MONDAY 21 November, 2016
Contrite Intercession
Then David spoke to the Lordwhen he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.” - 2 Samuel 24:17
David’s conscious plagued him with guilt. He became contrite and confessed his sin and wickedness before the Lord. He began to intercede for the people; who were before him as sheep. David as a shepherd boy, watched over his father’s sheep. He had done everything to protect them, even to the point of killing a lion and a bear (1 Samuel 17:36).
David, as the king of Israel, did not treat his people as his subjects to rule over, he tenderly referred to them as helpless sheep. The Lord had placed him in his kingly position to watch over His people as a shepherd:
Also, in time past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord your God said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over My people Israel’”(1 Chronicles 11:2).
It was King David’s responsibility to watch over God’s people, to protect them. He had failed––now, because of his sin, he watched helplessly as seventy thousand men perished. He pleaded their innocence by asking for God’s anger to be redirected towards himself and his family instead. What would appease God’s wrath? David would wait for God to answer.
The Apostle Paul prayed for his Jewish brethren. He was zealous for their souls saying: For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymenaccording to the flesh(Romans 9:3). There is a need for intercessors today––as we fall on our faces to confess our sins before the Lord, then we can stand in the gap to pray.
Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel
is that they may be saved.
~Romans 10:1~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit Somebodylovesyouradio.org!
