Abundant Grace Community Church

HEDGE — a thorn hedge (Is. 5:5), a stone wall (Ps. 80:12), or a fence or partition of any kind (Mark 12:1). Hedges helped protect vineyards from thieves and predators. They consisted of loose stones or thorny branches or bushes.

An invisible hedge of protection

Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. 2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.

4 And his sons would go and feast in their houses, each on his appointed day, and would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 So it was, when the days of feasting had run their course, that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did regularly.

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?”

So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”

8 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”

9 So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”

12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.”NKJV

INTEGRITY — honesty, sincerity, singleness of purpose. In the Old Testament, Noah (Gen. 6:9), Abraham (Gen. 17:1), Jacob (Gen. 25:27), David (1 Kin. 9:4), and Job (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3, 9; 4:6; 27:5; 31:6) were called people of integrity. Although Jesus did not use the word “integrity,” he called for purity of heart (Matt. 5:8), singleness of purpose (Matt. 6:22), and purity of motive (Matt. 6:1–6).

Integrity of character keeps the hedge built up and strong under the attack of the enemy. The armor of the Spirit is a spiritual hedge that we must put on daily without fail !

Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints

NKJV

Rom 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. NKJV

Self deception

Prov 18:11 The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense;

they imagine it to be a high wall of safety. NLT

Self control is a hedge of protection.

Prov 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. NKJV

Prov 25:28 A person without self‑control is like a city with broken‑down walls. NLT

Salvation is a wall of defence against the enemy.

Isa 26:1 In that day, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song:

Our city is strong!

We are surrounded by the walls of God’s salvation.

2 Open the gates to all who are righteous;

allow the faithful to enter.

3 You will keep in perfect peace

all who trust in you,

all whose thoughts are fixed on you! NLT

A metaphor about Divine protection and how it is linked to obedience.

Isa 5:3 Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah, you judge between me and my vineyard.

4 What more could I have done for my vineyard that I have not already done?

When I expected sweet grapes, why did my vineyard give me bitter grapes?

5 Now let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard:I will tear down its hedgesand let it be destroyed.

I will break down its walls and let the animals trample it. 6 I will make it a wild place where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed, a place overgrown with briers and thorns. I will command the clouds to drop no rain on it. NLT

The Hedge of a Nazarite.

Judg 13:1 Again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines, who oppressed them for forty years.

2 In those days a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant, and they had no children. 3 The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife and said, “Even though you have been unable to have children, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son. 4 So be careful; you must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. 5 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.”NLT