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The Hedge of Thorns Series

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There are times when the only way to keep a person out of trouble and from being ruined, or from being destroyed, is to hem that person in with a hedge of thorns.


Hedges Series - Thorns

Old Paths Baptist Mission © 2011 Richard St.James


 Hedge of Thorns“The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.” [Proverbs 15:19]

There are times when the only way to keep a person out of trouble and from being ruined, or from being destroyed, is to hem that person in with a hedge of thorns.

God knows this. We need to learn this.

My friend, a wall of thorns separating you and me from ruin and destruction … is a true friend.

A “hedge of thorns” is a true blessing. This takes us straight to Hosea in our Bible for this strange command. Hosea, the prophet of God, was commanded by the Lord to “take unto” himself “a wife of whoredoms” in the very first chapter in verse two.

Hosea was an obedient prophet. In verse three, Hosea does exactly what he was told to do: “So he went and took Gomer” to wife.

Now, why did God tell him to do something like this? I will tell you why. [It is as I told you earlier in this message.] God wants us to learn a lesson by an “ensamples”. Do you remember what God said in First Corinthians by the Apostle Paul? Here it is.“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]

The Spirit of God through Hosea is creating a picture to show us how God viewed His own relationship with Israel. Israel has been unfaithful and untrue. She is likened to the Lord as an unfaithful wife.

Now, what will God do with an unfaithful wife?

• God has a plan to make something that is wrong … become right.

• God has a plan to make something that is dirty … become clean.

• God has a plan to take something that is filthy and make it pure.

Now, God has a plan for Israel, and it is seen through Hosea’s preparation of a “hedge of thorns” for Gomer. The “hedge of thorns” is intended to be … a remedy. The “hedge of thorns” will tend to remedy the continual problem in the departing from her husband. Now mind you here, the context is … concerning Israel, and her unfaithfulness. Look at verse two. It points to the problem of “departing from the Lord” on the part of Israel.

Now we are ready for Hosea, chapter two. In verse six, we have Hosea, say this to his wife: “Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.” [Hosea 2:6] Remember, hedges are good. Remember, hedges are for protection, and here, God is showing through his prophet Hosea that the “hedge of thorns” will help keep his wife from getting into the wrong paths … the paths of darkness.

Now, a good ole “thorn hedge” will do a lot of good for us all. Isn’t that so? It does me. It is true we all tend to wander off the proper path … “the path of life”. We are like sheep! It is as the prophet Isaiah said by the Spirit of God in Isaiah chapter fifty-three: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” [Isaiah 53:6]

Our propensity to wander [as a believer in Jesus Christ] is a remnant of the sin nature of NATURAL MAN, [1 Corinthians 2:14], and it is the very thing that led to the Son of God going to the cross of Calvary. Therefore, given our propensity to wander, we need for God to “hedge” us in a little with the help of some good ole thorns that will prick, and hurt us a little … for our good … from time to time.

This is what a “thorn hedge” will do. A “thorn hedge” will tend to keep us hemmed in on both sides of a narrow path. The narrow path is good. This narrow path … is the path of maintenance in our relationship to God, and in our human relationships, as husbands, and as wives, and as children to their parents.

I want to add this thought before I move on. Get ready for this.

A “thorn hedge” is not the worst thing in life to be hemmed in by. God in his mercy has chosen to utilize the “thorn hedge” because of its moderation as compared to something else that is found in the Bible. The something else … that is even sharper than the “thorn hedge” … is the “brier” according to the word of God.

The book of Micah tells us this very thing in chapter seven, verse four: “The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity." [Micah 7:4] The “brier” is sharper than a “thorn hedge”.

Now, I do not know about you, but I would rather face the “thorn hedge” than the “brier” … based on what it says here in Micah chapter seven.

Now, the “thorn hedge” has a definite location … being placed on either side of a path.
I can walk in the path, and not get hurt, but in the case of the“brier”, this is not so.
The location of the “brier” is not in a hedge row, but it is everywhere that I walk.

Can you see the difference, my friend?

The “hedge” is a row. The “brier” is everywhere I walk.

There will be times when all one can do to help someone else is to hedge up that person’s way with thorns. How can we do this?


Methods

a. Physical: Overt Rules
b. Spiritual: Invisible Prayer


a. Physical: Overt Rules or Restraints

This can be accomplished in many ways by overtly restraining a loved one, such as a child, or young person from doing something harmful to themselves or to others. This is called rule making. These are the bounds and limits we place overtly to restrain the actions of those persons that would otherwise harm themselves or us without those restraints. These bounds and limits are to cause them to walk in the desired path, which is a path of life. Next we construct walls and fences to keep them in the path of life. The construction and maintenance of these walls and fences form the hedges that hem in those walking in the desired path.

b. Spiritual: Invisible Prayer

But when it comes to a spouse, our main recourse will be to go beyond the mere making of rules alone and it will involve prayer. The method for this age is found in Philippians chapter four, verse six: “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” [Philippians 4:6]

The things that are impossible for a man, or a woman, are possible with God. Jesus Christ told us this when He came to this earth nearly two thousand years ago. “And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” [Luke 18:27]

We need to learn this!

We need to believe this!

We can approach God through prayer for the things that are impossible for us to control.

Therefore, true prayer is our main weapon in this age [the church age] for the true Christian.

We cannot control our husbands and our wives as we would control a child, and ultimately, we cannot even control a child. Why is this so? It is so because each person has a will … called “a spirit”. “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” [Job 32:8] The will, or the “spirit”, in a man can be so set … that only God can affect it through His divine intervention. God [in mercy] can give them … understanding.

There is something in the Bible called the “reproof” of God. We can see this in Job, chapter twenty-six, in verse eleven:“The pillars of heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof.” [Job 26:11]

The Holy Spirit has this mission in the world today to reprove of SIN … of RIGHTEOUSNESS and of JUDGMENT. “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me;” [John 16:8-9].

This takes us back to our main weapon in this age [the church age] for the true Christian … PRAYER. God, through our intercessory prayer, can reprove our loved ones. God does this through REPOOF. For proof of this, go to Proverbs chapter one in verse twenty-three: “Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.” [Proverbs 1:23]

Now, reproof has its desired perfect fruit. It is to make God’s word known to man … to you and me. God does everything … by the word of God which is the SCRIPTURE. This is what it says in Second Timothy chapter three, verse sixteen: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” [2 Timothy 3:16]

We need to pray for a “thorn hedge” to be placed by God on either side of the proper path for our loved ones [and for those who lead our nation].

There will be times when all one can do to help someone else is to hedge up that person’s way with “thorns”.

There are times when the only way to keep a person out of trouble and from being ruined, or from being destroyed, is to hem that person in with a “hedge of thorns”

The Hedge Of Thorns

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



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