How to Intercede Like Judah, and see Jesus, Genesis 44:18-45:1

 

Joseph has given his brothers a series of tests to determine if they’re the same selfish, hardhearted, wicked boys they were 22 years prior, when they threw Joseph in a pit, and then, sold him into slavery. (Joseph’s Final Exam).

So far, they’ve passed every test. Now, they’re at the end of the final exam.

Joseph just gave the brothers a way out. Go home in peace, just leave Benjamin with me. Tell dad, that Pharaoh’s right-hand man wouldn’t let him go. Who are you to resist the power of Egypt?

But Judah, once again, steps up to the plate. Stands in the gap. Intercedes for his brothers and carries them across the finish line.

Throughout Judah’s discourse he maintains a respectful humble posture. He calls himself and his brothers, and even his father, “servants”. He calls Joseph, “lord.” Small “l” reflecting a respectful term such as, master, sir.  

Judah’s, powerful speech, the longest speech in all of Genesis changes the course of Israel and gives God good reason to choose the line of Judah, to birth the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Messiah, Jesus the Christ our Savior and Lord.

The intercession of Judah is characterized by theologians and historians as:

"One of the masterpieces of Hebrew composition" (Kalisch).

"One of the grandest and fairest to be found in the Old Testament" (Lange).

"One of the finest specimens of natural eloquence in the world" (Inglis).

Indeed, the whole speech is most exquisitely beautiful, and perhaps the most complete piece of genuine and natural eloquence to be found in any language. (Benson Commentary).

Most importantly, this is an awesome outline for intercessors. As we read Judah’s intercession, we’ll see 16 characteristics of an intercessor.

Did your ears perk up when you heard the word, intercessor?

If you think you might be an intercessor, a person called to pray, a prayer warrior... then, you probably are.

¹⁸ Then Judah came near to him and said: “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh. 

Judah steps away from his brothers and draws near to Joseph.

He does so to intercede for the sake of his brothers.

He does so boldly, yet humbly with reverential fear.

An Intercessor draws aways from others to draw near the Lord.

An Intercessor draws away from others for the sake of others.

An Intercessor stands boldly, yet humbly, before the Lord, with reverential fear, understanding the goodness and severity of the Lord. Romans 11:22.

Knowing both the earth shaking, rock splitting, rushing mighty wind and the loving, gentle, quiet, still small Voice. In the midst of a hurricane or the still of the night, the intercessor is found standing near the Lord.

¹⁹ My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ 

The brothers just wanted to know how much grain they could get. Whereas Joe wanted to know about dad and another brother.

An Intercessor may go to the Lord for someone, but the Lord may say, “Wait, before we talk about them, let’s talk about you.

Let’s talk about your father, your brother. You know, the father you’ve been lying to for over 22 years. The brother you can’t look in the eye because of what you’ve done.

An intercessor must be pure of heart.

That doesn’t mean perfect of heart, but of a heart always ready when convicted to repent and make things right.

Jesus puts it like this:

Matthew 5:23-24
Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

²⁰ And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, who is young; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’

They told Joseph what they assumed to be true.

Obviously, Joseph, Benjamin’s brother was very much alive, standing right in front of them.

An Intercessor is entirely honest.

They need be, for the Lord sees straight through to the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Psalm 51:6
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

 ²¹ Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 

Joseph, of course, wanted to see his little brother, to confirm he was alive and well. That the brothers didn’t do to Benjamin what they did to him.

So, he did a Ronald Reagan. Trust but verify. Prove your words are true. Show me your brother. He held them accountable. 

An Intercessor is held accountable.

If you say, you’ll pray, you do, if you don’t, you won’t be able to sleep.

Insomnia may be an intercessor’s wake-up call to pray.

²² And we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’

Their stepmom, Rachel had two sons with their dad, Jacob. Joseph and Benjamin. Rachel had died and they assumed, Joseph was dead also. So, obviously Jacob didn’t want to risk losing his youngest son Benjamin, the only one left from Rachel.

Dad’ll just die if Benny leaves him, they told Joe.

But they were wrong. It wouldn’t kill him. Benjamin would leave. Jacob would live and not die.

The brothers didn’t understand that Joseph wanted to help them. And he would help them. However, first, he needed to test them.

An Intercessor need not understand God, to trust God

An Intercessor’s testimony rises from testing

 ²³ But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’

That’s the third time Judah repeated the words of Joseph back to him.

An Intercessor speaks the Word of God, to God.

For example:

Lord, You say in Your Word, that Your Word will not return void.

Isaiah 55:10-11
“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, ¹¹ so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

You also say in Your Word that Your Word is like Seed.

Mark 4:14-20:
The sower sows the Word. ¹⁵ And these are the ones by the wayside where the Word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the Word that was sown in their hearts. ¹⁶ These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the Word, immediately receive it with gladness; ¹⁷ and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the Word’s sake, immediately they stumble. ¹⁸ Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the Word, ¹⁹ and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful. ²⁰ But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the Word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

Lord according to Your Word, we pray that our hearts are good ground that receives Your Word that has gone forth like rain and snow, Your Word that has been sown like seed, and that it will bear much fruit, good fruit, Your fruit, a hundredfold.

Thank You Lord, we love You forever, amen.

²⁴ “So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord.

An Intercessor repeats the Word of God to others.

 ²⁵ And our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’ ²⁶ But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.’

It took about a year before they used up all the grain from their first trip, and then, Jacob told them to return to Egypt for more.

The brothers didn’t forget the words of Joseph, and they wouldn’t even try to disobey them, even if it meant disagreement with their father.

An Intercessor obeys the Word of God over the word of man.

 ²⁷ Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons; ²⁸ and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since. ²⁹ But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’

Judah explained what happened when they returned to their father.

This was the first time Joseph heard, about what his father knew of his disappearance 22 years earlier.

An Intercessor explains the situation to the Lord.

Come let us reason together says the Lord.

Not that He needs to hear it. But we need to speak it, and while we’re speaking, if we’re listening, He’s responding.

While we’re talking it out, He’s working it out.

³⁰ “Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life, ³¹ it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

Notice, Judah, never blamed Joseph. He didn’t say, “you will bring our dad to the grave.”

Notice Judah never claimed they were framed. He didn’t say, “Benjamin did not steal that cup!”

An Intercessor leaves all judgement to God.

Romans 12:19
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

 ³² For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’ 

Judah offered himself, as surety, as guarantee, to bear the burden for the return of Benjamin.

An Intercessor bears another’s burden.

An intercessor takes personal responsibility, ownership, for what happens to the person they’re interceding for.

³³ Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. ³⁴ For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?”

Judah, like Christ, offered his life, so his brothers could be free. He not only prayed for an answer but was willing to be the answer.

An Intercessor gives his, or her, life to the Lord, for others.

The intercessor can say, I surrender my all to Jesus, not just for me, but because the more I do, the better for you.

45:1 Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

When Judah drew near to Joseph and showed the greatest Love by offering his life in exchange for his brother, Joseph could restrain himself no more and made himself known to his brothers.

Draw nigh to God and He will draw night to you. James 4:8.

The Lord makes Himself known, personally, intimately, to the Intercessor.

An Intercessor sees Jesus.

Jesus came to exchange His Life, for the life of others.

The day we delivered this message, was the day the ceasefire and hostage exchange began between Israel and hamas.

On the day Jesus first made Himself known (Luke 4:16-21) He read from Isaiah 61:1-2, where it tells how He came to set the captives free, to open the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord...

Jesus stopped there. But the very next line in Isaiah reads, “And the day of vengeance of our God.” Isaiah 61:2b.

Jesus paused the clock for this age of grace, and we rejoice as hostages are set free, as multitudes imprisoned to sin are released. However, this is a sign and a warning that the day of vengeance is at hand.

Just as Joseph will warn his brothers about the seven year famine, the Lord gives us signs and warnings that the seven year Tribulation is at hand.

Thus, the clarion call goes out now for intercessors to answer, rise up and pray without ceasing for souls to be saved for the harvest is plenteous, the laborers are few and the time is short. The night is far spent, the day is at hand.

Are you called to be an intercessor?

If you think you might be... you probably are.

An Intercessor...

1.    Draws away from others to draw near the Lord.

2.    Draws away from others for the sake of others.

3.    Stands boldly, yet humbly, before the Lord

4.    An intercessor is pure of heart.

5.    An Intercessor is entirely honest.

6.    An Intercessor is held accountable.

7.    An Intercessor need not understand God, to trust God

8.    An Intercessor's testimony rises from testing

9.    An Intercessor speaks the Word of God, to God

10.  An Intercessor repeats the Word of God to others.

11.  An Intercessor obeys the Word of God over the word of man.

12.  An Intercessor explains the situation to the Lord.

13.  An Intercessor leaves all judgement to God.

14.  An Intercessor bears another’s burden.

15.  An Intercessor gives his, or her, life to the Lord, for others.

16.  An Intercessor sees Jesus.

Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Word that not only tells us what did happen, but also what will happen. So, we are not caught unaware. So, we are not scared, but prepared. So, we are without excuse.

Lord, we pray for intercessors to rise, awake and aware, ushering in Your will, on earth as it is in heaven. And Lord, let us, be one.

We love You, forever, amen.   

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This was feed for you to read. Now it’s Seed for you to sow.

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