INTERCESSION

^[p. 362] INTERCESSION

Hebrews 7:25,26; Romans 8:26,27; Genesis 18:16 - 33

JT It is thought that the subject of intercession will be of service to us. First, it is carried out by Christ, who, it is said, ever lives to make intercession for the saints; and then the Spirit, who is also said to make intercession for the saints; and then finally the service of the saints themselves as seen in Abraham. Indeed, it is the last I have particularly in mind, that we may see that intercession is linked with righteousness, the saints viewed as able to judge who are righteous; and that it may be seen that the world is still in reconciliation in view of the continuance of the gospel, so that intercession is carried on for it.

HH Would you say a word as to what you understand by intercession?

JT It is our exercises Godward in regard of others, for their welfare according to the will of God, as distinguished from supplications, prayers, and thanksgivings, as seen in 1 Timothy 2:1; but it is intelligent definite service on behalf of others; you are thinking of them and acting on their behalf. J.N.D. has a note on the word in 1 Timothy 2:1: “Personal and confiding intercourse with God on the part of one able to approach Him”. Righteousness is particularly the basis. The Lord Himself in John’s epistle is spoken of in this connection, that is, as “advocate with the Father”, as righteous — “Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).

CG Does it involve that we have some understanding of the mind of God for those for whom we are interceding?

JT I think it is intended to be specific in that way; Abraham clearly had in mind the persons he knew in Sodom. He begins with a number evidently beyond what he believed were righteous in Sodom. We have in 1 Timothy intercession for all men, and, of course,

^[p. 363] we cannot specify each; but generally, I think, it is to be specific. It says here in Hebrews 7, “Whence also he is able to save completely those who approach by him to God, always living to intercede for them”; so that He has in mind those who draw near to God. What you would expect to be foremost in His mind is God, and what is for God, and therefore our minds are directed to what this epistle teaches, that is, we should draw near to God, knowing that the Lord is ever living to intercede for us in that connection.

AWR Is Moses going up to intercede for the people, a good example?

JT He is a good example in that connection; but they were not drawing near to God; they were rather turning away from God, having made the golden calf. Still they were God’s people, at least in Moses’ thought of them, and hence he interceded for them.

MWB With regard to the Lord’s own intercession for us, what is the divine object of it? Is it to preserve us in keeping with our place before God, or is it to maintain our place before God?

JT I think if you connect the matter with the verse just quoted it is drawing near to God that is in mind. 1 John 2 shows that if sin occurs, we have an Advocate with the Father, One who will see to that matter as well, and of course, that may happen in one who characteristically draws near to God; drawing near to God, evidently, is what is in mind in the high priest, for the allusion here is to Jesus ever living to make intercession, as it is said, for those who approach by Him to God, always living to intercede for them. It would be, of course, to maintain us before God, but having in mind that we are drawing near to God by Christ.

AEM Would the expression “save completely” bear that thought, in the previous verse?

JT Just so, covering a remark in 1 John, though the Advocate there is a somewhat wider thought than ^[p. 364] intercession. It involves intercession, but it involves that any matter arising, including a sin, is thoroughly attended to, and therefore, salvation completely is by Christ. The statement, “he is able to save completely those who approach by him to God” would cover the whole position, but the passage has in mind that we approach by Him. There are those who would approach otherwise, and were trying to at that time; approaching by Him is Christianity and He intercedes for all such.

HH Would you connect advocacy with priesthood?

JT It is a part of the thought — another word, as we no doubt know. Priesthood is a provisional office, exercised by Christ in view of conditions here, that is, conditions in us and conditions in our environment, so that He is to have compassion on the ignorant and erring. Malachi says “the priest’s lips should keep knowledge” (Malachi 2:7). It is a wide range of service, underlying it is sonship; Christ as Son is Priest.

AMH Is the interceding to preserve us from characteristics which might hinder our approach and to keep us in accord with what is said of the Lord Himself in verse 26, “holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners”?

JT I thought that. Verse 26 brings in what the persons are to whom He is priest; He “became us”. Such a One as is depicted in the chapter was needed because of the greatness of those to whom He is Priest. As I was remarking, priesthood covers a wide range, but it is provisional. The basis of drawing near to God is sonship; as in the primary thought in Exodus 4:23 “Let my son go, that he may serve me”, so in this epistle God is leading many sons, not priests, but sons, to glory; the priesthood therefore is a provisional thought, because of conditions in us and about us in drawing near in our relation with God; hence the priesthood is brought in in Exodus 28 in view of the service. God said, “Let my son go, that he may serve me”,(Exodus 4:23) and the priesthood is brought in for that purpose, that sons may serve Him in the priest’s office, or as priest. Aaron and his sons were to serve as priests, not here as sons, but in the capacity of priests, hence the great stress laid on the priesthood, because it is exercised in relation to conditions that will not always exist.

CG Is the Lord’s own priesthood based on sonship? I was thinking of chapter 5.

JT Quite so; it is what is stated; it is the Son. The Son is the Priest; the service is carried on by the Priest because of conditions in us, and the priestly service includes intercession.

AMH I would like to get a little clearer as to this subject of priesthood; as you say, it is a very wide one. There is a distinction, I suppose, between the Lord as Priest, being able to sympathise with our infirmities, and as in relation to God, as Minister of the sanctuary. Are you making intercession something additional to that?

JT We need Christ’s intercession and priestly sympathy and support in every position, but we require it more in our ordinary or wilderness circumstances than as together in assembly, but we need it there also; Christ as Minister of the sanctuary is in charge of the service of God, and the bearing of His ministry is Godward. We need to be sustained there as with Him, so that we should take part in the service, and so must rely on His priestly grace there as elsewhere. “We have such a one high priest ... minister of the holy places”, (Hebrews 8:1,2). As Priest He would relieve us of whatever there might be to hinder us in drawing near to God.

GL The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to have you, to sift you as wheat; but I have besought for thee that thy faith fail not” (Luke 22:31); would that come into the category of the service you are speaking of?

JT Certainly it would, and very comforting it is; “that thy faith fail not” (Luke 22:31). Not there that he might not deny Him, but that his faith should not fail.

HH ^[p. 366] Would advocacy come in there?

JT I think advocacy went on in the whole matter. The advocacy of Christ is seen in that particular instance because the Lord took account of the whole matter as One standing by from the beginning to the end. The word denotes that He takes charge as before God of our matters, so that He foresaw what would happen in Peter’s case and provided against it in prayer, but advocacy is somewhat wider; His prayer was specific, as to Peter’s faith, but He was thinking of the whole matter and in due course He looked on Peter; that is advocacy. He is seeing to Peter’s repentance.

MWB The word “Advocate” implies that the whole thing is under consideration and in His hand.

JT Yes, that one is thought of before one sins is a very touching matter. The Lord is thinking of it before it happens and He may decide to let it happen, but He is watching the matter; it is a process, so that in Peter’s case He looked at him as the cock crew. He turned round and looked on Peter, showing that he was in His mind; not a thing was happening without Him, and He is “Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). He is there on that footing, and “is the propitiation for our sins; but not for ours alone, but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2). We are on sure ground, so we can understand why the Lord allows failures to occur. He thinks of them before they occur, and the persons in whom they occur. Could He not prevent it? we may say; but He does not. He has something to work out. The prayer is only an item in the advocacy, the intercession is only an item, He is watching over the whole matter. But we must solemnly notice that in furnishing instruction on this subject, the apostle John says, “These things I write to you in order that ye may not sin” (1 John 2:1).

HH Then it says, “with the Father” in John, and in Hebrews “God”. Would you say a word as to that?

JT “With the Father”, I think, is to maintain the dispensation in our souls; the Father stands for that.

^[p. 367] The Lord is with Him as Advocate; He says, elsewhere, “of righteousness, because I go away to my Father” (John 16:10). On His own account. He was going to the Father according to John 16, but as Advocate with the Father He maintains us in the dispensation in view of anything that might overwhelm us; so that grace reigns. God is no different after, than before we sin; He has not altered; it is the Father. The Advocate would thus maintain us before God according to the dispensation.

AMH You get the intercessory condition with Moses when the conflict is on with Amalek and Joshua. When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

JT Yes. It is a remarkable instance. The situation is one whole in Exodus 17, that is to say, the position of Moses’ arms or hands reacts in the army below. It is a weak position and yet a strong one: it is a position that calls for faith, and the exigencies bring out what was there. It was not indicated at the outset that there would be such a state of things. Aaron and Hur were there, but the exigency of the moment brought out that there was enough to meet the opposition. It would seem as if Amalek might prevail, but in truth he could not; there was enough to overcome him, but it was a position into which faith peculiarly entered. Hence the Lord says, “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not” (Luke 22:32). If my faith is not maintained, the position is weakened and it may become serious. I suppose Peter’s faith was preserved, and that was the result of the advocacy of Christ.

AMH So that the faith element as indicated in Aaron and Hur coming in, would affect the movement of the army.

JT Yes, and the “stone” is brought in. It is one whole, and you can only have that if faith is maintained. Christ remains on high, but we may not consciously be deriving ^[p. 368] from Him.

AMH The verses in Hebrews 7 are to set Christ before us as interceding.

JT I think it is to maintain faith. Faith is one great thread running through this epistle.

GL Would the service of Moses, Aaron, and Hur represent what is in heaven, but faith would be maintained by what is on earth?

JT What was above was connected with what was below; faith must be the link between the two, and that is why the Lord said, “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not” (Luke 22:32). Many get overpowered by what happens, but faith enables us to overcome; the dispensation is not changed by what I may do, or by what Satan does. Faith maintains this and makes room for God to come in. In a great disaster “David strengthened himself in Jehovah his God” (1 Samuel 30:6).

GL And the result is, as having experienced the service of Christ in this sense, there is greater spiritual capacity for the service of God.

JT Exactly. Those who draw near to God by Him are thus helped; we become strengthened and assured and thus more competent in the sanctuary. Christ on high is always thinking of us, able to save us “completely”.

EG What does the stone suggest?

JT I think it is to bring in the solidity of the whole position; stone always suggests permanency. Speaking now of Exodus 17:9, “Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek”. It is a question of the authority of God. “So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other ^[p. 369] side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun” (Exodus 17:10 - 12). Joshua broke the power of Amalek; the exigency was more serious than might have been anticipated, but it was overcome. Moses’ hands grew heavy, but this difficulty is met in Aaron and Hur, and I think the stone as brought in at the end is to show that the ground is sure. It may appear to be weak, but it is firm. What we have been remarking is important, especially as we have to own that sin takes place with each of us; faith maintains the link with God notwithstanding. It maintains us practically in the divine system in which intercession is a great feature. The idea is that what is up there is from the divine side, to sustain what is down here, and what is down here is to be sustained through intelligent faith by what is up there.

CG Though I may fail, the concern should be that my faith will not fail.

JT While faith is preserved the position will be maintained; restoration, if needed, will be effected.

CG The Lord’s advocacy comes in and effects it.

JT Peter’s case is representative as to the advocacy of Christ, how He watches over His own in view of possible failure. He knew Peter and knew what would happen and allowed it to happen, but one thing stressed is that faith was not to fail, and the Lord prays to this end; and in due course He looked on him as the next needed thing, and Peter went out and wept bitterly. Advocacy in Him is that He followed the thing up, so in John 21 you get the complete thought; restoration is complete.

MWB Is intercession in Hebrews 7:25 that we may not fail, rather than that we may be recovered?

JT That is how the truth stands there; in advocacy the Lord looks after the whole matter, even before the sin occurs, so that “if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father”; the system set up to maintain us in keeping with the dispensation is ^[p. 370] in mind.

HDT Does that link with the “full assurance of faith” in chapter 10?

JT It is in view of it. The spirit of this epistle is to lead up to faith; to lead up to our drawing near to God according to the requirements of chapter 10, faith being essential in chapter 11. So the writer says, “We are not of them who draw back ... but of them that believe to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:39). Jesus “is able to save completely”, but we believe to that end, to the saving of the soul; that is, our side corresponds with His side.

LCC Does faith take account of the resources that are in heaven?

JT It does. A great system exists for the maintenance of the dispensation and for the maintenance of believers in relation to it. What has been said of the battle of Rephidim helps as to this. The movement of Moses’ hands affected the army, and Aaron’s service also, indirectly, affected the army.

AJG Would you say that unless all this is effective, there will be no service of God in the sanctuary, alluded to in the next chapter?

JT There cannot be. The epistle is to work out these things; the position is one of faith. The Lord is able to save completely those who draw near by Him to God, for He is always living to intercede for them. It is in view of drawing near to God; He is able to save completely all who do. The writer says we are “of them that believe to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:39). You go the whole length, our faith carries us the whole length, but as in the system in which God has provided the means of support for us.

AWR Would you say a word as to its being in the setting of the Melchisedek priesthood?

JT The intercession is not by the Melchisedek priesthood; it is the Aaronic service of Christ. Melchisedek is the order of priesthood, the service is Aaronic;

^[p. 371] as to this we are to go back to the order of things in Leviticus for typical instruction.

Then, as to our subject, we have the Spirit to consider in Romans 8:26. This is another side of it, a very precious side because it is the Spirit in us here. Christ is above and the Spirit here, making the system a perfect one. What is here is in entire keeping with what is up there.

Rem The expression here (verse 27), “according to God”, would go along with what we have in Hebrews: “things relating to God”.

JT Yes, the intercession for the saints is according to God.

AMH “For we do not know what we should pray for as is fitting”. Do you understand that to mean we cannot gauge the scope of what we are asking?

JT Quite so. It is what “is fitting”. The passage brings out the perfection of the system, how the system is maintained in perfection by Christ up there and the Spirit down here. Faith is the link, as we have been speaking of it, but it is not brought in here. It is the Spirit as the link.

MWB In what way does the Holy Spirit make intercession? Is it through the feelings of the hearts of the saints?

JT I think it is in that way; all He does Godward and manward is through the saints. He has not become incarnate. He employs, I apprehend, the saints. It is a question here of groanings, not articulated, that are understood in heaven. It is comforting, I think — our unutterable feelings in regard of God are known, the Spirit producing them.

MWB One sometimes feels doubtful as to what to ask. You see a suffering saint, or a complex set of circumstances; would it be that the Holy Spirit in promoting feelings in us that we cannot express, would make ^[p. 372] intercession?

JT That is what I understand. You lie awake, perhaps, at night thinking of the interests of Christ and the saints; you feel you cannot express in words the depths of your feelings, but still those feelings are not merely natural feelings, they are spiritual feelings, and groans accompanying them. It seems that that is in mind here. Through the saints, the Spirit operating in us, there is a perfect answer to what is up there. He makes intercession for the saints according to God.

GL The subject is the groaning creation, pretty much, in these verses in Romans 8. Would what you speak of refer to the groaning creation, or would it apply to all prayers?

JT I think it enters into the whole system. We are part of the groaning creation, and we groan within ourselves, in spite of having the first-fruits of the Spirit, but when we come to groaning by the Spirit, then we have what fully answers to God. The system is perfect; what is brought out is the perfection of the system, not because we have faith, although that is assumed, but because of the presence of the Spirit. The range covered by the service of the Spirit in this chapter, even as to our family relations with God, is striking. Our knowledge of our family relations is by the Spirit witnessing “with our spirit”. So delicate are His services that we can distinguish that He has witnessed to our spirits, not merely to our mind, but to our spirits, that we are children of God.

AJG When they brought to the Lord a deaf man, the Lord groaned and looked up to heaven, and then said, “Be opened”. He is not recorded to have said anything to heaven; He groaned heavenward.

JT I am glad you mentioned that. It helps as to what heaven understands. It understood that groan.

PL Would you find it with Paul, “painfully excited” in relation to the idolatry at Athens, and then in regard of Corinth, “pressed in respect of the word” (Acts 18:^[p. 373] 5)?

JT I think that all fits. I hope we all are following, because the Lord would stress the perfection of the system into which we are brought. What is here by the Spirit corresponds with what is up there, even although it may not be intelligible to us; it is there, and believers are maintained by it. Household prayers are a very important part in the system and service of God. Wherever the Spirit is, we have what corresponds to what is in heaven.

Ques As to “the Spirit joins also its help”, is it that you become conscious that you are speaking to God?

JT I think so. “In like manner the Spirit joins also its help to our weakness; for we do not know what we should pray for as is fitting, but the Spirit itself makes intercession”. He is taking on what you are doing; but not doing it without you. The idea is, you begin and He joins His help to you. You start and just wonder what you are going to say, and presently you find help; but the passage goes on to say, “but the Spirit itself makes intercession ... for saints according to God”.

HDT Would this section flow out of the thought of suffering with Christ in the earlier verse: “if indeed we suffer with him” (Romans 8:17)? Then the apostle goes on to say, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us(Romans 8:18)”.

JT The thought of suffering arising in various ways from the existence of sin in the creation runs through this part of the chapter. As having part in the creation, we are feeling things and the Spirit joins its help to our weakness as seeking to utter our need. You are conscious help is coming in and then the Spirit Himself makes intercession with groaning beyond, perhaps, anything we could make, but it is through us. The groans go up, I apprehend, from the believer’^[p. 374] s heart.

MWB Would there be gain in our sympathetically entering into the circumstances of the saints in pressure and illness and so forth, so that the Spirit might work in us and produce this intercession?

JT I think so. It is a question of whether we feel things according to God. We are conscious how shallow our feelings are, but God would deepen His work in us, and it is through our feeling things. In Ezekiel we have the suggestion of persons who feel things being marked off, “the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that are done” (Ezekiel 9:4). The deep feelings of the saints afford the Spirit the opportunity; He is ready to help us in our weakness.

AJG Is that why the passage says, “he intercedes for saints according to God”? Not the will of God (which words are not in the original); it is not a question of His will exactly, but rather the Spirit participating in His feelings.

JT That is what I was thinking, and the system is thus complete. What is current is according to God.

AMH The Lord in the raising of Lazarus in John’s gospel prays, and says, “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me”;(John 11:41) and it is mentioned that He groaned (verse 38).

JT Yes, and if you go on to chapter 12 you get a further thought; it says, “Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. But on account of this have I come to this hour. Father, glorify thy name. There came therefore a voice out of heaven, I both have glorified and will glorify it again” (John 12:27,28). The writer further says, “The crowd therefore which stood there and heard it, said that it had thundered. Others said. An angel has spoken to him. Jesus answered and said. Not on my account has this voice come, but on yours” (John 12:29,30). Things happen in this sense for the instruction of the saints.

M W R Are These two features of intercession, in ^[p. 375] Hebrews and then in Romans, to set us free so that we can take up what is seen in Genesis 18?

JT I think we might proceed there to bring out the intercession of the saints, as Abraham represents them, and how righteousness is stressed by Jehovah in the matter. We see how the patriarch lingered as if he understood the divine visitation to him, involving more than is seen in the beginning. Sodom was in mind; as it were, Jehovah came via Abraham in this matter: that is. He came in relation to the saints as those who intercede for others. It has in mind what He is going to do in the world, and the saints are to be with Him in it. In this connection Abraham is “the friend of God” (James 2:23). Heaven is looking for sympathy in what it is doing. Jehovah comes to Abraham, and Abraham receives Him beautifully. Then the chapter says “the men rose up thence, and looked toward Sodom”. That is a spiritual touch — “looked toward Sodom”. Sodom had been in mind really. They came in this way in relation to Sodom, and Abraham went with them to conduct them. The way of God is in mind at the present time. You might say God is on His way; this dispensation is on that way. It is a wonderful dispensation, although in a sense a parenthesis. God would draw us into what He has in mind, what is about to happen in regard of the nations, so “Abraham went with them to conduct them. And Jehovah said. Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing?” This suggests that God would draw us into what He is doing. “Since Abraham shall indeed become a great and mighty nation; and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him. For I know him that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice, in order that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham what he hath spoken of him. And Jehovah said. Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grievous, I ^[p. 376] will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come to me; and if not, I will know it”.

Evidently Abraham was to understand the position. God is on the way and He is stressing that Abraham is to be brought into this, and the reason for it. It has a moral reason. Jehovah says, “I know him that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice, in order that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham what he hath spoken of him”. Then Abraham refers to Sodom, having in mind that if he is righteous, God is more righteous in regard of His thoughts about Sodom. The whole position is what God is doing and all is based on infinite righteousness, even as to what the cry was. That is certainly very important as to all matters coming under our adjudication; everything is to be seen as it is, nothing is to be taken for granted; everything is to be investigated. “The men rose up thence, and looked toward Sodom” (verse 16). “And the men turned thence and went towards Sodom; and Abraham remained yet standing before Jehovah” (verse 22). That is the position; God draws us into what He is doing, and we should tarry with Him with a view to intercession.

Now the question arises as to the judgment, and how many righteous persons there are, so that Abraham stands out here as one who can judge, and he speaks to Jehovah as “the Judge of all the earth”. It is a question of judgment, involving how many righteous persons there are in the city.

MWB I did not get your thought as to Abraham judging. Will you say more about it?

JT In the passage we read, God honours him in that way. He says, “I know him that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice” — a great matter in regard of our care meetings ^[p. 377] and adjudication. Everything is right — based on righteous judgment. The Lord says, “Judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24). I think that is what is in mind. I believe Abraham is to be taken to represent the heavenly side, that is, the saints as a heavenly people, and this element is amongst them; we are to do “justice and judgment”. God says in effect in this scripture, I draw near to you in this matter and tell you what I am doing. God is ready to listen to all we have to say in our prayer meetings.

Ques Are you alluding to the assembly as taking up intercession, or individuals?

JT I should say both, but I think we are entitled to put a heavenly people into chapter 18. Abraham is the characteristically heavenly man and righteousness comes out in his family. Jehovah is speaking of the history of his family and they would be taught to do, and would do, righteousness and justice. That is what has come out in the history of the assembly, and today the saints are to judge righteous judgment. It is one of the greatest tests amongst us when the Lord gives us matters to adjudicate upon.

MWB Is the thought, there is a man who can rightly intercede?

JT Yes, based on gracious yet righteous discrimination. To such a man God listens with the greatest patience.

CG It would not only have reference to one’s household, but to a local meeting.

JT Just so. The point for us is that we can judge aright, and this qualifies us for intercession.

Ques The cry going up from Sodom — did it come up from Lot?

JT Well, we can understand how “the righteous man”, as Peter calls him, would feel the evil and utter his feelings to God. He was distressed with the abandoned conversation of the godless. Peter accredits him with much. God takes account of everything and ^[p. 378] accredits each of His people with whatever there is to accredit them with.

HH Love would proceed on that line in regard of the detail of things in local companies.

JT I think so; where brothers and sisters in the locality feel things and begin to groan and pray, the Lord comes in for them.

Ques Would it be right to consider that God found comfort in Abraham in reference to what was before Him in Sodom?

JT I think so, and He honoured Abraham in that sense. God is going on to the millennium via the assembly.

Ques Is that what the apostle has in mind in 1 Corinthians 5, where he exhorts them to judge righteous judgment, and then in chapter 6, “Do ye not then know that the saints shall judge the world? ... Do ye not know that we shall judge angels?” (1 Corinthians 6:2,3)?

JT It runs through these epistles. God listens to Abraham starting with fifty and coming down to forty-five, forty, thirty, twenty, and then ten. Abraham does not go lower than that, and it finishes the matter. There were not ten, but really only one righteous man.

AJG Do you regard Abraham’s stopping at ten as spiritual instinct? If there were not that measure for God, it was not right the city should be spared?

JT Just so. The grace evident is striking. God graciously listens to Abraham, who steadily reduced the possible number, until he stops. He was evidently instinctively right in stopping at ten. The conversation between Jehovah and Abraham continued to completion. It is “when he had ended” the matter. It is said in Genesis 17:22, “He left off talking with him; and God went up from Abraham”. Here it is “when he had ended speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place”. The matter is settled. I am sure Abraham went back to his place in the sense that he had been ^[p. 379] fairly and patiently heard; that all was in the good hands of “the Judge of all the earth”.

HH He would no doubt have liked to have made up the number from Lot’s family, but could not.

PH Does intercession take account of the whole position, having regard for what is of God in it?

JT That is what came out here. Abraham speaks of the Judge of all the earth, an extensive thought. And Jehovah had said, “Abraham shall indeed become a great and mighty nation; and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him. For I know him that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of Jehovah, to do righteousness and justice, in order that Jehovah may bring upon Abraham what he hath spoken of him”. We are on universal ground here.

PH Does it fit in with the thought of intercession being mentioned in 1 Timothy — “for all men”. Then there is something specific in view, “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life” (1 Timothy 2:2).

JT Yes; the bearing is universal.

CG In interceding for Sodom, is it like our prayers in regard to the world?

JT Yes; whilst it is in reconciliation. I think Abraham represents the saints in the world now viewed as reconciled, because all were to be blessed in him. You can understand how he would look at the nations; he would not invoke judgment on them, but desire that they should be blessed.

PL Isaac having been introduced already in God’s word to Abraham, the world is viewed in relation to the new Head.

JT Quite so.