YAHWEH, MY PROTECTOR - HEDGE OF PROTECTION

“Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.

Job 1: 10 (NIV)

(1)

INTRODUCTION

Job was a wealthy man. He was blameless before God and in so happened to be wealthy. But, that all changed when satan took stock of Him. He was presented before God alongside other Sons of God and God realized and exposed that he had been considering Job. He had been wanting to attack and rob him. It infuriated Satan that he could not, for the Lord had a hedge of protection around Job as Satan was accusing Him of having. A hedge of protection that per Satan prevented Him from accessing Job. But did God prevent Satan from tempting Job?

THE HEDGE OF PROTECTION - THE BLOOD COVENANT

A well respected, wealthy, and protected individual Job was. He was blameless before the Lord. Well looked upon and according to satan guarded by God. 

When summoned before the throne of God, satan accused God of having a hedge of protection around Job. Per satan’s words, he was untouchable. 

But that was a lie. God did not prevent satan from launching His attacks and tempting Job. Job did however have a blood covenant in place with the Most High. It was according to this blood covenant he was being treated by God.  

Once God addressed this with satan a launch of attacks against Job were issued out which landed their mark. “How so?”, one may wonder. Job was considered blameless before the Lord. How come satan was after all managing to land His attacks? 

While some of the unpleasant and difficult things we endure may be consequences of past sin, iniquity, and open doors, some horrible things may be pushed upon us even though we have done no wrong. Satan does not discriminate. He attacks anyone, even children of the Most High. It is up to us to be vigilant of his ways and tactics. The Word does not say for nothing that for the lack of knowledge my people perish (Hosea 4: 6).  Though Job was in a blood covenant with the Most High, he was sadly not aware of what that meant. 

Also, he started to believe that Yahweh broke His end of the covenant. That He was not keeping it. He fell into self-righteousness. He believed Himself to be more righteous than God. (2)

We have discussed the difference between a covenant and a contract in the blog post BLOG SERIES: GOD, MY REDEEMER - 4. MY BRIDEGROOM, HUSBAND. 

While a contract indicates both parties have to abide by the terms only if the other party is doing their due diligence, a covenant asks for both parties to honor it even if the other party breaks it. (3) A great example from the Bible would be the king of Judah Jehoshaphat who allied with the king of Israel Ahab. Though Ahab was willing to use Him as a decoy in the battle at Ramoth-Gilead, King Jehoshaphat still honored their covenant and backed his ally in battle.

(4)

In like manner, God always honors His part of the covenant even if we fail to honor our part. We may believe in God and even love Him and try to follow His footsteps, but that does not help us if we do not understand what is available to us by believing in Him. The minute we started to believe in Yeshua, and repented of our sin, we were forgiven, set free, and entered into a blood covenant with the Most High.  All that is ours is now His, and at the same time, all that is His is available to us. His provision, wisdom, insight, power, and protection. 

We need to understand the covenant we are now in, and the promises it brings to us. And we also have to implement it (2). Fight for it as Matthew 11: 12 (NIV) below indicates.

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

Matthew 11: 12 (KJV)

Abba uses all things, even the bad, to work for the good of those He loves (Romans 8: 28). He never leaves us where we are. Life circumstances, tests, and trials reveal to us areas where He wishes for us to receive more glory and walk in even greater victory. So realize the promises available to us through the covenant we now are part of and walk in His authority to receive new victory. 

CONCLUSION

We are in a covenant with God as Job was. But to receive the fullness of what this covenant offers to us, we need to be aware of it and its provision. We need to be aware of the promises and every day declare them over ourselves and our lives We will be contested against for those same promises. But if we do not relent, we will enter into Yeshua’s victory. 

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the finished work of Yeshua on the Cross. Thank you for being willing to sacrifice your only begotten son so that whosoever believeth in Him would have everlasting life and be forgiven.

Though we deserved it not, your love for us was never based on our works but so great that it transcended and still transcends human understanding.

Your provision, protection and love for us is not based on our works. It is based on the covenant we are in with you. Thank you for loving us unconditionally.

Amen!

SOURCES

1. Image by wix.com.

2. Craig Hill. Exercising Covenant Authority In Times Of Trouble. Lesson 9: Job’s False Image of God. Transcript, page 2-5. 

3. Craig Hill. Exercising Covenant Authority In Times Of Trouble. Lesson series: Lesson 3 - Part B. Covenant vs. Contract. Page 12-15.

4. Image created by canva.com.