Scripture Reading: Genesis 18:16-33
I recall lying to my mother about an issue as a young boy. When the truth came to light and after the punishment was meted out, she said, “I’ll fight God for you, just don’t lie to me!” The idea that this woman who loved God dearly would dare stand before God on my behalf helped me to recognize the depth of her love for me. Her words gave me the true understanding of the term “intercessor” before I was old enough to fully capture the concept.
When God decided to destroy Sodom, He revealed His plans of destruction to Abraham in advance. While Abraham was cognizant of the evil pouring out of Sodom, he chose to intercede on behalf of any righteous people who may be found in the city. Six times, Abraham dared to plead for God’s mercy for people he did not know. Centuries later, Israel created a gold calf as the object of their worship. When God proposed to destroy the people and create a new nation, Moses interceded for Israel, the very people who caused him such grief throughout the exodus journey (Exodus 32:1-14).
These men looked beyond their personal existence and dared to plead the case of those who justifiably could be condemned. In both cases, God gave a human an opportunity to be heard, to intercede on the behalf of those who were the object of Divine wrath. Was God indecisive on whether to destroy Sodom and Israel? Was God easily swayed by these men? Or was God giving each an opportunity to stand for mercy and compassion? Was God testing them to see if they would demonstrate the same grace and mercy for others we expect God to grant each of us?
Civility, compassion, grace and mercy are increasingly difficult to find in today’s society. Those attributes have been replaced with rudeness, arrogance of power, narcissism and self-promotion. None of that is new. 2,500 years ago, God presented Ezekiel with a list of the evils in Jerusalem, from neighbors’ treatment of each other to the oppression of the poor and helpless by the nation’s leadership (Ezekiel 22). Then, God asked if anyone would stand in the gap for the land. Sadly, God could find no one who would intercede for the people.
God continues to ask the question, will someone stand in the gap for the poor, oppressed, homeless, and abused? Is there anyone for whom we’ve been called to intercede, both before God and man? Those who cannot stand for themselves ask who will stand for them. Is God testing us to see if we will demonstrate the same grace and mercy for others we expect God to grant to us? Like Abraham, Moses, even my mother, will we intercede for others, or will we look the other way?
Question to Ponder: If you won’t intercede before God and man on behalf of others, who will?
“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.”—Ezekiel 22:30