INTERCEDING FROM THE HEART OF GOD
Kay Keith Peebles 1/15/2021 21.02
Through the Scriptures of the Old Testament as well as the New, our Savior, Redeemer, and Intercessor Jesus intervened in the lives of His people. The first time was in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve broke the Lord’s commandment not to eat from the tree of good and evil. The Lord killed animals and “covered” their nakedness. He also initiated the sacrificial system to “cover” their sins until Jesus came to die for our sins “covering” us all. See Genesis Chapter 3.
“Who is the one who condemns us? Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay our penalty], and more than that, who was raised [from the dead], and who is at the right hand of God interceding [with the Father] for us.” Romans 8:34.
The Lord not only intercedes for us, He also partners with us to intercede for others. He used Abraham to intercede for the righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah. “Now the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself away from your country, from your relatives and your father’s house, to the land that I will show you…When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the locality of Shechem, to the oak or terebinth tree of Moreh, and the Canaanite was in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, I will give this land to your posterity. So Abram built an altar there to the Lord, Who had appeared to him.” Genesis 12:1-7. Emphasis mine.
Lot, his nephew separated from Abraham and chose to settle in the Jordan Valley in Sodom, because it looked pleasing to him and Abram chose to dwell in the land of Canaan. The pre-incarnate Savior, Jesus appeared to Abraham several times in Abram’s (Abraham) lifetime. See Genesis Chapter 17. In Chapter 18 the Lord came with two angels to confirm to Abraham that Sarah would have a child. At the same time, “the (three) men (Pre-incarnate Jesus and 2 angels) rose up from there and faced toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham [My friend and servant] what I am going to do…For I have known (chosen, acknowledge) him [as My own], so that he may teach and command his children and the sons of his house after him to keep the way of the Lord and to do what is just and righteous so that the Lord may bring Abraham what He has promised. And the Lord said, Because the shriek [of sins] of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is exceedingly grievous, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether [as vilely and wickedly] as is the cry of it which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.” Genesis 18:16-21. Emphasis mine.
The Lord God chose to involve Abraham in His plan to judge Sodom and Gomorrah and let him intercede on behalf of the people there, including Lot his nephew and family. “Now the [two] men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. And Abraham came close and said, Will You destroy the righteous (those upright and in right standing with God) together with the wicked? Suppose there are in the city fifty righteous; will You destroy the place and not spare if for the
the fifty righteous in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing—to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as do the wicked! Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth execute judgment and do righteously? And the Lord said, If I find in the city of Sodom fifty righteous, I will spare the whole place for their sake…” Genesis 18:22-33.
The wrath of God was just and righteous to judge the acts of the people of Sodom, but Abraham stood before the Lord to intercede on behalf of the righteous living there. He kept bargaining with Jesus until he agreed to spare the city for only 10 righteous people. In Chapter 19 the story continues with the two angels searching Sodom and finding the only righteous there are Lot and his family. There were not enough righteous people to spare the city, but the Lord sent the angels to rescue Lot, his wife and two daughters. The Lord God chose to include Abraham in His decision to judge the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah, which gives us a glimpse of understanding into the nature of His heart.
The Lord used Joseph to intercede for his entire family in order for Abraham’s promise to be fulfilled. God gave Joseph a dream of being a “ruler” having authority over his brothers and parents. His brothers tried to kill him but instead sold him into slavery. After 13 years of being a slave and imprisoned in Egypt, Pharaoh elevated him to second in command of all of Egypt. The fulfillment of his dream enabled Joseph to save his family from starvation by bringing them to Egypt during an extreme drought. In order for Joseph to become their intercessor, it was imperative for him to forgive his brothers for the evil plan they used to get rid of him. See Genesis Chapters 37-47.
God used Moses to not only deliver Israel from Egypt’s bondage; He used Moses to intercede on behalf of the whole nation of Israel as they defied the Lord in the wilderness. Moses built a tent of meeting outside of the camp of the Israelites. He separated himself from the people so that He might seek the word and will of the Lord on their behalf. Although the Israelites had consecrated themselves to follow the Lord after their deliverance, they immediately sinned against Him. When Moses went up to Mount Sinai to spend 40 days with the Lord and receive the Law, the people in the camp built a golden calf like the idols in Egypt and danced, became drunk and did immoral acts before the eyes of God. They also grumbled and complained against the Lord. See Exodus Chapter 33.
Early in the chapter the Lord told Moses, “Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go with you, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I destroy you on the way. When the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned and no man put on his ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, Say to the Israelites, You are a stiff-necked people! If I should come among you for one moment, I would consume and destroy you… ” Exodus 33:3-5.
Scripture tells us Moses met with God “face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” Exodus 33:11. Moses began to intercede on Israel’s behalf. “Moses said to the Lord, See, you say to me, Bring up this people, but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You said, I know you by name and you have also found favor in My sight. Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, show me now your way, that I may know You [progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, perceiving and recognizing and understanding more strongly and clearly] and that I may find favor in Your sight. And [Lord, do] consider that this nation is Your people. And the Lord said, My Presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest. And Moses said to the Lord, If Your Presence does not go with me, do not carry us up from here! For by what shall it be known that I and Your people have found favor in Your sight? Is it not in Your going with us so that we are distinguished, I and Your people, from all the other people upon the face of the earth? And the Lord said to Moses, I will do this thing also that you have asked, for you have found favor, loving-kindness, and mercy in My sight and I know you personally and by name.” Exodus 33:12-17.
Over and over again in the 40 years they spent in the wilderness Moses interceded for the Israelites. When Korah led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron’s leadership, Moses interceded for the entire camp of Israelites. “Then Korah assembled all the congregation against Moses and Aaron before the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron. Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin and will You be angry with all the congregation? And the Lord said to Moses, Say to the congregation, Get away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. Then Moses rose up and went to Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him…And Moses said, By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I do not act of my own accord…as soon as he stopped speaking, the ground under the offenders split apart and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households.” Numbers 16:1-35. Two hundred fifty men and their households were devoured that day but Moses had interceded for the over two million Israelites and they were spared. See also Numbers 21:1-9.
Job interceded for his three friends. “It came about that after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, ‘My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. I will accept him [and his prayer] so that I may not deal with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.”
There is so much more to Interceding from the Heart of God than this post can cover so I will continue in two weeks with Part II. If one only has a “religious” mindset of the wrath of God, they will miss entirely the love, compassion and long-suffering of our Lord. If one’s only mindset is the great Grace of God, they will miss the Righteous Judgment of God which at times must destroy evil and those who choose to walk in its path. The Lord must judge all evil. His judgments are righteous and holy; however, His sentence can vary. We are all guilty of sin against His covenant because all have fallen short of the Glory of God; but for those who believe in His death and resurrection, they are forgiven and saved. See Romans 3:23. In Abraham, Job, Joseph and Moses’ cases, the Lord used them to intercede for the Lord’s sentence over the people, not God’s right to judge sin.
The Lord calls the intercessors to come away, build Him a tent of meeting, and meet with Him face to face on behalf of others. They are called to 1) declare His will: Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done in earth as it is in heaven, 2) decree His Word, and 3) use their authority in Him to bind that which is not allowed in heaven and loose that which is in heaven on earth.
Many seek the Hand of God – His Acts, blessing. Some seek to know the Word of God – His Wisdom, but few know the Ways of God – His heart motivation.
His Word is the Wisdom (we walk in), His Acts are His Testimony (Mighty Deeds), and His Ways are His heart (Motivation). When we intercede from the heart of the Lord, He will use us to partner with His perfect will for our lives and for the lives of others.
