Why "Repairers of the Breach"?

Is this not the fast which I choose,

To loosen the bonds of wickedness,

To undo the bands of the yoke,

And to let the oppressed go free

And break every yoke?

Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry

And bring the homeless poor into the house;

When you see the naked, to cover him;

And to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Then your light will be break out like the dawn,

And your recovery will speedily spring forth;

And your righteousness will go before you;

The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

You will cry, and He will say, "Here I am."

If you remove the yoke from your midst,

The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,

And if you give yourself to the hungry

And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,

Then your light will rise in darkness

And your gloom will become like midday.

And the LORD will continually guide you,

And satisfy your desire in scorched places,

And give strength to your bones;

And you will be like a watered garden,

And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins;

You will raise up the age-old foundations;

And you will be called the repairer of the breach,

The restorer of the paths in which to dwell.

Isaiah 58:6-12

I do not know of any other Scripture that speaks so powerfully to the impact of reformation. In particular, this passage emphasizes proclaiming liberty to those who need it most. I believe that the young men of my generation are one of the most enslaved groups of people in human history. They are enslaved to false images of manliness, to a future with no purpose, to a life with no vision, to meaningless distractions. They have lost connection with a heritage of manly men who have lived throughout time, and likewise have never forged a connection with the generations to come. They do not know where they came from, where they are going, or what their purpose as men is in this world.

It is time to rebuild the ancient ruins of the art of manliness; to raise up the age old foundation laid by manly men from King David to Theodore Roosevelt. It is time to repair the breach in the wall of manliness and restore the paths in which God intended for men to live. I have always been an admirer of Nehemiah. In fact, the camp I designed for young men that I mentioned in my last post was called the Nehemiah Corps Boot Camp. I see the mission of this ministry and the mission of Nehemiah as having much in common with each other, and much in common with Isaiah 58:12. Strong walls were an ancient city's best defense. They were the very symbol of strength in that time. The wall of biblical manliness has been destroyed in our day, as the wall of Jerusalem was destroyed in Nehemiah's. As the city of Jerusalem was left weak and vulnerable, our entire civilization has been left weak and vulnerable.

As a man who has answered the call of God to lead in the rebuilding of the wall, I also find incredible encouragement and strength from this passage. I am humbled that God so desires to honor the work of those who obey Him and take up the charge. Your prayers are much appreciated as I labor to repair the breach.

In Him,

Colton