By John Abiola
” And he saw that there was no MAN, and wondered that there was no INTERCESSOR” Isaiah 59:16.
In every move of the Holy Spirit, in every work of God, it is pertinent to know that a man is actively involved at the inception, in the middle, and in the continuation of such a move. From Genesis, we understand that MAN is one whom God has chosen to dispense his power upon and use him in bringing glory to Himself
What does intercede mean in Hebrew?
The Hebrew word for intercession is PAGA, meaning to entreat, and pray. In Greek it is ENTUGCHANO, meaning to petition or to intercede. ENTUGCHANO expresses that one who intercedes entreats in favor of or against something or someone in a specific case.
To entreat means to beseech to prevail through prayer. It also means to try to persuade. Through this Aramaic word and concise definition we can say an Intercessor prays on behalf of another person or people.
Hence, an Intercessor is a mediator. A mediator/negotiator is a middleman between two parties to achieve mutual agreement. Before mutual agreement is achieved, you’d agree with me that a disagreement was already in place and so the need for someone to stand in the gap for dispute settlement between the two parties.
Since this person is in place, the goal of peace and mutual agreement can be exceeded. In 1Tim.2:1-2, Apostle Paul encourages believers to engage in intercessory prayer.
Also read: The prayer we need and how saints of old laboured in Intercession by John Abiola: https://churchtimesnigeria.net/prayer-need-saints-intercession/
God’s divine plan
God in his infinite love wanted man to be a partaker of his divine plan. Hence, man should be a weapon in which God activates and actualizes his divine plan.
Therefore, an Intercessor is selected among those whom God has chosen to dispense his power upon through prayer to accomplish his divine and beautiful will.
The relevance of an Intercessor can not be overemphasized. The position of an Intercessor is to mediate between God and other people. It is through his intercession that God pardons, saves, and restores his people. Read Matt.5:44; James 5:16; Eph 6:18; Rom 8:34; Isaiah 53:12; Jeremiah 7:16; Jeremiah 27:18; Jeremiah 36:25; Romans 8:26; Romans 8:27.
Scripture reveals so many situations in which if there had been no Intercessor, a nation would have been wiped out because of God’s wrath. But revival can be killed, and restoration and reformation withheld if there are no intercessors. That is why it is pitiful that despite how salient the Intercessor’s role is, there are very few Intercessors in our time.
Isa.59.16 – He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor”
This scripture explains the scarce supply of Intercessors, Isaiah 59:1-18 explains in depth, the role of an Intercessor. It shows great dangers the people might have escaped, the problems that might have been averted, and the Judgement that would have been averted if only there was one who could have stood in the gap.
Painfully, a whole nation can be lacking a single Intercessor, and because of this missing link, a lot of casualties in the spiritual, physical, economic, and political affairs happen which add up to a major spiritual catastrophe and decline.
Also, Isaiah 59:16 describes the Lord’s intervention in the affairs of humanity. The first part of the verse says “he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor,” which implies that there was a need for someone to stand in the gap and intercede for the people to be saved. Hebrew 7:25 reveals Jesus our great Intercessor, the saviour of the world.
Every revival starts with an Intercessor, through his intercessions others like him are raised and the revival is sustained and promoted. In other words, revival is birthed through the Intercessor’s prayer, promoted and sustained through the same.
How then can we neglect the office of an Intercessor?
An Intercessor is like an intervener, one through which God moves. In the highlighted text, God brought his Judgment- lawlessness bound, spiritual decline, decrease and injustice, spiritual darkness, spiritual gloom and hunger, abominations upon abominations. This was their past state. In one concise word, they were INIQUITY BOUND. All other things sprung out from them.
But then vs 16 captured a tiny ray of light (a mighty hope if only it is fulfilled). God suddenly shows up in the scene. He searches to see if peradventure, He finds one man, one man would have been enough for Him to change his plan of releasing his Judgement upon them.
One man would cause God to change his mind, but unfortunately, there was none. Then, God began to wonder in utter amazement why He could not find even one man among multitudes of multitudes.
If there’s no man, let my righteous judgement be vented upon this rebellious people. God himself decides to follow up on this issue with a swift and inevitable action. -Isa.59:18 “he will repay his enemies for their evil deeds. his fury will fall on his foes in distant lands”
When God finds an intercessor, that intercessor will intercede until God eventually changes his mind from dispensing his wrath upon a rebellious people. Instead, there will be a downpour of revival, salvation of souls, repentance, and reformation.
The situation in the Church, in our nation, and in the world could propel God’s Judgment upon us. God seems to be calm only because of the Intercessors. This has stopped Him from displaying his terrific hand of Judgement upon the world, because presently the lawlessness that abounds in our epoch is more than that which was recorded in Isaiah’s time, even in Noah’s generation, but the Intercessor is constantly mediating between God and the people.
Broader view
Exodus 32: 1-14 gives us a broader view of the relevance and importance of an Intercessor. Moses who was at Mount Sinai in the presence of God receiving instructions and commandments for the sake of the people, tarried long, well enough before God that the people were wondering where he was.
In their spiritual hunger in the flesh and annoying impatience, they compelled Aaron to make a wooden god for worship, thereby committing the sin of idolatry, a disgustful and terrible abomination before God.
In their stupendous and foolhardy celebrative and festive mood, God who is omnipresent informed Moses of their obnoxious abomination and his next move towards them. In the words of God Exod.32.7 – Then the LORD told Moses, “Quick! Go down the mountain! The people you brought from Egypt have defiled themselves.
Exod.32.8 – They have already turned from the way I commanded them to live. They have made an idol shaped like a calf, and they have worshiped and sacrificed to it. They are saying, `These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of Egypt.'”
What stupid and nonchalant thought-led action against God, despite the marvelous power of God that was displayed In the land of Egypt, and even to their crossing over from the Red Sea to their promised land, they were so absurd to have forgotten in a hurry God’s wonderful display of his power for their deliverance.
Nevertheless, the judgment has been stated, and Isreal’s verdict announced. Finally, He arrived in chapter 32:10, ” Now, therefore, let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation”.
God finally reveals the ineluctable verdict upon the rebellious Isreal, that “I may consume them” Oh! What unfortunate fate becomes of the people of Israel. They have activated the anger of the Lord with their stiff-necked hearts and have caused God to spill out Judgement and woe.
Isaiah, 59: 18 “According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense”
Oh! The ransomed Israel has suddenly become his adversary, but who can war against God? Is man’s strength comparable to the strength of the God who made the heavens and earth by his power? Who spoke out light with one forceful word? Would Israel be able to stand against His revenge?
Can she bear the storm and the fearful thumb of his anger? Nay! For she would be utterly consumed. In the words of Joel 2:3, “The land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them, a desolate wilderness; yea and nothing shall escape them”.
Hence, God’s Judgment approaches against Israel, God’s children who have dared to speak ill against his justice system and have done abominable deeds in his eyes without fear of His Holiness.
Moses pleaded
But then the scene changes, Exodus: 32:11 “And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?
Moses comes into the scene and all we hear is heartfelt pleading and entreaty, oh!
The tearful beseeching of Moses, pleading for a second chance to a stiff-necked nation who was already under the feet of God’s Judgment. Here, Moses besought the Lord on behalf of the people, through intercessory prayer and spiritual tact.
He reminded God of how he had brought them out with great power, bringing to remembrance the covenant He had with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He continued this intercessory warfare until God’s anger was pacified, his wrath eroded, and the mercy of God began to flow out of his inner courtroom causing Him to repent of the evil he thought to do unto his people (Exod: 32:14).
What wonderful phenomenon!
God’s judgment was boycotted because of Moses’ intercession. Had Moses not been there at that moment, the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah would have reoccurred in Israel. That would have been terrible. A nation completely wiped out because of the lack of a man in gap.(Exo 32:10)
Yes, it happened in the time of Isaiah which was stated earlier, when God’s effort to find a man was fruitless, His arm wrought judgment Himself, and His adversaries received just recompense (Isa 59:18).
Hence, we can also say that an Intercessor intercedes on behalf of the people to avert God’s Judgment and to activate the mercy of God upon the people. An Intercessor is chosen by God to beseech, to war and to activate divine intervention, they are very important in the body of Christ and the Nation.
Let us take few more scriptures to evaluate on the significant work of an Intercessor.Exod.17.8 – Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.Exod.17.9 – And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.Exod.17.10 – So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.Exod.17.11 – And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.Exod.17.12 – But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.Exod.17.13 – And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.Exod.17.14 – And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.Exod.17.15 – And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:Exod.17.16 – For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.The office of an Intercessor is not only important, it also carries great accountability and responsibility especially in the Body of Christ. This scripture highlights the very salinet role of an Intercessor, his strenuous office and the need for Intercessors in the body of Christ.
The Charge is to intercede.Let us pray!“Intercession be made for all men. For this good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour. I will therefore that men pray every where”. 1Timothy 2:1,3&8. “Watch one hour. Watch ye and pray”. Mark 14:37,38.Join us in giving God a minimum of one hour out of your 24 hours engagement daily. Join us for Christ sake, by praying for revival in the Church and the lost souls into God’s Kingdom wherever you may be in one, two, or more groups, in a prayer room, office, home, church, or gathering, wherever you are on planet earth. Great is our reward in heaven. Thank you. By John AbiolaRevive Us Again series 98. Nigeria Global Intercessors.To get the previous series of “Revive Us Again” it’s available on request, kindly contact John Abiola through his mail nigeriaglobalintercessorsngi@gmail.com.
