"ALL MEN"
James T.Brown (Edinburgh)
This scripture affected us on Lord's Day with its reference to "all men". "Supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings" represent the means whereby heaven can be influenced in relation to men. We would all admit the frailty of our power with God in relation to men; and the weakness of our capacity to influence heaven in their regard. But this dispensation, which is the greatest of all the dispensations, was inaugurated on the basis of the fact that heaven was influenced by a Man, a glorious Man! Joshua in that remarkable passage says, "Sun, stand still upon Gibeon; And thou, moon, in the valley of Ajalon!" Josh 10: 12 . And it says, "And the sun remained standing in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a full day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that Jehovah hearkened to the voice of a man ...", v 13, 14. We live in such a day, when the sun is standing still in the midst of heaven, and the world stands provisionally in reconciliation by virtue of the fact that Jehovah hearkened to the voice of the Lord Jesus. In consequence divine grace, in all its blessedness can be distilled to every nook and cranny of the universe. It is available to all men. Propitiation has been made not for our sins alone but for the whole world because Jehovah has hearkened to the voice of a Man. Wonderful thing! The end is that we, too, as having been touched by divine grace, should be concerned about our fellow men, and exercised to speak to God about them as affected by all their needs, their grief and sorrows. The golden altar was foursquare: it was one cubit by one cubit, differing in that respect from the brazen altar. It suggests universality and unity of purpose and has all men in view. Every interest precious to God can be brought to bear at the golden altar. Not only did the golden altar have horns, but the horns were of itself. That implies power Godward. From whence do we have that power? From the Lord Jesus Himself! Revelation speaks about the angel that stood with the golden censer at the altar. It says "and much incense was given to him, that he might give efficacy to the prayers of all saints" Rev 8: 3.
"Grateful incense this, ascending
Ever to the Father's throne;
Every knee to Jesus bending,
All the mind in heaven is one." (Hymn 14)
How wonderful to think of the prayers of concerned saints rising to heaven, as made efficacious by the glorious One, who has established all for the divine pleasure. He stands there, wonderful Person! available to serve and sustain us, our prayers made efficacious by the incense and by the golden censer in His hand.
I think the four elements in this verse are reflected in the life of the Lord Jesus Himself, as brought out in each of the Gospels. John's Gospel particularly lays emphasis on supplications. There we have, speaking reverently, the great divine Supplicant. Hear Him saying in the midst of His sorrow, "Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour" John 12: 27. What supplication that was! Hebrews says, "Who in the days of his flesh, having offered up both supplications and entreaties to him who was able to save him out of death with strong crying and tears ...", chap 5: 7. How deep and intensive were the feelings of the Lord Jesus, when as a perfect Man and the Prince of Life, He was confronted by the horror of death! How affecting to contemplate the Holy Supplicant supplicating the Father in relation to His pathway here and what lay before Him in the will of God. Supplication implies an intensity and concentration of feeling, as perfectly displayed by the Lord Jesus in John's gospel. Then He says in that great chapter, John 17, the golden altar chapter, "And I do not demand for these only, but also for those who believe on me through their word", v 20. His supplications reach out to encompass his loved ones. How arresting to think of the Lord Jesus actually demanding of the Father in relation to His own. How deep were His feelings and His desires that they might be brought into the enjoyment of divine favour. In John 14: 16 these same feelings are reflected when He says "And I will beg the Father and He will give you another comforter". Then in John 7 it says, "In the last, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried saying, If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink", v 27. These same feelings reach out to men in their need to thirsty souls. "He that believes on me as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water", v 38. How the Lord Jesus desires that men should come into blessing and our desires are to be likewise on the basis of supplication. Daniel brings out this feature. There was a praying man, a supplicant, if there ever was one. In chapter 9 there he was about the time of the evening oblation, when the man Gabriel, the priestly angel, came and touched him. He said, "At the beginning of thy supplications the word went forth ...", v 23. That is a remarkable expression because if you read the supplication itself, it extends for over a page of the Bible, and yet the angel said, "At the beginning of thy supplications ...". Such was the man's power with God that at the very beginning of his supplication the word went forth. What an example Daniel is in that regard! How profound were the feelings he bore and carried into the divine presence and his supplication was answered. "The word went forth", said the angel Gabriel, and I am come to declare it; for thou art one greatly beloved". Men like this are greatly beloved in heaven. James speaks about "The fervent supplication of the righteous man has much power", chap 5: 16. Daniel was one who had power with God. John's gospel particularly brings out this feature of supplication and its results.
In respect of "prayers", one's mind went to Matthew's gospel. Matthew uniquely records that, in Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus prayed a third time to His Father in relation to the great matter that lay before Him. Prayer in scripture is often placed in the context of perseverance and combat, suggesting that we are in no way to become slack or discouraged, even if an answer is not immediately forthcoming. So Paul exhorts the Colossians to "persevere in prayer", Col 4: 12. This attribute is seen in Matthew's gospel in the Lord Jesus Himself in the pressure of Gethsemane. Then Matthew brings out at the end of his gospel that the disciples are to go and make disciples of all nations. All men are in mind, you see. That is the great end of prayer that all men should be blest and brought under the influence of Christ.
As to "intercessions" the link is surely with Luke's gospel. There we have the great Intercessor; "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do", chap 23: 34. Luke, the priestly gospel, brings out the glory of the Intercessor. We have that reference in Isaiah to a time when there was no intercessor. He said, "And he saw that there was no man, and he wondered that there was no intercessor; and his arm brought him salvation", chap. 59: 16. Thank God we live in a day when there is an Intercessor, an Intercessor for men, an Intercessor for you and an Intercessor for me. "Therefore will I assign him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong: because he hath poured out his soul unto death, and was reckoned with the transgressors; and he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors", Isa 53: 12. The transgressors are you and I, and He made intercession for us. At Calvary supremely when He who knew no sin was made sin for us, He made intercession for the transgressors. But that blessed intercessory service continues still. We had a reference to it in the prayer meeting last evening:
"Blessed Lord, in love unceasing
Thou dost live to intercede." (Hymn 176)
Hebrews brings out the glory of the great High Priest, the One who is "priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedec", chap. 7: 21. Melchisedec, as described in that passage, refers to the Lord Jesus and alludes to His deity in a most attractive way. The priests of old were hindered from continuing by death but He "because of his continuing for ever, has the priesthood unchangeable", v 24. The order of His priesthood is represented in Melchisedec but the manner of His service now is seen in Aaron. "Whence also he is able to save completely those who approach by him to God, always living to intercede for them", Heb 7: 24,25. That wonderful service is available now. The Lord Jesus said in relation to Peter, "I have besought for thee that thy faith fail not", Luke 22: 32. How affecting that is! Even at such a time of pressure in His pathway, and with Peter's aberration and failure impending, the Lord was considering for His own. That wonderful intercessory service of the Lord Jesus continues still, and the same kind of Spirit is to be continued in the saints so that there are "... intercessions ... made for all men".
Finally, ''thanksgivings". Men are characteristically unthankful and the saints, in their measure, should compensate for that. The Lord sets the pattern in Mark's gospel. In chapter 8 He has compassion for the crowd. He was thinking about their needs, and concerned that they might faint if they had to make the long journey home, after having been with Him for three days. So the seven loaves were produced, and He gave thanks on their behalf. That would be a remarkable sight. The Lord Jesus surrounded by about 4000 people and giving thanks on their behalf for the loaves. They might not have done that themselves. But the Lord Jesus in His perfection shows how things are to be done. How much men have to be thankful to God for! They may not appreciate it. The very air they breathe is part of the providential goodness of God bestowed daily upon them. Then, too, He preserves them. God is the "preserver of all men, specially of those that believe", 1 Tim 4: 10. Think of God sparing men's lives that they might be given a further opportunity to have to do with the Lord Jesus as Saviour. One thinks often of the fishermen and the sailors. There they are, subject to the vagaries of wind and wave. The Psalm speaks about "They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, These see the works of Jehovah, and his wonders in the deep", Ps 107: 23,24. How awesome is the power of the sea but, by and large, the ships reach port safely! There is the occasional disaster in God's ways, but usually the harbour is safely won. God in His care and mercy continues to preserve men, despite their ingratitude. Then, too, there are all these aircraft flights, and yet an air disaster is, relatively speaking, an infrequent occurrence. Why that? It is God's care for men, preserving them that they might be retained in the area of blessing , God "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance", 2 Pet 3: 9. How right it is therefore that we should render thanksgivings to God for men.
Let us thus be imbued with a spirit that considers, ''for all men"! Let our minds, our hearts and our affections go out to men in their need, knowing that the only thing that will satisfy them is a link with the precious Saviour Himself. Let our prayer be that they should be brought into the great realm of true joy and satisfaction into which, through sovereign grace and mercy, all we here have been introduced!
EDINBURGH
6 June 1995