Repairer of the Breach
We are going to look at a point that is from way back in ancient times, for when a walled City or a Castle was to be conquered, the attackers first had to find a way inside, they firstly would look to see if they could find a weakness in the wall and to then batter their way through there, or to start to dig under the wall, to then prop the wall up with thick timbers, then to fill the dugout area with hay, thatching, bundles of sticks, and to then set fire to it, this would then burn through the wooden props and a section of the wall would then fall down, creating a “Breach.”
Now into this Breach only the bravest would stand, Defenders on the inside, and Attackers outside. If they could defend, then the attackers went home empty handed, if they failed, then the best of everything went home as “Booty” to the attackers. The city, successful at repelling the attackers, or failing to defend, still had a major problem, there was a gaping big hole in their defences and they were now vulnerable 24/7, well that is until it was repaired, rebuilt and strengthened so it would not fall a second time.
Isaiah has this to say in Isaiah 58:12 “And [they that shall be] of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in.” We have Peter’s problem laid out in Luke 22:31-32 “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that he may sift [you] as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”
After Peter fell and severely skinned his knees, we had “Breakfast on the Beach” as found in John 21:15-17 “So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, [son] of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, [son] of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, [son] of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”
Peter had seen a major “Breach” and his Master and Saviour now commissioned him to go and to stand in the most dangerous, and yet the most critical place, please “Go stand in the Breach.” Peter gladly did so and we have his two short letters down near the end of Scripture that have his name, 1st and 2nd Peter, and they are well worth an in-depth read.
If we look at the problem that Nehemiah faced when he came back from Babylon to review the work of the re-building of Jerusalem, he found a glaring problem, the walls were rubble and the gates were ashen remains of gates, thus making the whole city unsafe and vulnerable. The whole book is well worth another read, especially the first seven chapters. In Nehemiah 4:16-23 the situation was so unsafe that he had to divide up the builders into Guards and workers. The Watchman/Guards kept a look out for any trouble and by their very presence, trouble sort of left for easier pickings elsewhere, but if they persisted, the trumpet rang out and in no time at all, supporters were now standing thickly around the team, and that normally settled the situation, and the would be attackers left, or would have got dealt to if they came any closer.
These people “stood in the breach” and thus they enabled the repairers to get on with their work of making all things perfect once more. Under Nehemiah’s encouraging and foresight, it only a matter of a few short weeks and the walls were again re-built stronger than ever. Now the guards only had a very few openings of the gateways to guard, but in no time at all, that job was removed as the gates and bars were installed, so now at night and when trouble came poking about, they could quickly “Lock Down” and then the guards would appear and menacingly look down on Trouble, and Trouble usually went to find easier pickings.
Quote; “The apostle sought to teach the believers how important it is to keep the mind from wandering to forbidden themes or from spending its energies on trifling subjects. Those who would not fall a prey to Satan’s devices, must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts. The mind must not be left to dwell at random upon every subject that the enemy of souls may suggest. The heart must be faithfully sentineled, or evils without will awaken evils within, and the soul will wander in darkness. “Gird up the loins of your mind,” Peter wrote, “be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; . . . not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” {AA 518}
Stand up for Jesus right now, Stand in the Breach, and then re-build the old pathways. There is so much that has been quietly eroded from our Faith, so let us make a firm stand right now, this far and no more, re-build now.
