WHO WILL INTERCEDE?

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In Christ, Mark

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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 our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Thus far in the Book of 1 Samuel, we have seen where a once barren woman named Hannah made a special vow to the Lord to dedicate a son to Him if she were given the opportunity to give birth. God blessed her as requested and in return, Hannah made good on her promise, bringing her son Solomon and turning him over to the care of the high priest Eli who kept a watchful eye on the boy as he grew up, gaining “stature” and “favor with the Lord” and men.

Unfortunately, Eli’s two sons, the priests named Hophni and Phinehas, were anything but in good standing with the Lord because of their sinful behavior. Earlier in this chapter, we saw where they deliberately violated the Lord’s guidelines for handling sacrifices with the scriptures telling us they had “no regard for the Lord” (verse 12). In today’s passage, we read where they also “slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting”, sexual promiscuity and immorality that was strictly prohibited.

To make matters even worse, their transgressions weren’t done privately. Rather, their sin was obviously well known for their father Eli “heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel”. Imagine how embarrassing and humiliating this had to be for a man who was the top spiritual leader of the Israelite people. We see his frustration boil over when he confronts his wicked sons, saying:

"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?"

Indeed, a person’s actions establish their reputation and that reputation not only reflects on them but too often on those who are acquainted as well, particularly parents. And so the actions of Eli’s sons not only brought discredit upon them but on Eli as well, definitely violating God’s command to honor one’s father and mother (Exodus 20:12), Unfortunately, neither Hophni and Phinehas cared about that because it was obvious that they were only interested in honoring and pleasing themselves.

As we go back to Eli’s rebuke, we can feel his deep love and concern for his sons as he still sought to instill some reason in them, sharing words of wisdom within a sharp warning. For who would be able to intercede for them when the Lord came to confront? No mere man could stand in the gap to help ward off God’s punishment, even a man as holy as Eli.

You know, I’m afraid that too many people in the world today sin openly before the same Lord of Old Testament times and stand in the exact place that Hophni and Phinehas were…transgressors with no one who could qualify as a suitable intercessor when God came to bring His judgment.

The truth of the matter is that every single human being is destined for Hell unless they find someone who can intercede for them, someone who can save them from the wrath of God.

So who would be acceptable to the Lord to serve as an interceder?

There is only One who can and His name is Jesus. Here’s what we find in the scriptures of the Old Testament regarding Him within the words of 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 prophesying about none other than God’s only Son, Jesus, who would come to bear the sins of all mankind and then intercede for the same transgressors that He died for. Through His intercession, Jesus justifies those who repent, believe in Him as Savior, and commit to turn from their sinful ways. Through that justification, he makes the sinner just as if they had never sinned.

Indeed, for those who are in and of Jesus…those who have placed their belief and trust in Him with all their heart, the day of judgment when standing before the God will be a day of pardon as Jesus steps into the gap and let’s His Father know that He has already paid the penalty. This will be affirmed because that person’s name will be written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 3:5, 20:15).

Friends, this is what makes the Gospel what it literally is…good news. For every person who places their trust in Jesus will not perish but gain everlasting life (John 3:16), all because of the awesome mercy and grace of God the Father who made the way so that no sinner need perish. Through His Son, and only through Him…the great and holy Intercessor of all, a believer gets to come to God forever (John 14:6).

Before I close, picture now the scene that would occur when a sinner came before God without Jesus. For rejecting Him in life results in God’s rejection at the final judgment, a rejection that commits the sinner to Hell forever. This is the path that Eli’s sons had chosen 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”.

So the question for you today as you read this is simple:

Who will intercede for you when the time comes for you to stand before God and be accountable for your actions in life?

My prayer is that the answer is simple because you already have placed your belief in Jesus but if you haven’t, I urge you right now to make today the day of your salvation as you give your heart and soul to your Maker and Master. Don’t die without the only true Intercessor, the only One who can bring you to Heaven and save you from Hell. Trust me when I say it’s a decision you’ll never regret.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.