hole, thus making the difference between life and death, preservation and destruction.
God is looking for someone who would stand before Him on behalf of the land. This is the primary role of the intercessor. The intercessor stands before God on behalf of someone or something else. This person is strategic in the display of God’s mercy. The intercessor can delay the wrath and judgment of God, thus granting much needed time for repentance and a change in the situation. In this case, destruction of the land was impending. God does not want to destroy it and needs someone to stand where the hole is and fill the void. The tragedy is found in the last five words of this verse: “but I found no one.”
Will you stand before God on behalf of your family, those around you, possibly your city? God is looking for those who will be intercessors. He needs only one to make a difference. That one could be you.