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.
This has been traditionally interpreted as seeking for
someone to intercede on behalf of the nation and to turn away the wrath of
Yahweh. Hence this is used to encourage people to pray for their nation, and
the impact one person can have on the history of a nation.
However, in the time of Ezekiel’s prophecy and of the
judgement of Judah by Babylon, Jeremiah and his colleague Baruch, and they were
weeping and interceding for Judah. So, if Ezekiel 22:30 refers to the absence
of intercessors, it would not be true. But if it refers to Jesus, it would be
true. By turning away to idols Judah had lost the protective covering of Jesus
and so the judgement of God came upon the nation. Jesus is the only Intercessor
and Mediator between a nation and God.
Since we have been sent like Jesus, we can intercede also in
the name of Jesus, but the nation cannot afford to refuse the protection of
Jesus by turning to other gods of this world.
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