Recently, a friend offered a prayer in which he asked for “a hedge of protection” around me.  While that was not the first time I heard this phrase, I don’t hear it frequently, as it is not commonly used in the church where I attend.  So, I set out to learn of the origin and significance. 

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “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 1:8-10

In the time of the Old Testament, wild animals were prevalent. Although stone walls could keep predators away from living areas and livestock, the walls would have to be very tall and would take a long time to make. Wood was not plentiful enough to waste on a fence. Instead, a hedge of thorn bushes was often grown around a living compound. Thorn bushes would be too dense to crawl through, too sharp to chew through, and too deep for almost any animal to jump over. A hedge would also be a deterrent to sheep and goats seeking to escape their pen.

As Satan is compared to a “roaring lion” in scripture, the hedge comparison seems appropriate.  And I personally find it comforting (and amusing) that Satan himself is the one who points out the effectiveness associated with such a hedge placed around a follower of God.  Seems we all need a deeper appreciation for thorns.  May your hedges be tall and thick.