Building the Hedge Lesson 3
April 20th, 2008
- Building the Hedge Lesson 1
- Building the Hedge Lesson 2
- Building the Hedge Lesson 3
- Building the Hedge Lesson 4
HEDGE
phragmos (5418) denotes any sort of fence, hedge, palings or wall (akin to phrasso, “to fence in, stop”). It is used (a) in its literal sense, in Matt. 21:33, lit. “(he put) a hedge (around)”; Mark 12:1; Luke 14:23; (b) metaphorically, of the “partition” which separated Gentile from Jew, which was broken down by Christ through the efficacy of His expiatory sacrifice, Eph. 2:14.
WALL
1. teichos (5038), “a wall,” especially one around a town, is used (a) literally, Acts 9:25; 2 Cor. 11:33; Heb. 11:30; (b) figuratively, of the “wall” of the heavenly city, Rev. 21:12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19.
2. toichos (5109), “a wall,” especially of a house, is used figuratively in Acts 23:3, “(thou whited) wall.”
3. mesotoichon (3320), “a partition wall” (mesos, “middle,” and No. 2), occurs in Eph. 2:14, figuratively of the separation of Gentile from Jew in their unregenerate state, a partition demolished by the Cross for both on acceptance of the gospel. Cf. PARTITION.
Jesus taught His disciples that the greatest force in the world was love. Walking in love is the greatest defence {hedge or wall} against the enemy there is.
John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. NKJV
1 Cor 13:4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. NLT
Jesus taught the people that anyone stronger than his enemy can pull down his defences and take his possessions.
Luke 11:17 He knew their thoughts, so he said, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A family splintered by feuding will fall apart. 18 You say I am empowered by Satan. But if Satan is divided and fighting against himself, how can his kingdom survive? 19 And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. 20 But if I am casting out demons by the power of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. 21 For when a strong man like Satan is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe— 22 until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings. 23 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me. NLT
Jericho was a satanic stronghold in the promised land but through absolute obedience it fell.
Josh 6:12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 Then seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually and blew with the trumpets. And the armed men went before them. But the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 14 And the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. So they did six days.
15 But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times. 16 And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city! NKJV
Disregard for our spiritual hedge can be dangerous.
Eccl 10: 8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him. KJV
When the Lord is seeking to work in a person’s life and they turn a deaf ear to the voice of the Holy Spirit , the Word of God warns us that the Lord may remove our hedge of protection.
Heb 3:7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, NKJV
Our hedge is built by integrity and obedience , it is destroyed by transgression.
1 Cor 5: 1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles — that a man has his father’s wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. NKJV
Our hedge can be rebuilt by genuine repentance.
2 Cor 2:5 I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. 6 Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. 7 Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. 8 So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him. 9 I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions. 10 When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, 11 so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes. NLT
This can happen to a nation as well as individual.
Isa 5:3 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 hedges and 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
Sin was the barrier between us and the Lord, whether we are Jews or Gentiles. The Good news is the wall has been broken down and there is no more separation .
Eph 2:14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. NKJV
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