Standing in the Breach by A. M. Dart

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Apr 28, 1914

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 41, No. 16.

Standing in the Breach

By A. M. Dart

A Charge Against Professors in the Last Days—God Searching for Men to Stand Against Apostasy

By A. M. DART

"Ye have not gone up into the gaps ["breaches," margin], neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord." Eze. 13:5. Sin has made a breach, temporarily, in the government of God. The breach has been spanned by the death and resurrection of His Son; and now the Lord uses men, rightly related to Him through the atonement, to stand in the breach and show forth the true principles of His government.

REPAIRERS OF THE BREACH

"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." Isa. 58:12. The next two verses show that Sabbath reform would be a special feature in making up the breach. Read them.

The text at the beginning of this article is a charge against God's people in the last days of probationary time; for it states that they "have not gone up into the breaches, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord."

THE DAY OF THE LORD

The "day of the Lord" is a period of time ushered in by the close of probation, and is spoken of as a "destruction from the Almighty," when all hands shall "be faint, and every man's heart shall melt" (Isa. 13:6-9); a day when silver and gold would not save (Zeph. 1:14-18); a day when men would be crying, "Peace and safety" (1 Thess. 5:1-3); but God's people would "know perfectly" about it. Verse 2. Therefore to "stand in the breach" in these days means to warn the people of this awful day. There is escape now, but there will be none then.

In Moses we have an example of one whom God could use to "stand in the breach." "Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen stood before Him in the breach." Ps. 106:23. He was a man who could wish his own name blotted out of the book of life if God could not forgive His rebellious people. Ex. 32:32.

DO YOU THUS LOVE?

Do you thus love sinners? He was a man who was sufficiently separated from this world to reject the rulership of a world kingdom, and choose "affliction with the people of God" and the "reproach of Christ" instead. Heb. 11:24-26. Is your faith strong enough to separate you thus from this world?

SEEKING A MAN FOR THE GAP

"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." Eze. 22:30. This was said of the apostate situation in Ezekiel's day. What may be said of to-day?

The position is open for you, dear reader, and success assured; but do not attempt it without counting the cost. "Destruction from the Almighty" on one side, unfading glory in the kingdom of God on the other. But this world must be given up. "Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."