6/3/2020 Wednesday Devotional
Moses Intercedes on behalf of his people – Num 14:10-20
Background:
The ten spies had declared that there was no way for the Israelite’s to go against the people of Canaan (13:13). Numbers 14 gives the account of Israel’s sinful reaction to the negative opinion of the ten spies. Joshua and Caleb tried to convince the multitude that, with God’s help, they could take the land. Instead, the crowd threatened to stone them.
This is the second time that God threatens to destroy the nation and start all over again with Moses as the head of a new nation. It would take a very spiritual man to resist the temptation to tell the Lord to proceed! Notice how he expresses himself before the Lord in his prayer of (vv.13-19).
Lessons to Learn:
- In a long protracted discourse, Moses points out (similar to what he did in Exodus chapter 32 at the sin of the golden calf) that the honor of the Lord will suffer if He wipes the nation out. He tells the Lord that the Egyptians will laugh, v.13, and the Egyptians will tell the Canaanites, v.14, and the testimony of Jehovah’s power will be tarnished, vv.15,16.
- Moses appealed to the fact that God had declared Himself to be “slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness” (18).
- God responds “I have pardoned them according to your word” (v20). God’s pardoning of the nation reflects His gracious, compassionate nature.
- Note the closeness of Moses’ relationship to God, in that God was willing to be convinced by His faithful servant.
- This incident illustrates the power of intercessory prayer.
Questions to ponder:
- How could God “pardon” the people and then condemn them to die in the wilderness (V20). (2 Sam 12:13,14; Ps 99:8, Heb 3:7-19).
- Why did God punish this sin so severely? (vv22, 23).
- Why did God not approve of the Israelites’ attempt to show their repentance by doing what they had previously refused to do?