Intercession – A Key to Our Survival
February 23
Bible Reading: Deuteronomy Chapters 7-9
Intercession – A Key to Our Survival
As Moses reviews the
rebellious acts of the Israelites during their wilderness journey, he reveals
an important role that he played in their survival. When we read Deut 9:4-6
closely, we can understand that God did not give the Promised Land to the
Israelites because of their righteousness for they were a stiff-necked people.
The real two reasons why God gave them the land were: (a) to fulfill His word
that he had promised to their forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and (b)
because of the wickedness of the seven nations whose land they were preparing
to occupy (Deut 7:1).
There were
many instances that the Israelites provoked the Lord to anger. "Remember. Do not forget how you
provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you
departed from the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been
rebellious against the Lord. Also in Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath, so
that the Lord was angry enough with you to have destroyed you" (Deut
9:7-8). The Lord was so angry with the Israelites that He wanted destroy all of
them and start a new nation through Moses. This is what God said to Moses: 'I have seen this people, and indeed they
are a stiff-necked people. Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out
their name from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation mightier and
greater than they' (Deut 9:13-14). However, we see Moses interceding and
pleading for His people and His brother Aaron time and time again (see Deut
9:18-29). We need to understand that it was only through Moses interceding for
the Israelites that their lives were spared many times.
We now have
our Lord Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of God the Father, who is
greater than Moses, interceding on our behalf in the throne room of God. “…and He was numbered with the
transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12b).
"Now He who searches the hearts
knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because
He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God"
(Romans 8:27). "It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even
at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us"
(Romans 8:34). "Therefore He is also
able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession
for them" (Heb 7:25).
Even through intercession is the key to our survival, let us not take advantage during this age of grace and provoke God to anger by sinning deliberately and consistently. Even though Moses interceded for the Israelites many times, however due to their consistent rebellion they lost their rite of passage into the Promised Land. In 1 Corinthians 10:1-11, Apostle Paul quoted many examples concerning the Israelites, and finally gave us an advice that we must always remember in our spiritual journey: "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor 10:12)
