“Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.” [Psalm 122:7]

Bordering “the old paths” are the walls. There are walls in life. Walls are erected for the protection of those who live therein. “Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.” [Numbers 13:28]

God intervened in the laws of nature by creating a wall of water in the parting of the waters of the Red Sea to provide the way of escape on dry ground for the children of Israel.

“And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.” [Exodus 14:22]

Along with the walls, we find fences. Fences also border the paths of life. Job, by the Spirit of God, acknowledged that God fenced up his way in life. “He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.” [Job 19:8] It is God that sets the fences and builds the walls to keep us in the path of life.

Now, fences and walls will come to us when we seek the Lord our God. The proper time for the building of the walls and of the erecting of the fences … is at the beginning of our life … in our youthful years … or our formative years so that we may prosper and have rest on every side. This is analogous to the fences and walls built in the land of Judah in Second Chronicles chapter fourteen verse seven:

“Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the Lord our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.” [2 Chronicles 14:7]

• Walls are good. Fences are good. Walls and fences are built in the times of growth and prosperity.

 It is God who graves us and fashions us in the palms of His hands. [Isaiah 49:16] “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.”

• Walls are good. Fences are good. You were graven upon the palms of God. Your very being … depends upon those walls.

[Isaiah 56:5] “Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.”

• Walls are good. Fences are good. Within God’s walls is your place. Within God’s walls is your HOME.

[Isaiah 26:1] “In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.”

• Walls are good. Fences are good. Walls and fences are for your salvation. Salvation is a wall.

[Isaiah 60:18] “Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.”

• Walls are good. Fences are good. Walls are CALLED your salvation. Salvation is a WALL.

Now, the absence of walls … in any nation, or in any person’s life, will always bring disorder, and even chaos. It in the end will bring destruction. This can be likened to a city that is broken down and in total decay. A city broken down … is a city without walls according to Proverbs twenty-five, verse twenty-eight:

“He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” [Proverbs 25:28]

The word of God here [Proverbs 25:28] likens a person that cannot control his “spirit” to “a city that is broken down, and without walls.”

Now, the “spirit” of a man involves his very inner being. It is the emotions including his outward actions. One, who has “no rule over his own spirit” is one who is out of control [no control]. This is a mark of a person who has no“walls”. He is like a city, which is broken down.

Now, “walls” are good for us all. These “walls” need to be in place in our life for our health. The “walls” … erected by God in our lives … are for our very life’s protection. They are for our GOOD! Whenever you find a person who is determined to take down the “walls” … that God has put up … which was erected by God for their good, he or she … is doing it to their own hurt, every time. Can you hear me?

How can we get hurt by taking down a wall, you say? How can we take down a wall that God has put up? Consider the matter of something called in the BOOK … SELF-WILL. SELF-WILL will take down the “walls.”  We will find every time in the Bible that “self-will” is a very dangerous thing to have as an attribute in one’s life. Self-will destroys! Self-will is a destroyer!

Why is this so? It is because, self-will … acts against God. Self-will seeks not God’s will in any matter. In fact self-will … will not even seek nor look for God. Bottom-line, self-will is a REBEL! He strikes out on its own. Self-will will dig down the wall … made for the protection for those inside.

Ensamples

“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” [1 Corinthians 10:11]

We are they upon whom the ends of the world are come. It is for us! What happened to them in old times is for us to learn from.

Now, consider the ensample of both Simeon and Levi, the sons of Jacob in Genesis thirty-four. What did they do? What can we learn from them? They had, in effect, “digged down a wall” to their father’s grief, and to their own hurt. [Now, the account of the story includes Dinah, their sister, and Shechem, and Hamor.] This is an account recording how “selfwill” will destroy a “wall” of protection … as found in the example of Simeon and Levi acting “in their selfwill.”

The scene is at the very end of Jacob’s life in Genesis chapter forty-nine. Jacob calls his sons together so that he may tell them what shall befall them in the last days: “that which shall befall you in the last days.” [Genesis 49:1]  [Note: Jacob was a prophet.] When Jacob came to the point in his prophesy concerning his two sons Simeon and Levi, he said to them this … in verse six: “O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.”[Genesis 49:6]

Self-will was Balaam’s problem in Numbers chapter twenty-two thru twenty-four. It is here that we find that the identity of“wall” itself is an “angel of the Lord.” [Numbers 22:24] “But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.” Balaam’s self-will was digging down a wall. Balaam determined in his heart to go to Balak on this mission to curse Israel, even though God already showed him not to go.

Self-will is not God’s will.

 Self-will was David’s problem in the matter of vengeance. Here is how David almost did the wrong thing concerning Nabal. In First Samuel twenty-five we see that David’s men were “a wall” around all of Nabal’s men, all the while they were in the wilderness keeping their sheep.

“They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.” [1 Samuel 25:16] The “wall” is for protection.

David here was “a wall” for Nabal.

But this also, is the occasion for “self-will”to enter into David. Remember, Nabal never requited David for his kindness. Nabal [a son of Belial] had refused to offer any thanks for this wall of protection afforded to him by David. What does this do? It gave rise to David’s anger. Watch it. In David’s anger,“self-will” was born, and in “self-will”vengeance was determined in David’s heart. Only by the grace of God working in Abigail’s heart did God keep David from digging down the wall of protection surrounding him.

Now, the “wall” of protection for David was the LORD God Himself.

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” [Romans 12:19-21]

David should have sought God’s will, not self-will. David should have trusted God to take vengeance on Nabal.

Remember, “self-will” is a very dangerous thing to have as an attribute in your life. Self-will will destroy you and others.

Remember, self-will acts against God. Self-will … will not seek out God. It strikes out on its own. Self-will seeks not God’s will in a matter.

Self-will will dig down the wall … made for the protection of those inside.

The Hedge Of Thorns

1. Bounds and Limits
2. Paths
3. Walls and Fences
4. Hedges
5. Thorns

Next: 4. Hedges