From Wrath to Mercy
God's mercy is shown through Jesus' prayers, which satisfy His justice and allow Him to forgive and show compassion to those who repent.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the transition from God's wrath to His mercy, illustrating how the blood of Jesus satisfies divine justice and allows God to extend grace to humanity. He recounts the story from Numbers 16, where Moses and Aaron intercede for the rebellious Israelites during a plague, showcasing Aaron as a type of Christ who prays for mercy on behalf of the people. This act of intercession highlights the role of Jesus as our High Priest, who advocates for us and pleads for God's mercy despite our sins. Wilkerson reminds us that, like the Israelites, we too deserve judgment, but through Christ's sacrifice and prayers, we receive God's mercy and grace. Ultimately, the sermon calls us to recognize the depth of God's love and the importance of intercession in our lives.
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God's holiness demands that He be angry at sin but He loves mercy. Now the blood of Jesus has satisfied God's justice so that He can come out to us through the torn veil, showing mercy and grace.
The Old Testament includes a powerful foreshadowing of our merciful High Priest. In Numbers 16, we see the whole congregation of Israel rising up and murmuring against Moses and Aaron. God had destroyed two hundred and fifty princes because they had rebelled against Him and the people were mad at Moses and Aaron over their deaths. "All the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord" (Numbers 16:41).
God appeared in a cloud, telling Moses and Aaron to stand apart from the rest: "Get away from them because I'm going to consume them -- right now" (see verse 45).
Suddenly, a horrible plague broke out among the people. Terrified, Moses told Aaron, the high priest, "Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the Lord; the plague is begun. . . . And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed" (Numbers 16:46, 48).
Moses was saying, "Run through the camp waving the censer and covering the people with incense." Aaron did just that.
Aaron is a type of Christ here and the incense represents Jesus' prayers for a rebellious people. What an incredible picture of God showing mercy through the prayers of the High Priest. We see an image of Jesus running among rebellious sinners, sending up prayers to the Father on their behalf. With each person He sprinkles, He cries, "Father, have mercy!"
An advocate is one who tells the court what is legal -- what is right and should be done. Our Advocate Jesus says, "I have fulfilled the law. I have paid the price to fully satisfy God's justice. The devil can never accuse God of being unjust."
Although 14,700 Israelites died of the plague, two or three million others should have fallen. But God showed mercy!
Likewise, you and I should have died long ago because of our sin. But the Father, through Jesus' prayers, has mercifully kept us by His power.
Sermon Outline
- I. God's Holiness and Wrath
- A. God's justice demands punishment for sin
- B. The blood of Jesus satisfies God's justice
- C. God's mercy is shown through Jesus' prayers
- II. The High Priest's Role
- A. Aaron's actions foreshadow Jesus' role as High Priest
- B. The incense represents Jesus' prayers for sinners
- C. Jesus runs among rebellious sinners, crying out for mercy
- III. The Advocate's Role
- A. Jesus is our advocate, telling God what is right
- B. Jesus has fulfilled the law and paid the price for sin
- C. The devil cannot accuse God of being unjust
Key Quotes
“What an incredible picture of God showing mercy through the prayers of the High Priest.” — David Wilkerson
“An advocate is one who tells the court what is legal -- what is right and should be done.” — David Wilkerson
“The devil can never accuse God of being unjust.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We should be grateful for God's mercy, which has kept us from dying because of our sin.
- We should recognize Jesus as our advocate, who has fulfilled the law and paid the price for our sin.
- We should cry out for mercy, just as Jesus does, and pray for the salvation of those who are rebellious and sinful.