Saved from Destruction to be a Bride through Intercession
"...By praying for each other we can all become like Rebekah, always eager and ready to meet our Husband, who is Christ."
I was very much impressed with the responsive attitude of Rebekah in Genesis 24. After being entreated by Abraham's servant to leave her family and wed Isaac Rebekah immediately went, and when she saw Isaac from afar she "sprang off the camel" she was riding. How different was her reaction from Lot's in chapter 19! Two angels from Jehovah came to urge Lot to leave the city he was in because it was going to be destroyed. However, Lot loved the city and even considered its inhabitants "brothers" (v7), although they were evil. Because of his love for the city Lot "lingered" (v16) and did not leave even after the angels told him to. The angels eventually grabbed Lot and his family and took him away from the city as it was about to be destroyed.
My first thought was how much we need to be like Rebekah and heed the Lord's calling and not be like Lot who loved the world. This is true, but we cannot do it of ourselves. Lot was a righteous man in the eyes of the Lord, but he was weak. It was only because of Abraham's interceding that Lot was able to be saved from destruction (v29). The same principle applies to our lives today. On the one hand, in our position we are like Rebekah, chaste virgins prepared for the Lord. On the other hand, in our experience, we are often weak like Lot, distracted by and attracted to the world. For this reason we have to rely on the Lord's salvation through the intercession of our brothers. Even Rebekah had this kind of help from the Lord – she was guided by an angel to follow Abraham's servant (Gen 24:7). Both Lot and Rebekah were helped by Abraham's intercession!
Through prayer we have a way to intercede for the saints and save each other from destruction. By praying for the saints we can intercede for them that the Lord may rescue them by "seizing" them out of their weakness. Even when we pray for ourselves it is really the Spirit Himself who is interceding for us in our weakness. (Rom 8:26). By praying for each other we can all become like Rebekah, always eager and ready to meet our Husband, who is Christ.