Interceding for Intervention

Bible Book: Isaiah 59 : 16-19

Subject: Interceding Prayer; National Prayer; America

Introduction

Isaiah 59;16-19

Biblical scholars tell us that Isaiah 59 describes the moral degeneracy present during the reign of Manasseh, King of Judah. Along with the tremendous wickedness of Manasseh’s reign came many social injustices that resulted in a general despair, as well as death to many. The reign of Manasseh was so characterized by wickedness that the Bible says of him: So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel. And the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken (2 Chron.33: 9, 10).

Eventually God judged Manasseh and his people by sending the Assyrians to afflict them. Manasseh himself was taken in chains to Babylon, where he later sought God’s forgiveness, and was graciously restored to his kingdom sometime thereafter.

Before Manasseh repented, Judah reeled under the weight of a morally and spiritually bankrupt state of affairs. It was this condition that forced Isaiah to explain to the people of Judah why God would not hear their cries for deliverance from the Assyrians. He does this by clearly describing the deplorable spiritual condition of the nation. He then states that God was displeased with their moral failure, as well as the fact that He had found no intercessor among the people—one who would sincerely seek God’s face in prayer for His intervention on their behalf.

As God looks down on our wicked generation, I suspect that He is still displeased that there are so few who are concerned enough to intercede for His intervention. So many people around us are groaning under the burden of sin, and in need of salvation. And yet so few seem concerned enough to seek God’s face for them.

So many of God’s people are hurting, and desperately need someone to care enough to intercede for them before the throne of God. God’s Church shutters under the weight of neglect, unconcern, and spiritual dryness, yet so few are willing to stand in the gap with brokenhearted prayer. HAVE WE BECOME TOO INVOLVED TO INTERCEDE? HAVE WE PERHAPS BECOME TOO BUSY TO BECOME SPIRITUALLY BURDENED?

Dear brothers and sisters, I want us to draw some parallels from this passage today, and see why intercessors are so desperately needed right now. We must be interceding for God’s intervention in the souls and situations about us.

Theme - Like Judah, America desperately needs intercessors because of:

I. The Nation’s Transgression

A. The Separation Of It.

1. The problem was not God’s inability.

Isa. 59:1 “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:”

The Bible tells us that, “…there is nothing too hard” for God (Jer.32: 17).

Folks, if God isn’t answering our prayers, it’s not because He isn’t able. It’s not because God is reluctant to hear and answer, since there isn’t one unintelligible whisper that God can’t hear. If God doesn’t answer, there is a definite reason. In my opinion, about 99.99% of the time, the problem is the sin of God’s people.

2. The problem was with the people’s iniquity.

Isa. 59:2 “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

Sin always separates. The problem is that, more often than not, the separation happens ever so gradually.

I live in a small, rural community. There are lots of cattle ranches around here, and, every once in a while, a cow wanders off and gets lost…Ask a rancher how a cow gets lost, and chances are he will reply, “Well, the cow starts nibbling on a tuft of green grass, and when it finishes, it looks ahead to the next tuft of green grass and starts nibbling on that one, and then it nibbles on a tuft of grass right next to a hole in the fence. It then sees another tuft of green grass on the other side of the fence, so it nibbles on that one and then goes on to the next tuft. The next thing you know, the cow has nibbled itself into being lost.”

Americans are in the process of nibbling their way to being lost…We keep moving from one tuft of activity to another, never noticing how far we have gone from home or how far away from the truth we have managed to end up.1

B. The Symptoms Of It.

1. Notice Isaiah’s description of the people’s deeds.

Isa. 59:3-5 “For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. 4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. 5 They hatch cockatrice’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.”

The term “morally bankrupt” is almost an understatement of the conditions Isaiah describes here. The people of Judah had become corrupt in every aspect of their pitiful lives.

Their hands were defiled with murder, and evil deeds in general—“…your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity” (v. 3a).

Their mouths and lips were tainted with perverse and wicked speech—“…your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness” (v. 3b).

There was no justice in the legal system. People were unjustly accused and taken to court for no reason other than greediness and personal gain—“None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth…” (v. 4a).

They practiced lying—“…they trust in vanity, and speak lies…” (v. 4b).

They sat around thinking up evil to perform—“…they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity” (v. 4c).

The phrase, “…they hatch cockatrice’ eggs” (v. 5a), speaks of the fact,

That the apostate people were like poisonous serpents that produce evil influences calculated to destroy the unwary who trust them.2

The “spider’s web” (v. 5a) speaks of cleverly devised deceptions used to snare others.

It’s easy to be critical of Israel’s moral decline. But the fact is America doesn’t have anything to brag about when it comes to righteousness:

Defining Deviancy Down

U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan recently published a disturbing essay entitled “Defining Deviancy Down.” In the November 22 issue of The New Republic, commentator Charles Krauthammer writes that “Moynihan’s powerful point is that with the moral deregulation of the 1960s, we have had an explosion of deviancy in family life, criminal behavior and public displays of psychosis. And we have dealt with it in the only way possible: by redefining deviancy down so as to explain away and make ‘normal’ what a more civilized, ordered and healthy society long ago would have labeled (and long ago did label) deviant.”3

2. Notice Isaiah’s denouncement of the people’s deceptions.

Their deceptions would not cover the destructiveness of their deeds.

Isa. 59:6a-7 “Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. 7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.”

Their deceptions would not cover the disruptiveness of their deeds.

Isa. 59:8 “The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

Folks, men may go to great lengths to cover their evil. But though they are sometimes able to cover their deeds from other men, they’ll never be able to hide them from God.

Band-Aids On The Bathroom Mirror

The drunken husband snuck up the stairs quietly. He looked in the bathroom mirror and bandaged the bumps and bruises he’d received in a fight earlier that night. He then proceeded to climb into bed, smiling at the thought that he’d pulled one over on his wife.

When morning came, he opened his eyes and there stood his wife. “You were drunk last night weren’t you?”

“No, honey.”

“Well, if you weren’t, then who put all the Band-Aids on the bathroom mirror?”4

II. The Nation’s Turmoil

A. The Nation Was In Social And Spiritual Darkness.

Isa. 59:9-10 “Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. 10 We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.”

The NLT translates these verses this way:

Isa. 59:9-10 “It is because of all this evil that deliverance is far from us. That is why God doesn’t punish those who injure us. No wonder we are in darkness when we expected light. No wonder we are walking in the gloom. 10 No wonder we grope like blind people and stumble along. Even at brightest noontime, we fall down as though it were dark. No wonder we are like corpses when compared to vigorous young men!”5

These verses speak of the social and spiritual chaos that was so prevalent in Judah, during the reign of Manasseh. A survey conducted back in the 1990s by Barna Research Group would indicate that our own nation is in much the same shape as Judah:

Americans have recently been battered by a variety of crises, threats and concerns. U.S. relations with China in the wake of the downed surveillance aircraft, the bombing of Iraq, riots in Cincinnati, rising gasoline prices, insufficient energy in the western states, and the faltering economy have caused many Americans to fret about the days to come. In fact, a national survey of adults by the Barna Research Group (Ventura, CA) reveals that two out of every three (65%) are concerned about the future. One of the significant reasons for that discomfort is America’s perceived moral standing. Three out of four adults (74%) reported that they are presently concerned about the moral condition of the United States.6

Look at how divided our nation is over the issue of homosexuality; a subject that the Bible is extremely clear on.

George Barna, of Barna Research Group, says:

When asked if homosexual relations between consenting adults should be legal or not legal, a slight plurality of adults (48%) said such relationships should be legal, while 42% said they should not be legal.7

Another astonishing fact about this same issue is that:

Americans are evenly divided on the matter of whether homosexuality should be considered an acceptable lifestyle. In total, 45% said it should be considered an acceptable alternative while 46% said it should not.8

The spiritual darkness of our nation has been seen in recent years by the lack of character exhibited by our leaders, as this Internet joke illustrates: Dear Abby,

My husband is a lying cheat. He tells me he loves me, but he has cheated our entire marriage. He is a good provider and has many friends and supporters. They know he is a lying cheat, but they just avoid the issue. He is a hard worker but many of his co-workers are leery of him. Every time he gets caught, he denies it all. Then he admits that he was wrong and begs me to forgive him. This has been going on for so long, everyone in town knows he is a cheat. I don’t know what to do. (Signed) Frustrated

Dear Frustrated:

You should dump him. Now that you are a New York Senator, you don’t need him anymore.9

B. The Nation Was In Despair.

Isa. 59:11 “We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.”

Folks, whether one realizes it or not, sin’s supposed pleasure often comes with an initially unseen punishment and pain. If this is not experienced physically, it is almost always experienced emotionally. One cannot hope to find inner peace in iniquity’s practice. “Safety consists not in the absence of danger but in the presence of God.”10

Judah eventually found itself struggling and moaning under the weight of dread and fear of attack from their enemies, brought on by their own corruption.

C. The Nation Had Been In A State Of Spiritual Departure.

1. They had departed from the Lord.

Isa. 59:12-13a “For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them. 13a In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God…”

2. They had seen the disintegration of everything legitimate.

Isa. 59:13b-14 “…speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. 14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.”

The NLT is once again helpful here:

Isa. 59:13-14 “We know that we have rebelled against the Lord. We have turned our backs on God. We know how unfair and oppressive we have been, carefully planning our deceitful lies. 14 Our courts oppose people who are righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth falls dead in the streets, and fairness has been outlawed.”11

3. They had departed from right logic.

Isa. 59:15 “Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.”

The phrase “…he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey…” refers to the fact that anyone who tried to live a godly, honest life, was in danger of becoming a “…victim of the ruthless cutthroats who dominated the Israelite society.”12

Judah’s spiritual compass was broken. Their logic concerning right and wrong was about as absurd as the following “tongue-in-cheek” safety tips, from New York’s Miner Institute:

Eating Carrots

Nearly all sick people have eaten carrots. Obviously, the effects are cumulative. An estimated 99.9% of all people who die from cancer and heart disease have eaten carrots. 99.9% of people involved in car crashes ate carrots within 60 days of their accidents. 93.1% of juvenile delinquents come from homes where carrots are served regularly. Among the people born in 1839 who later ate carrots, there has been a 100% mortality rate.13

III. The Nation's Tragedy

Isa. 59:16a “And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor…”

Ezek. 22:30 “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.”

In Judah’s case, God Himself became their mediator, and eventually delivered them. In verses 16-21 the Jews were given a prophetic promise of the coming of the Redeemer who would redeem them and protect them. The fact remains however, that God was displeased that no one was interceding in prayer for the sorry situation in Judah. God is still looking for intercessors.

In Berneray (Lewis Island) things were very difficult as the stream of religious life was very low; churches were empty and prayer meetings were practically nil. In view of this, a wire was sent to the praying men of Barvas to come and assist in prayer, and bring with them Donald Smith, the 17-year- old boy to whom God had imparted the amazing ministry of prayer. Halfway through his message, the preacher stopped, and called out: “Donald, will you lead us in prayer?”

Standing to his feet, he began to pour out his heart before God in agonizing intercession for the people of the island, and reminding God that He was the great “Covenant-keeping God.” Suddenly, it seemed as though the heavens were rent and God swept into the church. People everywhere were stricken by the Power of God, as the Spirit swept through in great convicting power. Outside, startling things were taking place. Simultaneously the Spirit of God had swept over the homes and area around the village, and everywhere people came under great conviction of sin. Fishermen out in their boats, men behind their looms, men at the pit bank, a merchant out with his truck, school teachers examining their papers, were gripped by God. And by 10 o’clock the roads were black with people, streaming from every direction to the church.

As the preacher came out of the church, the Spirit of God swept in among the people on the road, as a wind. They gripped each other in fear. In agony of soul they trembled, many wept and some fell to the ground in great conviction of sin. Three men were found lying by the side of the road, in such distress of soul that they could not even speak, yet they had never been near the church!14

God says to every saint, (2 Thess. 5:17), “Pray without ceasing.” (Eph. 6:18) “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Phil. 4:6) “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

Mike Yaconelli, “The Wittenburg Door.” Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison, Editors, Wycliffe Bible Commentary: published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; pg. 650.

Christian Research Institute letter, December 6, 1993.

Source unknown.

Ibid.

Received by e-mail from Edna Shows, International Teamworks, Inc.