It was a beautiful Sunday morning. My family and I dressed our Sunday best and took our usual spots at our local church-front and center- so that my mother could read the pastor’s lips and understand his message clearly. The service commenced and all was well. I saw my piano teacher walk up the steps towards the black piano to perform her offertory piece. As she was playing, I noticed her struggling to flip the pages of her music while her hands flew off the keys. I felt my father nudge me and looked at him. He leaned towards my ear and whispered, “Go up there and flip the pages for her.” I looked back at my piano teacher and yet, did not move. I felt my father nudge me again. I glanced back at him, quickly shook my head, and sank even further into the blue cushion of the pew. Didn’t he know that I was scared to walk up the stage? Weren’t there others more qualified to help? Indeed, there were the orchestra members who sat closer to her than I was! Surely, they will help. I didn’t budge. I knew my father was becoming angry with me, but before he could prod me forward, the music stopped, and my teacher left the piano. The congregation applauded but I only saw my father’s severe disappointment in me and that silenced the noise. I prayed for the seat to engulf me. I wished I had some form of invisibility cloak to shield me from my father’s fierce gaze. His silence spoke louder than the applause that thundered the auditorium. I felt shame and guilt. A sinking feeling of worthlessness crept in and stole away the happiness of the morning. My father did not acknowledge me for the rest of the service and morning.
The shame and guilt convict me even today as I reflect upon my actions or lack thereof that I committed that day. This reflection was brought upon by the verse I read in Ezekial 22:30 which states, “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.” Just as I felt my father’s disappointment in me, how much more so should the children of Israel have felt from their Father. In our lack of action, both the children of Israel and I committed what is commonly referred by psychologists as the “bystander effect,” which is the idea that in an event of a dire situation, the more people found in the surrounding area, the less likely an individual will find the motivation to act upon the crisis itself. My piano teacher needed assistance with her sheet music, but because I saw many people in the auditorium, I justified my disobedience in convincing myself that someone else would step up and assist. The children of Israel had an even greater crisis: their nation, on the verge of a political and spiritual collapse, was about to be overrun by the Babylonians. And just as my father commanded me to act, God called out to His children to act and yet, they chose to disobey and were left to their destruction.
The book of Ezekial was written approximately around 590-570 B.C. during the second captivity of Israel by Babylon. Ezekial was one of those captives taken and because he was no longer able to serve as a priest in Jerusalem, God commissioned him to be Israel’s prophet and commanded him to write down all the words spoken of His oncoming judgment upon His disobedient and rebellious children. Chapter 22 presents a conversation between God and Ezekial in which God brings Israel’s wickedness to light and their refusal to repent, and laments in not finding an advocate willing to defend them and beg for His mercy toward His children. The tension between His mercy and His justice was evident within His delay in pronouncing judgment upon Israel. Yet the absence of a mediator caused God to fully carry out His judgment, and His sorrow was recorded in verse 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.” Although most of Ezekial’s writings focused on bizarre visions and prophecies, verse 30 still affects all of Christ’s followers today, especially as we interact with modern society today.
When called to be an intercessor, many find themselves unsure of the role qualifications and the definition of the job itself. Some find themselves doubting the power of advocacy, others convince themselves that they lack the qualifications and therefore keep silent and hope that someone else more qualified will fill in the gap. Yet, Scripture provides many examples of ordinary people intervening in major and minor situations and God’s response to their actions. Moses kept God from destroying Israel in the wilderness when they built the golden calf and worshipped it (Exodus 32:7-14). Phineas slew a man and woman committing sin in the camp of Israel and thus prevented the plague from killing more of the children of Israel (Numbers 25:7-13). Esther chose to trust God and went before the king uninvited to beg for her people’s lives to be spared from a great slaughter, even at the risk of losing her own life (Esther 4)! A child gave his lunch of three loaves of bread and two fishes to Christ and saved the people from hunger and fainting (John 6:9). And Christ became our eternal mediator between humankind and God when He died on a cross at Calvary to take away our sins (1Timothy 2:5). By their obedience to God and His commandments as well as placing their unwavering faith in Him, they saved lives and emboldened others to do the same. To Christ-followers, Jude 1:20-23 states “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh”.
God does not excuse any man from his decision to keep silent and actionless. Rather, the blame is doubled. In chapter 33, Ezekial writes about the responsibilities of a watchman and the consequences of his actions. If the watchman performed the duties thoroughly and the city ignores the warnings, then the watchman was absolved of any guilt for its destruction and the lives lost therein (Ezekial 33:3-5). If, however, should the watchman fail in his duty, the death of the city’s inhabitants was laid upon his head (Ezekial 33:6). As followers of Christ, we are called to be the watchmen, and we are each accountable in how we respond. God pleads with each of us today to trust in Him, to come forth and stand in the gap, and advocate alongside your fellow man. Will you stand as an advocate, pleading for Christ’s mercy on your fellow man, or will you remain silent and complacent in the face of divine judgment?
Spark a conversation!