Hedges

You have often heard I and others pray a hedge of protection or thorns about folks but you may not have known where we get the idea from even though you might like it. One lady told me she loved it when I prayed that because it gave her great comfort. Hedges can be a great comfort depending on what they are made of, why they are there, who put them there. Some can be bad news and not having one at all can mean disaster.

The first mention we have of hedges in Scripture is in Job.

Job 1:9-11

9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?

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.

11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. KJV

Job was a righteous man and was doing quite well in life. Indeed, when God can call your name to the devil for an example of a man God approves you know he had to be quite a fellow. Of course, that ticked the devil off and he accused the Lord of buying him. He said God hedged him in from all the trials and tribulations of life so no wonder Job loved God. Tear down that hedge and see what happens, said the devil.

Note that God never agrees with the charge. He never said he treated Job differently they anyone else. Job may have been merely reaping the rewards of a righteous man versus ending up with the hard life and way of an unbeliever or backslider.

Prov 13:15 Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard. KJV

Nevertheless God allowed the devil to go after Job. If God did not have a hedge around Job before He did now. He placed a small one around him so that satan could not touch his life. That was a good hedge to have and it was impregnable since God placed it there.

Some hedges we put up ourselves and they are not so wonderful though they are as nearly as impregnable.

Prov 15:19 The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain. KJV

Have you ever heard someone complain about they can never seem to get ahead in life? They can never pay their bills; keep a job and a long list of other problems. Often when you get down to the root of it they are lazy. No matter what advice you give them they always find excuses for not doing it. You tell them about jobs and they don’t apply or wait until it is too late. They complain if they do not get hired or promoted so you tell them what they need to pursue either in education or experience and they never get it done. There is always a difficulty or as scripture puts it, “a lion in the way, a lion in the streets”. (Prov 26:13)

They toss and turn on their beds because they have anxiety over their condition or just because they don’t do enough to be tired. (Prov 26:14) You tell them where food can be procured and they want you to go get it or they don’t want t because it is too hard to prepare. You wonder how they find energy to even eat and if they want to be spoon fed. (Prove 26:15)

Their life is hedged in by thorns of their own making. They may have natural ability to succeed but not the diligence or determination to make it happen. They may even ask for God’s guidance but they don’t move. We all know it is much easier to steer a moving vehicle than one that is parked. They want God to tow them to the ideal job or keep feeding them like fledglings in the nest. Every bird has to grow and fly and like the eagle God will push them out of the nest at some point if we don’t continue to enable their laziness in the name of grace or familial love.

Isa 5:4-5

4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: KJV