"And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord GOD."You see, there was a gap between sinful Israel and holy God that mere men could not cross. And even though our circumstances 2,500 years later may have changed a little bit, our situation hasn't. We are still sinful people, and we cannot, on our own, breach the gap between us and our righteous Creator.
So that is why Jesus was sent.
Hebrews 7:22, 25 says,
"This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them."Jesus breached the gap for us. His shed blood made Him "the guarantor of a better covenant." We no longer have to have a priest to make intercession for us, or simply wonder whether we can approach God - we are given assurance that Jesus has taken all of our sinfulness upon Himself so that we could come before God.
So even though at first Ezekiel 22 seems like a pretty depressing chapter, and the hopelessness of an impassable gap to God weighs down in verses 30-31, it really brings encouragement! Jesus has breached the gap for us. Because of Him, we now have the right to approach God. How amazing is that?