Wednesday 30th August
Read Numbers 14:10-19
“But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. 11 The Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? 12 I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.’
Moses said to the Lord, ‘Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By your power you brought these people up from among them. 14 And they will tell the inhabitants of this land about it. They have already heard that you, Lord, are with these people and that you, Lord, have been seen face to face, that your cloud stays over them, and that you go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. 15 If you put all these people to death, leaving none alive, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, 16 “The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath, so he slaughtered them in the wilderness.” 17 ‘Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: 18 “The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” 19 In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.’” (NIVUK)
God declares He will wipe them out, just as He declared after the golden calf (Exodus 32) and that He would do so with plagues, just as He destroyed Egypt. Having started again once before with Noah, He chooses Moses to begin once more. Yet Moses again intercedes. He intercedes in much the same way as he did after the golden calf incident. He appeals to God’s glory (v13-14), God’s promises (v15-16) and God’s love and faithfulness (17-19). It is the last of these that is slightly newer, as the evidence of that love and faithfulness has been seen and learnt over the years in the wilderness (v11).
It is unspeakably gracious and self-effacing to pray in this way. It is also amazingly bold. He appeals to God’s character and word to decline God’s personal offer of greatness and intercede on behalf of this rebellious people. In doing this, Moses follows (beforehand) in Jesus’ steps, who did not grasp at personal greatness and glory but laid Himself down for us.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) (NIVUK)
