The Middle Man
“The Middle Man”
“All intercession is prayer, but not all prayer is intercession”
Prayer - "the act of asking for a favor with earnestness"
Intercession - "pleading in favor of another" -or- "to go between"
Numbers 16:41-50 [NLT],But the very next morning the whole community of Israel began muttering again against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You have killed the Lord's people!" 42 As the community gathered to protest against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the Tabernacle and saw that the cloud had covered it, and the glorious presence of the Lord appeared. 43 Moses and Aaron came and stood in front of the Tabernacle, 44 and the Lord said to Moses, 45 "Get away from all these people so that I can instantly destroy them!" But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground. 46 And Moses said to Aaron, "Quick, take an incense burner and place burning coals on it from the altar. Lay incense on it, and carry it out among the people to purify them and make them right with the Lord. The Lord's anger is blazing against them - the plague has already begun." 47 Aaron did as Moses told him and ran out among the people. The plague had already begun to strike down the people, but Aaron burned the incense and purified the people. 48 he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped. 49 But 14,700 people died in that plague, in addition to those who had died in the affair involving Korah. 50 Then because the plague had stopped, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
"One man can make a difference!"
Ezekiel 22:23-30 [NLT],Again a message came to me from the Lord: 24 “Son of man, give the people of Israel this message: In the day of my indignation, you will be like a polluted land, a land without rain.25 Your princes plot conspiracies just as lions stalk their prey. They devour innocent people, seizing treasures and extorting wealth. They make many widows in the land. 26 Your priests have violated my instructions and defiled my holy things. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. And they do not teach my people the difference between what is ceremonially clean and unclean. They disregard my Sabbath days so that I am dishonored among them. 27 Your leaders are like wolves who tear apart their victims. They actually destroy people’s lives for money! 28 And your prophets cover up for them by announcing false visions and making lying predictions. They say, ‘My message is from the Sovereign Lord,’ when the Lord hasn’t spoken a single word to them. 29 Even common people oppress the poor, rob the needy, and deprive foreigners of justice. 30 “I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land.I searched for someone to stand in the gap...
God was looking for a "Middle Man!"
Hebrew verb for intercession sometimes refers"to falling on someone in battle, to meet up with the enemy with hostile intent."
Hebrews 7:25 [AMP],lives to intercede and intervene on their behalf [with God]...
2 Chronicles 7:14 [NIV],If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Isaiah 58:6-12, "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? ...8 Then your light will break out like the dawn, your healing will spring forth speedily, and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. 9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' 10 ...then your light will rise in darkness...the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Those from among you shall build the old waste places;you will raise up the foundations of many generations; and you will be called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In."
The Heart of an Intercessor is...
1. Unselfish [Gen. 32:11-14, 30-34, Js. 5:16]
2. Willing [Mt. 11:30]
"It's more fun...to pray with God than merely to pray to Him."
3. Faithful and Full of Faith [Lk. 18:1, Jer. 32:27]
4. Loves Mercy[Js. 2:13]
5. Courageous [Heb. 4:16]
6. Know Their Authority [Jer. 1:9-10, Lk 10:19-20, Eph. 6:11]
7. Embraces Solitude[Mt. 14:23]
8. Knows how to P.U.S.H. [Is. 62:6-7]
Romans 8:26,In the same way the Spirit also helps our weaknesses; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning a too deep for words.
Ezekiel 22:30-31,“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to talk, to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. 31 So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
Extra scriptures on prayer and intercession:
Genesis 20:7, 17
Numbers 11:2
Numbers 14:17-20
Deuteronomy 5:5
Job 33:19-30
1 Samuel 12:23
Psalm 106:23
Isaiah 59:16
Isaiah 63:5
Isaiah 64:7
Ezekiel 13:5
Daniel 9:3
Amos 9:11
Matthew 11:28-30
Matthew 16:19
Luke 9:53-56
Romans 8:34
Ephesians 3:20
1 Timothy 2:1-6
James 4:2