intercede

April 1, 2019

What happens when you deny Jesus? (Lk 12:9-12:9)

“But whoever denies me

Before others,

Will be denied

Before the angels of God.”

 

ὁ δὲ ἀρνησάμενός με ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπαρνηθήσεται ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀγγέλων τοῦ Θεοῦ

 

Luke indicated that Jesus said that whoever denied him before other people (ὁ δὲ ἀρνησάμενός με ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀνθρώπων), they would be denied before (ἀπαρνηθήσεται ἐνώπιον) the angels of God (τῶν ἀγγέλων τοῦ Θεοῦ).  This verse is similar to Matthew, chapter 10:34, indicating a Q source.  Matthew indicated that Jesus said that anyone who denied or repudiated him before other men, he was going to deny or repudiate them before his Father in heaven also.  Once again, there was a difference between the angels of God and the Father in heaven.  Jesus wanted loyalty to him, no matter what the circumstances.  If they were loyal here on earth, he would intercede with his Father for them in heaven, as their mediator.  Would you ever deny Jesus?

April 15, 2018

Acknowledge Jesus (Mt 10:32-10:33)

“Therefore,

Everyone

Who acknowledges me

Before other men,

I also will acknowledge him

Before my Father

In heaven.

But whoever denies me

Before other men,

I also will deny him

Before my Father

In heaven.”

 

Πᾶς οὖν ὅστις ὁμολογήσει ἐν ἐμοὶ ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὁμολογήσω κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς·

ὅστις δ’ ἂν ἀρνήσηταί με ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀρνήσομαι κἀγὼ αὐτὸν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.

 

This verse of Matthew is similar to Luke, chapter 12:8-9, indicating a Q source.  There is also something similar in Mark, chapter 8:38 and Luke, chapter 9:26, where it was more about being ashamed of Jesus.  Everyone who acknowledged or confessed Jesus before other men (Πᾶς οὖν ὅστις ὁμολογήσει ἐν ἐμοὶ ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων), Jesus was also going to acknowledge or confess them before his Father in the heavens (ὁμολογήσω κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς).  However, anyone who denied or repudiated Jesus before other men (ὅστις δ’ ἂν ἀρνήσηταί με ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων), he was going to deny or repudiate them before his Father in the heavens (ἀρνήσομαι κἀγὼ αὐτὸν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς).  Jesus wanted loyalty to him, no matter what the circumstances.  If they were loyal here on earth, he would intercede with his Father for them in heaven, as their mediator.

January 21, 2017

Do not go to Egypt (Jer 42:19-42:22)

“Yahweh has said to you.

‘O remnant of Judah!

Do not go to Egypt!’

Be well aware

That I have warned you

Today!

You have made

A fatal mistake!

You yourselves sent me

To Yahweh your God.

Saying.

‘Pray for us

To Yahweh our God!

Whatever Yahweh our God

Says

Tell us!

We will do it.’

So I have told you

Today

But you have not obeyed

The voice

Of Yahweh your God

In anything

That he sent me to tell you.

Be well aware

That you shall die

By the sword,

By famine,

By pestilence

In the place

Where you desire to go,

Where you desire to live.’”

Not only is Yahweh upset, but so is Jeremiah. Yahweh had told Jeremiah what he wanted. This remnant of Judah had gone to Jeremiah to find out God’s will. Now that Jeremiah has pronounced Yahweh’s will, they did not like it. Yahweh’s response was simple. Do not go to Egypt! If they would go, they would make a fatal mistake. Jeremiah has warned them. They had, in fact, asked Jeremiah to intercede with Yahweh, so that they might know what to do. They said that they would do whatever Yahweh wanted. After Jeremiah came back with the words of Yahweh, they would not accept it, since they did not like the response. Suddenly, it was a different situation. Now they wanted to disobey by going to Egypt. Thus as Jeremiah so often remarked, they would die by the famous sword, famine, or pestilence in the land that they desired to go to live, Egypt. There was no ambiguity here.

January 20, 2017

Jeremiah responds (Jer 42:4-42:4)

“The prophet Jeremiah

Said to them.

‘Very well!

I am going to pray

To Yahweh

Your God,

As you request.

Whatever Yahweh

Answers you,

I will tell you.

I will keep nothing back

From you.’”

The prophet Jeremiah responded to their request to intercede with Yahweh about their future. He was willing to pray to their God, not just his God, Yahweh, as they had asked. Whatever response he got back from Yahweh, he was going to tell them. He was not going to hide or sugarcoat anything that Yahweh had to say.

January 20, 2017

Johanan asks Jeremiah for help (Jer 42:1-42:3)

“Then all the commanders

Of the forces,

With Johanan,

The son of Kareah,

Also with Azariah,

The son of Hoshaiah,

All the people,

From the least

To the greatest,

Approached

The prophet Jeremiah.

They said to him.

‘Be good enough

To listen

To our plea!

Pray to Yahweh!

Your God!

For us!

For all this remnant!

There are only a few

Of us left

Out of the many,

As you can see.

Let Yahweh

Your God

Show us

Where we should go!

What we should do!’”

Apparently this small group of Judeans, with the leaders Johanan and Azariah decided to approach Jeremiah. As he had been released to the protection of Governor Gedaliah, he probably was at Mizpah while the attack of Ishmael had taken place. Thus he was with the freed group at Gibeon. Interesting enough, they referred to Yahweh as Jeremiah’s God not their God. They wanted Jeremiah to intercede for them with Yahweh, as Moses had done centuries earlier. They were only a small group or remnant of what had been many people. They wanted to know where they should go and what to do. Like the preceding chapter, this section has a different numbered chapter in the Greek translation of the Septuagint, chapters 49 and 50, not chapter 42 as here.

December 11, 2016

Jeremiah speaks to the priests and the people (Jer 27:16-27:18)

“Then I spoke

To the priests,

To all this people,

Saying.

‘Thus says Yahweh!

Do not listen

To the words

Of your prophets

Who are prophesying to you!

Saying.

‘The vessels of Yahweh’s house

Will soon be brought back

From Babylon.’

They are prophesying

A lie to you.

Do not listen to them!

Serve the king of Babylon!

Live!

Why should this city

Become a desolation?

If indeed they are prophets,

If the word of Yahweh

Is with them,

Then let them

Intercede with Yahweh of hosts,

That the vessels

Left in the house of Yahweh,

In the house of the king of Judah,

In Jerusalem,

May not go to Babylon.’”

Jeremiah repeats what he said to the king of Judah earlier in this chapter. Now he speaks to the priests and all the people, as much as that is possible, but the message is the same. They were not to listen to the false lying prophets who were saying not to serve the King of Babylon. Here the question is about the vessels that had been taken to Babylon. Were they coming back? Once again, they were not to listen to these false prophets who were telling them to revolt against the Babylonian king. Rather, they should live and not become a desolation by serving the king of Babylon. If these were true prophets of Yahweh, why not let them intercede with Yahweh to make sure that the vessels left in the Temple, the palace of the king, and in Jerusalem itself not be taken to Babylon.

November 11, 2016

Yahweh will not accept their offerings (Jer 14:11-14:12)

“Yahweh said to me.

‘Do not pray

For the welfare of this people.

Although they fast,

I do not hear their cry.

Although they offer burnt offerings,

I will not accept them.

Although they offer grain offerings,

I will not accept them.

But I will consume them

By the sword,

By famine,

By pestilence.’”

Yahweh continues to show his displeasure for the people of Judah, when he spoke to Jeremiah. Yahweh told Jeremiah not to pray or intercede for these people and their welfare. If they fasted, he would not hear their cries. If they brought burnt, grain, or cereal offerings, he would not accept them. Yahweh was clear. They were going to be consumed by the sword, famine, or pestilence. There was no hope for them.

October 27, 2016

Do not pray for them (Jer 7:16-7:16)

“As for you!

Do not pray for this people!

Do not raise a cry for them!

Do not raise a prayer for them!

Do not intercede with me!

I do not hear you!”

Yahweh gives Jeremiah a strange command. He does not want Jeremiah to exercise his prophetic function of praying for his people. He does not want him to raise a cry or prayer in their favor. He does not want him to intercede with him because he will not hear him. Yahweh is really mad at Judah.

February 18, 2015

The prayer of Sarah (Tob 3:11-3:15)

“At that same time, with hands outstretched toward the window, she prayed and said.

‘Blessed are you,

Merciful God!

Blessed is your name forever!

Let all your works praise you forever!

Now, Lord,

I turn my face to you.

Command that I be released from the earth

And not listen to such reproaches any more.

You know, O Lord,

That I am innocent of any defilement with a man.

I have not disgraced my name

Or the name of my father in the land of my exile.

I am my father’s only child.

He has no other child to be his heir.

He has no close relative or other kindred,

For whom I should keep myself as wife.

Already seven husbands of mine have died.

Why should I live?

But if it is not pleasing to you,

O Lord, to take my life,

Hear me in my disgrace.’”

This is s classical Jewish prayer. The merciful God is asked to intercede in a difficult situation. God is blessed and his name shall last forever. Sarah wants to be released from this earth. She is tired of listening to reproaches. She has not defiled herself. She has not disgraced herself or her father. She is an only child and there will be no heir. There is no kinsman to marry since 7 have died in trying to marry her. Why should she live? She wanted God to take her life because she was in disgrace.