So you decided to destroy them. But Moses, your chosen leader, stood in the gap between you and the people and made intercession on their behalf to turn away your wrath from killing them all.
Psalms 106:23 TPT
This verse highlights Moses as an intercessor who stood in the gap between God and His people. Moses was God’s chosen leader, tasked with leading the Israelites out of Egypt, a land of slavery, and into the Promised Land. The story of Exodus 32 recounts the Israelites’ sins and God’s decision to judge them. God said to Moses in Exodus 32:9-10, “I have seen these people. They are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”
This conversation occurred while Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments. During his absence, the people strayed from God’s path. They gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” Consequently, Aaron made an idol, which incited God’s anger towards the people. (Exodus 32:1-4)
However, Moses interceded for the people, pleading for God’s mercy. In Exodus 32:11-13, we read, “But Moses sought the favour 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? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? 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.’”
Moses’ righteous standing before God allowed him to understand God’s plan and respond appropriately. He became an intercessor for the Israelites because he knew the evil looming over them. As Moses hoped, God relented and did not bring the disaster He had threatened upon His people.
From Moses’ and Abraham’s examples, we learn that a person can gain God’s favour and turn His wrath into mercy. However, it’s important to note that these were not men at odds with God. Moses and Abraham were righteous men who stood in God’s presence before they could intercede on behalf of the people. If they had been unable to approach God due to their sins, how could they have prayed on behalf of God’s people to avert His judgment?
This serves as a wake-up call for us to seek a righteous standing with God and live a holy life. In doing so, we can become intercessors on behalf of God’s people. We are called to live a life pleasing to God and for His glory.
In conclusion, the stories of Moses and Abraham remind us of the importance of maintaining a righteous standing before God and the power of intercession. They serve as examples of how living a life pleasing to God can not only avert judgment but also bring about mercy. Let us strive to follow in their footsteps, seeking God’s favour and living for His glory.
Remember, God, is still looking for an intercessor even today. Will He find you to be one?
