WHO WILL INTERCEDE?

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. So he said to them, "Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. No, my sons; it is not a good report that I hear spreading among the Lord's people. If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him?" His sons, however, did not listen to their father's rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.

And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men.

1 Samuel 2:22-26

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

We have seen where the baby Samuel has been weaned by his mother Hannah, dedicated to the Lord at Shiloh and turned over to the care of the high priest Eli who kept a watchful eye on Samuel as he grew up and gained stature with the Lord and men.

Unfortunately, Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were anything but high in stature with the Lord because of their sinfulness. Earlier in Chapter 2, we saw where they deliberately violated the Lord’s guidelines for sacrifice with scripture telling us they had “no regard for the Lord” (verse 12).

Well in today’s passage, we see where the sons did more than just disobey the Lord when it came to sacrificing. They also “slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting”, sexual promiscuity that was strictly prohibited. All their acts were obviously well known for their father “heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel”. Imagine how embarrassing that was to the man who was the top spiritual leader of the people. Eli’s frustration finally boiled over and he confronted his wicked sons.

We read where Eli asks, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. No, my sons; it is not a good report that I hear spreading among the Lord's people.”

Indeed, our actions establish our reputation and that reputation not only reflects on us but those who are close to us as well, particularly our parents. The actions of Eli’s sons not only brought discredit upon them but him as well and definitely violated God’s command to honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12)…not that Hophni and Phinehas even cared about that. They were all about honoring and pleasing themselves.

But Eli wasn’t finished admonishing his sons. He added, “If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him?" Eli’s words carried with them great wisdom…and great warning as well…both to Eli’s sons and to us as well. For just as Eli’s sons weren’t thinking about needing an intercessor before the Lord, I wonder if we think about it as well. We should be because we all will need one before it’s all said and done.

So what does God’s word say to us regarding this matter of intercession? Consider these verses from the prophet Isaiah:

He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted.

But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.

By oppression and judgment He was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people He was stricken.

He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Yet it was the Lord's will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the Lord makes His life a guilt offering, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by His knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will give Him a portion among the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 56:2-12

Of course, Isaiah is writing about our Savior and God’s only Son Jesus who would bear the sins of all mankind and then make intercession for the same transgressors that He died for. Through His intercession, He justifies those who repent and turn from their sinful ways…making it just as if the sinner had never sinned. Indeed, for those who are in Jesus and believe and trust in Him with all their heart, the day when we stand in judgment before the Lord for our sinfulness will see Jesus step in as our holy, righteous defense attorney and testify that…”Yes, this sinner is guilty of the penalties mentioned but their debt to you Lord has already been paid. I know because I paid it!” This is the awesome mercy and grace that comes from our Savior and the reason why he tells us that no one comes to the Father except by Him…the Great Intercessor of us all. (John 14:6).

Before I close, picture now the scene that would occur when a sinner came before God without the Great Intercessor. For rejecting Jesus in life results in just that…not having anyone to stand before the Almighty God and provide rescue from pending destruction. This is the path that Eli’s sons chose for we read where they “did not listen to their father's rebuke” and, in turn, “it was the Lord’s will to put them to death”.

Friends, who will intercede for you when the time comes for you to stand before God and be accountable for your actions in life? I pray you will say Jesus because you have given your heart and soul to Him just as He gave it to you.

And if you don’t know Him, then you have no Intercessor before God. And unless you wish to stand before Him defenseless, then I would ask that you turn to Jesus right now and ask Him into your life forever. You’ll never regret that decision. Trust in that.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/

Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com