Context No. 4270 of 4322 · Wisdom

Wisdom 18:17-25: in context

17Then immediately apparitions in dreams terribly troubled them, and unexpected fears came upon them. 18And each, one thrown here half dead, another there, made known why he was dying; 19for the dreams, disturbing them, forewarned them of this, that they might not perish without knowing why they were afflicted. 20The experience of death also touched the righteous, and a multitude were destroyed in the wilderness, but the wrath didn’t last long. 21For a blameless man hurried to be their champion, bringing the weapon of his own ministry, prayer, and the atoning sacrifice of incense. He withstood the indignation and set an end to the calamity, showing that he was your servant. 22And he overcame the anger, not by strength of body, not by force of weapons, but by his word, he subdued the avenger by bringing to remembrance oaths and covenants made with the fathers. 23For when the dead had already fallen in heaps one upon another, he intervened and stopped the wrath, and cut off its way to the living. 24For the whole world was pictured on his long robe, and the glories of the fathers were upon the engraving of the four rows of precious stones, and your majesty was upon the diadem on his head. 25The destroyer yielded to these, and they feared; for it was enough only to test the wrath.

This passage recalls a moment when a deadly plague swept through the wilderness camp, and the dead were falling in heaps. And it tells how the plague was stopped: a blameless man hurried to be their champion, not with weapons or force, but with the weapon of his ministry, prayer and the atoning offering of incense. He stood between the dead and the living, and the destruction was halted.

What stands out is how the calamity was overcome. Not by strength of arms or force of body, but by intercession, by a man standing in the gap between judgment and the people, pleading on their behalf. He overcame the wrath by his word, bringing to remembrance the covenants God had made. His prayer stood between the living and the dead and cut off the destruction's path.

When judgment or calamity threatens, there is a place for one who will stand in the gap, pleading with God on behalf of others. Such intercession is not weakness but a ministry of great consequence, holding back destruction, standing between the perishing and their peril. And it points to Christ, our great intercessor, who stood between us and death, and ever lives to plead for us.

Will I take up the ministry of intercession, standing in the gap in prayer on behalf of others as the blameless man stood between the dead and the living, trusting that such prayer is no weak thing but shares in the work of Christ, our great intercessor?

Sources

Wisdom 18:21: "For a blameless man hurried to be their champion, bringing the weapon of his own ministry, prayer, and the atoning sacrifice of incense. He withstood the indignation and set an end to the calamity."
Wisdom 18:23: "When the dead had already fallen in heaps one upon another, he intervened and stopped the wrath, and cut off its way to the living."
Hebrews 7:25: "He is able also to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, seeing that he lives forever to make intercession for them."