Y’all, Fix That Fence!
Western Sunday 2021
Ezekiel 22:30 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.
Introduction: Today is Western Sunday. We are going to take this passage and put a western spin on it, but it is clear as day. I want to preach on this thought, “Ya’ll, Fix That Fence!”
- HEDGE: fence, wall
- GAP: breach; broken wall
- MAKE UP (the hedge): repair, fence up, close off, build up, enclose
A big part of the cowboy’s duties was riding the fence, looking for holes to mend.
They would spend hours each week mending fences to keep the stock from getting out.
A broken fence; a broken hedge was a testimony of slothfulness and was an embarrassment.
Psalm 89
- 40 Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.
- 41 All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his neighbours.
Proverbs 24
- 30 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
- 31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.
This hedge; this wall, this fence speaks of:
A. God’s Property
A man would put up a fence to establish the fact that everything within that fence line was his property.
He didn’t worry much about what happened OUTSIDE that fence, but what happened INSIDE it was his business.
He would establish the rules and the guidelines within that fence. It was his domain.
And let me add – God’s property is the best land in the world.
There’s not another ranch, another farm, another piece of ground I’d rather live on that HIS property.
The Lord is my shepherd – I shall not want!
On His ranch, He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside the still waters.
On His property, He restoreth my soul.
This hedge; this wall, this fence speaks of:
B. God’s Protection
The sheepfolds in the Old Testament were many times handmade, temporary boundaries.
The shepherd would cut down branches or gather fallen logs and brush and make a pen.
That hedge, or fence would keep the sheep in at night and keep the wolves out.
Notice the word HEDGE, it is used by Satan to describe a layer of protection around Job and everything He had.
Job was protected by a hedge.
- Job 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
As a result of the breach, there was a vulnerability.
As a result of the gap in the fence or the wall, there was a danger.
Psalm 80
- 12 Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?
- 13 The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.
This hedge; this wall, this fence speaks of:
C. God’s Perimeter
That fence serves as a constant reminder of the boundaries that God has set up.
That fence marks the end of my liberty in Christ and marks the beginning of an act of disobedience.
Any law, any commandment, any precept, any principle that God has established is where my freedom ends!
There is a hole in the fence. There is a breach in the hedge.
This passage of Scripture is a clear description of the day and age in which we live.
God was searching for a man among them then, and I believe He still is!
God’s searching among us today saying, “Ya’ll, Fix That Fence!”
I. The Disturbing Invasion
Because of the breach; the gap in the hedge, things that were never supposed to happen happened.
Things that were supposed to be OUTSIDE found their way INSIDE.
Notice how many times the Prophet Ezekiel says that these things were IN THE MIDST.
Vs. 25 – twice and also in vs. 27
A. The Conspiracy of the Prophets – vs. 25, 28
- 25 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.
- 28 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.
SEE also Ezekiel 13:1-16
B. The Corruption of the Priests – vs. 26
- 26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
The priests were the ones whose job it was to sanctify and cleanse everything and everybody.
Half of their job description was washing, sanctifying, purging.
Their job was to declare sick people unclean (Leviticus 13:3) and healed people clean. (Luke 17:14)
Yet they can’t tell the difference between the holy and the profane.
Church, that is where we are today!
C. The Cruelty of the Princes – vs. 27
- 27 Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.
These are the leaders; those in civil authority.
Those making the laws and enforcing the laws.
D. The Callousness of the People – vs. 29
- 29 The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.
The Common Denominators in these 4 groups:
A. Treachery
B. Thievery
C. Tyranny
II. The Deficient Intervention
God searched for a man in the land to do something to stop the infiltration but found none.
God searched for a man to plug the hole in the hedge but found none.
God searched for a man to stand in the gap, but He found none.
God walked all around saying, “Ya’ll, fix that fence!” and nobody did!
The land had been invaded by conspiring prophets.
The land had been infiltrated by corrupt priests.
The land had been infested with cruel princes.
The land had been infected by criminal people.
And there wasn’t one single soul that cared enough to do something.
ILLUSTRATION: This week, a surveillance video was released from the news channel in Los Angeles of a 300-pound man that walked up to a woman pumping gas at a gas station and beat her without mercy. She told the police that she had never met him, didn’t know him and had no idea why he did it. He punched her no less than twelve times, grabbed her hair and slammed her head against her car and the ground. That was not the most appalling thing in the video. There was a person pumping gas right beside her, and they did nothing. Three men walked up and escorted the man back to his truck and let him drive off. Nobody did anything to stop the crime or to stop the man. They didn’t try to apprehend him, get his truck keys, get a tag number – nothing.
One of the things that is increasingly disturbing to me is the realization that nobody cares.
Our homes are under attack, and mamas and daddies don’t care.
Our churches are falling left and right, and church members just don’t care.
Our church members are being devoured, and pastors do not care.
Our nation is being subjected to lies, oppression, destruction and vexation, and we don’t care.
In this verse, we see a phenomenal truth that is hidden in the statement made by God.
That truth is this – it only takes one man to fix the fence.
It doesn’t take a dozen, or a hundred men.
God searched for A MAN – ONE – SINGULAR.
One man could have saved the nation.
One man could have delivered that entire country.
One man could have thwarted the efforts of all the prophets, priests, princes and people.
Just one man.
But God found none.
God searched.
The God that sees everything.
The God that knows the end from the beginning.
The God that sees and knows all things FOUND NONE.
And make no mistake – When God can’t find it, it’s not there!
III. The Deserved Indignation
The ultimatum from God is crystal clear.
If nobody will step up and fix that fence, I will destroy the land.
I cannot imagine a greater motivation than that.
God didn’t say we would see hard times.
God didn’t say we would struggle to survive.
God said in no uncertain terms – THAT I SHOULD NOT DESTROY IT.
Look at verse 31:
- Ezekiel 22:31 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 said THEREFORE HAVE I POURED OUT MINE INDIGNATION UPON THEM.
You think the indignation of the PROPHETS is bad?
You think the indignation of the PRIESTS AND PRINCES is scary?
Wait until God unleashes His indignation!
It won’t be sprinkled. It won’t be splashed here and there.
It will be POURED OUT.
It means to SPILL OR TO GUSH OUT.