Building Hedges Of Spiritual Protection

Building Hedges of Spiritual Protection

A Hedges in biblical times were special barriers/fences placed around grape vineyards.

1 They served many purposes (Keep out insects, bugs, rodents, birds, or thieves from coming in and stealing the harvest).

a Ezekiel 13.5 “ You have not gone up into the breaches, nor did you build the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of the Lord.

Ezek 13:5 (NASB)

b Spiritually, a hedge is God’s wall of protection promised to all of those who believe/trust in/walk with in Him.

aa As Christians believing in the promises of God (Yes & Amen) it is time we start reclaiming what the enemy has stolen from us.

bb It’s time we appropriate God’s protective barrier around our life and around our family.

2 God longs for churches/Christians who will stand in the broken-down gaps so the enemy will have no right to plunder what He has given.

a The gaps are there because we’ve not maintained them.

b Lack of care, maintenance, neglect . . . etc.

B Can God remove a hedge? (The bible says at least two times/or two reasons he did)

1 JUDGEMENT

Is. 5.1-6, Let me sing now for my well-beloved A song of my beloved concerning His vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. 2 He dug it all around, removed its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it And also hewed out a wine vat in it; Then He expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only worthless ones.3 "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge between Me and My vineyard. 4 " What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones? 5 "So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground. 6 "I will lay it waste; It will not be pruned or hoed,

But briars and thorns will come up. I will also charge the clouds to rain no rain on it."

Isaiah 5:1-6 (NASB)

a God is saying, “I gave My Beloved as a vine, and I cleaned out the stones/planted My people into My choice vineyard I removed everything.”

b Then, “I put a hedge around you to protect you. But when I came in there to get My fruit instead of a beautiful sweet cluster of choice grapes, the fruit stunk. It was wild and worthless.”

c God told Isaiah that because of their disobedience He brought judgement on them and removed the hedge of protection allowing judgement/destruction to come to the nation. (Trouble always follows when God removes the hedge around a nation, church, family, individual)

2 TO PROVE SATAN IS A LIAR

a 8 The Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil." 9 Then Satan answered the Lord, "Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face." Job 1:8-11 (NASB)

aa God’s reply was, “I don’t think Ol’Job loves Me just because of what I’ve done for Him. He loves for who I am & with His whole heart.”

bb The hedge is removed and Job loses everything (money, home, retirement, children)

cc The hedge was removed to prove Satan wrong and prove Job’s faithfulness.

b His wife encourages him to curse God and die and yet Job never stops loving God.

aa 15 " Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. . .Job 13:15 (NASB)

bb We talk about the trials, difficulties all the time; what we don’t talk about enough is how God rewarded Job on the other side of them.

c God doubled everything that Job lost when he had passed the test of faith! (God rewarded him above and beyond what had been taken from Him)

C Ol’Job was only one of four men in the Bible that God could trust with the removal of the hedge.

1 Joseph (Allowed to endure slavery, temptation, imprisonment, and rejection for God’s glory)

a Paul (Thousands healed under his ministry yet he himself was afflicted with infirmity)