I Must Intercede

And Moses said to Aaron, “Quick, take an incense burner and place burning coals on it from the altar. Lay incense on it, and carry it out among the people to purify them and make them right with the LORD. The LORD’s anger is blazing against them—the plague has already begun.” Aaron did as Moses told him and ran out among the people. The plague had already begun to strike down the people, but Aaron burned the incense and purified the people. He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped. But 14,700 people died in that plague, in addition to those who had died in the affair involving Korah. Then because the plague had stopped, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tabernacle. [Numbers 16.46-50]

The thing that caught my attention today is the passage above. The reason my attention was caught was the mention of incense. Incense particularly caught my attention because incense represents prayer.

For some reason I was considering how this ancient story in Old Covenant days could have any application or relevance today in the Age of Grace.

If incense represents prayer, then we may just have a connection. 

It is easy enough to see that the incense stopped the plague. But what does the plague represent? Well, the first thing that comes to mind is that the plague represents punishment for sin - a curse upon sin. It also makes me think of all the "curse" upon mankind that we see still in the earth today in sickness and disease and infirmities. Yes, these things are all traceable back to sin and the curse upon sin.

Here in this story, the plague was the curse upon sin and upon the incense (prayer) coming between the people and the plague stopped it thus saving those who were "behind" it.

But 14,700 people died before they could be rescued from the curse.

To me today, this simply speaks of the importance of our prayers for people. Even in the Age of Grace, intercessory prayer is just as important as it was in Old Covenant times. The blood of Jesus is of no avail unless it it applied, right? Just because Jesus died, does not mean all are saved! Only those who, in faith, repent and trust in Him are saved. And that is where our prayers come into effect!

Now I understand there are those who believe salvation is only for spiritual rescue, but there are also those who believe salvation includes physical rescue (as we see in the story above). Regardless what one believes about the physical aspect of salvation, there remains the burden upon those who believe to intercede. Intercession does not guarantee all will be saved (14,700 people died in our story today). Our intercession does not guarantee all will be healed. Some people will simply receive neither salvation nor healing. But, it does not relieve those in the ranks of God's army of the duty of intercession!

Father, my thoughts here are a little scattered, but this one thing I am sure of, I must pray. I must intercede.