Bible Lesson: Intercessory Prayer:
The Levites Of Israel, Intercede For The Peoples Blessings.
Bible Text:
II Chronicles 30:21-27 NLT
21 So the people of Israel who were
present in Jerusalem joyously celebrated the Festival of Unleavened
Bread for seven days. Each day the Levites and priests sang to The
Lord, accompanied by loud instruments.
22 Hezekiah encouraged all the
Levites regarding the skill they displayed as they served The Lord.
The celebration continued for seven days. Peace offerings were
sacrificed, and the people gave thanks to The Lord, the God of their
ancestors.
23 The entire assembly then decided
to continue the festival another seven days, so they celebrated
joyfully for another week.
24 King Hezekiah gave the people
1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep and goats for offerings, and the
officials donated 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep and goats. Meanwhile,
many more priests purified themselves.
25 The entire assembly of Judah
rejoiced, including the priests, the Levites, all who came from the
land of Israel, the foreigners who came to the festival, and all
those who lived in Judah.
26 There was great joy in the city,
for Jerusalem had not seen a celebration like this one since the days
of Solomon, King David’s son.
27 Then the priests and Levites
stood and blessed the people, and God heard their prayer from His
holy dwelling in heaven.
This is a continuation of last
Intercessory Prayer Lesson from II Chronicles 30: NLT.
Homily:
This pastor for many years, had the
great privilege of being in the church called Souls Harbor
(Minneapolis, Minnesota), with its Pastor Gordon K. Peterson.
Memory recalls one of his many sayings, which
was “It takes a pretty big preacher to shout at another preachers
preaching!
Because of a Godly King, King Hezekiah,
even the religious leaders, the priests and Levites
21 sang to The Lord,
25 (and) rejoiced.
And
the Priest and Levites, stood, interceding for a blessing for God's
people.
27 Then the priests and Levites
stood and blessed the people,
And with what
result?
27 “...and
God heard their prayer from His holy dwelling in heaven.
Question: Some may then well ask today, do we need a revival
in the pulpit?
Answer: We need a revival from the vestibule to the pulpit!
II Chronicles 7:14 KJV
If My people,
which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and
seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from
heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Someone has once wisely stated, “The up, is the way down,” and
how true those words.
Psalm 51:16,17 KJV
16 For thou
desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in
burnt offering.
17 The
sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart,
O God, thou wilt not despise.
Isaiah 57:15 KJV
For thus
saith The High And Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is
Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a
contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and
to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Joel 2:12-32 NLT (True for Jew and Gentile.)
(A Call to Repentance.)
12 That is
why The Lord says, “Turn to Me now, while there is time. Give Me
your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.
13 Don’t
tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.”
Return to The Lord your God, for He is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to
relent and not punish.
14 Who knows?
Perhaps He will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead
of this curse. Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine to
The Lord your God as before.
15 Blow the
ram’s horn in Jerusalem! Announce a time of fasting; call the
people together for a solemn meeting.
16 Gather all
the people— the elders, the children, and even the babies. Call the
bridegroom from his quarters and the bride from her private room.
17 Let the
priests, who minister in The Lord’s presence, stand and weep
between the entry room to the Temple and the altar. Let them pray,
“Spare your people, Lord! Don’t let your special possession
become an object of mockery. Don’t let them become a joke for
unbelieving foreigners who say, ‘Has
The God Of
Israel left them?’”
(The Lord’s Promise of Restoration.)
18 Then The
Lord will pity His people and jealously guard the honor of His land.
19 The Lord
will reply, “Look! I am sending you grain and new wine and olive
oil, enough to satisfy your needs. You will no longer be an object of
mockery among the surrounding nations.
20 I will
drive away these armies from the north. I will send them into the
parched wastelands. Those in the front will be driven into the Dead
Sea, and those at the rear into the Mediterranean. The stench of
their rotting bodies will rise over the land.” Surely The Lord has
done great things!
21 Don’t be
afraid, O land. Be glad now and rejoice, for The Lord has done great
things.
22 Don’t be
afraid, you animals of the field, for the wilderness pastures will
soon be green. The trees will again be filled with fruit; fig trees
and grapevines will be loaded down once more.
23 Rejoice,
you people of Jerusalem! Rejoice in The Lord your God! For the rain
He sends demonstrates His faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains
will come, as well as the rains of spring.
24 The
threshing floors will again be piled high with grain and the presses
will overflow with new wine and olive oil.
25 The Lord
says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts,
the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts.
It was I who sent this great destroying army against you.
26 Once again
you will have all the food you want, and you will praise The Lord
your God, who does these miracles for you. Never again will My people
be disgraced.
27 Then you
will know that I am among My people Israel, that I am The Lord your
God, and there is no other. Never again will My people be disgraced.
(The Lord’s Promise of His Spirit.)
28 “Then,
after doing all those things, I will pour out My Spirit upon all
people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will
dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.
29 In those
days I will pour out My Spirit even on servants—men and women
alike.
30 And I will
cause wonders in the heavens and on the earth— blood and fire and
columns of smoke.
31 The sun
will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great
and terrible day of The Lord arrives.
32 But
everyone who calls on the name of The Lord will be saved, for some on
Mount Zion in Jerusalem will escape, just as The Lord has said. These
will be among the survivors whom The Lord has called.
Matthew 5:3 KJV
Blessed are
the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 20:20-28 KJV
20 Then came
to Him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshiping Him,
and desiring a certain thing of Him.
21 And He
said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto Him, Grant that these
my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the
left, in thy kingdom.
22 But Jesus
answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of
the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism
that I am baptized with? They say unto Him, We are able.
23 And He
saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of My cup, and be baptized
with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on My right
hand, and on My left, is not Mine to give, but it shall be given to
them for whom it is prepared of My Father.
24 And when
the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two
brethren.
25 But Jesus
called them unto Him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the
Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great
exercise authority upon them.
26 But it
shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let
him be your minister;
27 And
whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28 Even as
The Son Of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and
to give His life a ransom for many.
Philippians 2:1-11 KJV
1 If there be
therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any
fellowship of
The Spirit,
if any bowels and mercies,
2 Fulfill ye
my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one
accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing
be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let
each esteem other better than themselves.
4 Look not
every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of
others.
5 Let this
mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being
in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made
Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a Servant,
and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being
found in fashion as A Man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above
every name:
10 That at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and
things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God The Father.
James 4:8-10 KJV
8 Draw nigh
to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners;
and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be
afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to
mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble
yourselves in the sight of The Lord, and He shall lift you up.
Had the people of God, really experienced a real heart felt revival?
Matthew 7:20 KJV
Wherefore by
their fruits ye shall know them.
II Chronicles 31:1 NLT
When the
festival ended, the Israelites who attended went to all the towns of
Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, and they smashed all the
sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and removed the pagan
shrines and altars. After this, the Israelites returned to their own
towns and homes.
Yes, others will know if we experience revival, we will not need to
tell them.
Selah
