THE REPAIRERS OF THE BREACH

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.

This passage is a part of a larger context which includes a number of promises to God's people, specifically associated with their sincere repentance with prayer and fasting. A careful reading of the passage reveals promises having do with our children, and their influence on future generations. Of special interest is the phrase, "thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach." A breach is "a break or a gap in a fence, hedge, or wall." Walls or fences were constructed for protection and preservation. Boundaries were hedged to preserve property lines, and towns were walled to protect from enemies. When these walls were broken, eroded, or allowed to deteriorate, it caused breaches or gaps, and a break down of protection. Someone would have to repair the breaches or the occupants would be in great jeopardy. In every generation, "repairers of the breach" have been greatly needed, and they are certainly needed today. Walls of protection and separation have suffered great damage. Compromise and disobedience have eroded the hedges that ought to protect. We have witnessed an all out assault on the protective walls of our homes, our churches, and our nation. Moral walls have been greatly damaged. Attacks on traditional marriage, opposition to public references to God, and legalized abortion are examples. The hedges around the Lord's churches have been weakened by worldliness, ecumenism, and rejection of Biblical truth. The safe haven of families have been breached through similar matters of compromise and disobedience. The spiritual protection of individual lives can be removed by willful sin and giving ground to the enemy. To restore the protection, the breaches must be repaired. How can we rebuild the walls around our lives and ministries? Through repentance, obedience, and intercession, we can see these hedges rebuilt. The number of those who are determined to see the old landmarks removed continues to grow. We must be just as committed to the cause of following the old paths of obedience and godliness. And as such, we too can be called "repairers of the breach."

A devotional thought by Pastor Smith of Mt. Zion Baptist Church