Readings for today: Numbers 14-16, Psalm 95
Today’s passage reveals two things in stark terms. If God were not faithful. If His steadfast love did not endure forever. If His grace was not extended to generation after generation. We would all be dead. We would all be destroyed. Our sin is simply too much. Our penchant for rebellion to hard to resist. Our pride too much to overcome. At the same time, God has a mission. Come hell or high water, God will make His glory known on the earth. No obstacle will stand in His way. Not even His own people! No power will prevent Him from accomplishing His great task. Not sin. Not evil. Not death. “But truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.” (Numbers 14:21)
The people of God quake in fear at the report of the spies. They mutiny against Moses and the Lord. They make plans to head back to Egypt. Back to slavery. Back to what was familiar. It reminds me of one of my favorite Proverbs, “Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.” (26:11) But for the intervention of the Lord, they would have stoned Moses to death! Incredible! So God tells Moses to step aside so He can destroy them and start all over yet again. Once again, Moses is being tested. Once again, Moses is being challenged to stand in the gap for God’s people. Once again, Moses intercedes. He calls on God to remember His own name. To be true to His character. It’s an amazing prayer and worth reading again.
“But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for you brought up this people in your might from among them, and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people. For you, O Lord, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go before them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard your fame will say, ‘It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land that he swore to give to them that he has killed them in the wilderness.’ And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now.” (Numbers 14:13-19)
Some might see this as Moses talking God down. Talking God off the ledge. Persuading Him to change His mind. This is where the true nature of intercessory prayer comes in. Intercessory prayer actually creates a new condition, a new situation to which God responds. Whereas the sin of the people of God created one situation to which God responds righteously in judgment; Moses’ intercession creates a second situation to which God responds righteously in mercy. If Moses refused to intercede, God’s people would have perished. God would have followed through on His threat and His punishment would be just. However, Moses did stand in the gap. He fell on His face before the Lord and asked God to forgive and pardon – not because the people of God deserve it – but for the sake of His own reputation and great name.
So often we are tempted to believe prayer is worthless. After all, God already knows what He will do, right? God already knows the outcome so why pray at all? Friends, this is part and parcel of what it means to be in a real, authentic relationship with God. He invites us to intercede. He invite us to lift up the needs of those we love. He invites us to stand in the gap for our friends and neighbors and community and world. And as we do, He promises to respond in accordance with His divine nature and character and will. Does this mean we will always get the outcome we desire? No. Like any good Father, God keeps the bigger picture in mind. He sees what’s happening on a universal, global scale and we have to trust He knows what is best. But this does not mean our prayers are any less powerful or effective. Let me encourage you to accept God’s invitation to intercede on behalf of others. Don’t be afraid to boldly ask God to act on their behalf. Call on God to intervene in accordance with His divine will and nature and then trust Him with the results.
Readings for tomorrow: Numbers 17-20