The children of Israel had turned away from God to worship the golden calf saying, "These are the gods that brought us out of Egypt." The Lord's anger was kindled as He called them a stiffnecked people. He told Moses to "...let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them." Exodus 32:10.

What did Moses do? He stood in the breach.

What did God do? "And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people." Exodus 32:14.

Again the children of Israel provoked God to anger by committing whoredom with the daughters of Moab and sacrificing to their gods. (Numbers 25:1-8.) The anger of the Lord was kindled insomuch that twenty-four thousand people perished. Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, took a javelin, went into a tent and slew a Midianitish woman and a man of Israel (Simeonite) who had defied the commandments by committing whoredom. When Phinehas had done this, the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

To stand in the breach sometimes requires severe judgment against the offenders. This is not a position of glory, but one that the Lord Himself will reward. He was so well pleased with Phinehas, who had turned away His wrath from the children of Israel, that He said He would give unto him His covenant of peace and to his seed after him because he was zealous for his God, and had made an atonement for the children of Israel.

In Ezekiel 13:5, the Lord is speaking of some foolish prophets who failed to stand in the gap. "Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle." He said they were like foxes in the desert. They had cunningly prophesied lies neglecting the house of Israel.

Another example which proves how important it is for one to stand in the breach is found in Ezekiel 22:30-31. "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap (breach) before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them;..." By this scripture we are convinced that had there been someone qualified to stand in the gap the fury of the Lord would have been stayed.

Today it is just He same. Many ills would not occur if individuals whom the Lord had designated to stand in the breach had been faithful. On the other hand, the mercy of the Lord has been extended because of faithful ones who stood in the gap. Are we willing to stand in the breach?