Numbers 14:10-24, “... But the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent
of meeting to all the people of Israel. (11) And the LORD said to Moses, "How long
will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite
of all the signs that I have done among them?
(12) I will strike them with the
pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and
mightier than they." (13) 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, (14) 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. (15)
Now if you kill this people as one man, then the nations who have heard
your fame will say, (16) '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.' (17) And now, please let the power of the Lord be
great as you have promised, saying, (18) '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.' (19) 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."
(20) Then the LORD said, "I
have pardoned, according to your word. (21) But truly, as I live, and as all the earth
shall be filled with the glory of the LORD,
(22) none of the men who have
seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet
have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, (23)
shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of
those who despised me shall see it. (24) But my servant Caleb, because he has a
different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into
which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.”
The drama of Numbers 14 continues, with the people rebelling against
God and threatening to stone Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb, God makes His
presence know. Moses immediately enters into the tent of meeting in order to
hear from God. Moses must have been trembling in fear as he thought how God
might respond to this latest rebellion. If God had poured out His wrath, anger,
judgement and discipline when the people had rebelled in a lesser manner, how
great would His wrath be on this occasion!
God’s response is entirely understandable, He has been true to every
promise and extended grace upon grace, yet the people have continued to rebel
against Him. God’s patience and grace has been tested and pushed numerous
times, but now the time of grace has come to an end. We are mistaken if we
think that God’s grace to the rebellious is unending, for Scripture makes it
clear that a time is coming when the day of grace comes to an end for every
person, and the day of judgement dawns. The nation of Israel have arrived at
the day of judgement.
They have utterly rejected God and broken their covenant with Him, and
now they will come to know the consequences. God declares to Moses that He will
completely destroy them, wipe them out, disinherit them, and then will raise
the nation up again through Moses. As God declares what His judgement will be,
we must not think that God is losing His temper and is lacking in self-control.
The judgement is entirely just, in fact one could even say it was overdue! God
is just in His anger and fury, He is just, perfect and fair in His judgements
and He is in complete control.
As God states His judgement, Moses plucks up his courage and intercedes
on behalf of the people. This takes us back to Abraham when he interceded for
Sodom and Gomorrah. It is not that Abraham and Moses are arrogant, proud, or
think anything of themselves that God should listen to them. But what they are
doing is speaking, praying, to God in the terms and language God has spoken to
them, according to God’s nature, character, declarations and promises. They are
seeking God’s grace through the means that He has given to us, namely prayer
and through His love, grace, faithfulness and willingness to forgive. The basis
on which Moses appeals to God to relent and forgive, is God’s glory, honour,
steadfast love and grace. At no point does Moses try to defend what the people
have done, he doesn’t seek to excuse or justify their sin. He simply pleads, “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.”
God hears Moses’ prayer and responds with grace, but the rebellion of
the people is not without consequence. Just as God was gracious towards Adam
and Eve by not destroying them the moment after they ate the fruit, so here God
withholds His judgement for a time. The people of Israel will be rescued from
immediate destruction, but they will now endure 40 years of restless wandering
through the wilderness and every day bodies will fall. Every day for the next
40 years that will watch their entire generation die. They will never enter
into the Promised Land, and they will not know the rest, favour and blessing of
God. But God will remain faithful, and He will raise up another generation that
will succeed where this generation failed.
In the midst of Moses’ intercession, we are given a glimpse of
something even greater, we are pointed to another mediator, who will intercede
on our behalf. We are being pointed to Christ and His great work as our High
Priest, Mediator and the one who makes intercession for us. The actions and
words of Moses, point us to the actions and words of Christ. Think of Christ’s
willingness to take upon Himself the punishment for our rebellion and
sinfulness. Think of how we derided, insulted, laughed at and mocked Christ as
he hung of the cross, having been nailed to it by human, sinful hands. Yet what
is it that Christ prays and pleads before the Father for? “Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do.” Luke 23:34. God the Son pleads that God the
Father might not treat us as we deserve, but extend grace and forgiveness.
This work of Christ is stupendous! He pleads that God the Father might
forgive us, rebels, haters of God, those who have despised and rejected His Son
and lived in deliberate and defiant sin, stripping Him of His glory and trampling
it under our feet. And as Christ pleads, “Father, forgive them…” God the
Father responds by extending grace, forgiveness and salvation to all who call
upon Him through the person and work of God the Son.
“O how the grace of God amazes me!
It loosed me from my bond and set me
free!
What made it happen so?
‘Twas His will, this much I know,
Set me, as now I show, at liberty.
And when I think of how at Calvary,
He bore sins penalty instead of me.
Amazed, I wonder why
He, the Sinless One should die
For one so vile as I;
My Saviour He!”
(Emmanuel Sibomana)
God of grace, Lord of mercy, how great is
Your love towards God the Son that You should hear His prayer and answer it
favourably! How great is the humility, love, compassion and grace of Christ
that He should surrender His life so as to save our lives. We give You thanks
for answering God the Son’s prayer and not counting our sins against us. May we
grow in our thankfulness towards You for the favour we have received. Aid us by
Your Spirit to follow in the footsteps of Abraham, Moses and most of all, Christ,
by making intercession on behalf of those who are still rebels, pleading that
You might have mercy on them and save them through Christ. Amen.
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