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False Intercession And The True Prophet

Bob Neumann, 9/2001

Funny how things happen. Today my wife and son were with me as we went out to enjoy the weather picnicking. Many around the country are still in shock after last Tuesday’s attack. Some are grieving. Many are becoming angry. This morning I went to the grocery store and was not paying attention to the “piped in music” until I realized I was whistling along to Sousa’s Semper Fidelis….one of my favorite marches growing up. I wondered why music labeled “patriotic” is never played except during times of trouble. Like the GULF WAR…. and the Iranian Hostage Crisis. I had wondered why THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT had not impressed on me the call to intercede on behalf of the missing and the lost. When I prayed concerning that issue I was reminded of an event in the Old Testament. At first I thought it was the answer to my “lack of emotion”. But like a lot of things THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT brought this to my spirit man and then rotated it. I was not expecting the “rebuke”….not in that force.

There was a King who was grieving and interceding. He tore his cloths, put on ashes and did all the things we expect from serious intercession. He fasted and prayed with all his strength, heart, soul, and spirit. We would be proud of his efforts. But this man, like most intercessors today, had a problem. He was praying against GOD. Against GOD’S WILL….against GOD’S DECLARED JUDGMENT. That King of course was David…a man after GOD’S OWN HEART. Let’s look at the end of the story. 2 Samuel 12….

Chapter 12

¹ And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

² The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:

³ But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

⁴ And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

⁵ And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:

⁶ And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

⁷ And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

⁸ And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

⁹ Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

¹⁰ Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

¹¹ Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

¹² For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

¹³ And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

¹⁴ Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

¹⁵ And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

¹⁶ David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

¹⁷ And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.

¹⁸ And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?

¹⁹ But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.

²⁰ Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.

²¹ Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.

²² And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?

²³ But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

For seven days David contested THE JUDGMENT OF GOD. Why? Today we have so called prophets who speak the judgment against cities and areas, and immediately say that GOD might repent if they pray long enough and hard enough. What they are doing is playing THE NINEVEH GAMBIT. When Jonah finally made it to Nineveh he spoke as Nathan did to David. David repented. The king of Nineveh repented. AND he made everyone else fast, put on sack cloth and ashes. GOD held back HIS JUDGMENT for another 100 or so years. Jonah was offended. So were David’s servants. So are most Christians I know….most of the time.

If GOD never sent those so called prophets to speak judgment, when the prophet made time frame ends with no destruction said prophet can take their bows before man. I hope they enjoy their reward in this life, because the promises GOD has set in HIS WORD for this type of behavior is dramatic.

David thought that just maybe Grace will win out over Judgment. There are many who say Mercy will overcome Judgment. As in the cases of Hezekiah, and Nineveh. Only GOD chose not to show MERCY. GOD sent HIS SERVANT to expose David’s sin. GOD considered it important. JUDGMENT was pronounced and carried out.

On Tuesday many people died with no warning. Innocent people? Maybe many were. Over the years JUDGMENT has been pronounced on NEW YORK CITY, AMERICA, and even the CHURCH. David struggled with GOD seven days. GOD WON…..in the battle of wills between a man and HIS GOD. Judgment has been waiting for years.

And Mercy does not always triumph over Judgment. James gives us the image….

¹³ For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

¹⁴ What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

Jesus said “as we forgive those who trespass against us”.

He also said 7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

So MERCY IS SHOWN TO THOSE WHO SHOW IT TO OTHERS….goes well with what HE said to the SHEEP and the GOATS….40

⁴⁰ And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me

So Mercy has it’s place in ABBA’S order of things. But as a servant and an intercessor we should not be trying to handcuff our JUDGE and SAVIOR. But we do have a place. It is not always a cute place to be. It can get scary.

² O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.

Especially when we see THE RULES GOD SETS….

¹⁷ And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments;

¹⁸ Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.

¹⁹ But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;

²⁰ Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.

²¹ And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and unto this house?

²² And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.

While I had studied these verses many times, verse 17 today suddenly stood out. Solomon was visited by GOD who laid it all down pat. Do the commandments…obey the statutes….and the judgments? What did GOD mean? To accept and “watch” them take place? To observe can mean to “follow” or “obey”, especially with statutes. But with judgments…..oy. Here I was lost….for a good half day. And then I “heard” an old prayer. THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT brought to remembrance someone who know how to intercede. Listen to Daniel’s prayer…

³ And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

⁴ And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

⁵ We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:

⁶ Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

David and Daniel did the same things….in verse 3. Both were sincere. But in his words, Daniel takes it to the place we need to be….O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;

Notice MERCY FOLLOWS COVENANT? and continue from there to love….and keeping HIS COMMANDMENTS. If I remember right, JESUS said a whole bunch about love and obedience in JOHN’S GOSPEL.

⁵ We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:

Daniel was repenting for his nation….and his nation had not been faithful to GOD’S PRECEPTS and JUDGMENTS.

We have once again entered into a time of judgments. Our only safety is in keeping covenant with our GOD.

America is neither innocent or sinless.

America…and the Church have been called repeatedly to repent and return.

That was always the purpose of TESHUVAH. TO SEE ONE’S SINS AND REPENT.

David repented after GOD through the Prophet Nathan, confronted the man and his sin.

Solomon, who spoke with GOD face to face would not repent.

TESHUVAH precedes THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.

THE TRUE PROPHET speaks when GOD declares. THE TRUE PROPHET POINTS TO SIN BEFORE JUDGMENT IS EVER SPOKEN. THE TRUE PROPHET does not call for intercession. THE MOST HOLY SPIRIT calls us to prayer, intercession, travail.

THE BRIDE can call her HANDMAIDENS to prayer prior to entering into the KING’S PRESENCE.

Many will call for prayer and fasting in the days ahead. Few will point to sin. Few will point to repentance.

Few will speak of COVENANT.

Listen and discern.

Selah

old dog

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