And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley: And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. Be merciful, O Lord, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel's charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them. So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord. — Deuteronomy 21:6-9
It is somewhat unusual that we do not have any of the intercessory prayers the ordinary priests prayed. Blessing in the name of Jehovah seems to have been one of their conspicuous functions (I Chronicles 23:20; II Chronicles 30:37). Yet public leaders were among the intercessors of old. Elders of a city would pray, as did those who implored divine forgiveness upon the people. Because righteousness exalteth a nation, how commendable it would be to find City Fathers gathered together in prayer for the well-being of the community they represent.
And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore; And said, O Lord God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel? — Judges 21:2, 3
There is no phase of war so tragic as that of Civil War. Here the men of Israel mourned over the separation of Benjamin from the rest of the Tribes. Separations and divisions among God’s people are to be deplored and should constrain us to weep and pray even as Christ prayed for the unity of His church (John 17:21-23).
And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voice, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.- (Luke 17:12, 13, 15, 16)
It is more than likely that these diseased creatures had heard of an earlier instance of leprosy being cleansed (Matthew 8:2; 11:5) and thus threw themselves upon the mercy of the Master. All ten were cleansed but only one turned back to give thanks for the gift of healing received. How disappointed was the healing Christ! What a tone of mingled surprise, and grief, and indignation there is in the question asked: “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” (17:17). Our blessed Lord was vexed that the natural obligatory duty of gratitude was forgotten. The healed leper “glorified God with a loud voice” (17:15). May we be loud in our praises for the unfailing goodness of God!
So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children. For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham’s wife. —Genesis 20:17, 18
Abraham’s intercessions for Abimelech, as well as for Sodom (18:22), emphasizes the need and value of intercession, as a phase of prayer, so conspicuous in the Bible (20:7-17). Samuel who regarded intercession as part of his official duty, the neglect of which was a sin (I Samuel 12:23), cried to God for a danger-beset people (I Samuel 7:3, 8; 12:19). Both Moses and Samuel stood before God on behalf of His people. Moses was an incomparable prophet in that nearly all his prayers were intercessions (Deuteronomy 34:10; Exodus 32:31), and his intercessory power was recognized by those for whom he prayed (Numbers 12:13; 21:7). Later on, we expect to return to this absorbing theme of Prophets as Intercessors.
Too often we fail God and man because of our lack of desire for prevailing intercession — the costliest service a Christian can render. John Knox could plead, “O God, give me Scotland, or I die.” God gave him Scotland, and his fame as an intercessor was so marked that “Bloody Mary” confessed that she feared the prayers of John Knox more than an army of soldiers