Bible Passage: “Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. ‘Lord,’ he said, ‘why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand…’” (Exodus 33:11 NIV)
Scripture Reading: Luke 10:25-37; Exodus 33:1-23
Have you ever been wronged and felt helpless to respond?
Recently, a friend told me he hasn’t spoken to his parents in years because of how they treated him.
What advice would you give?
Moses is an interesting person. Here is a guy content to remain in the desert and look after his little flock. But God had bigger plans and called him to shepherd His much larger flock.
He led them to Mount Sinai, and they all saw the majesty of the Lord (Exodus 19). But because they were terrified of His presence, they commanded Moses to be their mediator:
“Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” (Exodus 20:19 NIV).
Then, in Exodus 32:1-35, the people commit an atrocious sin by worshipping a golden calf, and many pay the ultimate price for doing so. But not as many as deserved it.
Why?
Because of Moses.
In Exodus 32:9-10, God tells Moses that He will destroy the idolatrous people and start a new nation just with him. But instead of accepting that offer, Moses mediates for them:
“‘Lord,’ he said, ‘why should your anger burn against your people…Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” (Exodus 32:11-13 NIV).
Like the Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37, Moses took pity on the people, and he did the only thing he could: he interceded for them.
That day, when my friend and I talked, I gave him the only advice I could give him by challenging him to have pity on his parents and intercede for them. It was not easy, but it was the right thing to do.
We have all been wronged in life. But as Christian men who are to live a life of putting others first, God calls us to have pity on those who have wronged us and intercede for them.
We are not helpless. We just need to go to the One who can help us.
Prayer: Jesus, one of the hardest things for me to do is to pray for this person. Help me to see Your heart for them and then pray for them in Your will. Amen.
Reflection: Who is someone you need to intercede for? Spend time doing that this week.
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