Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Have you ever heard someone ask this question: “Why does a holy, good God allow so much evil and wickedness in our world?” We are surrounded by an amazing amount of wickedness aren’t we? I wonder if you see an escalation in the frequency and intensity of reports regarding out of control people doing outlandish, wicked things?
I left you yesterday in a very rare moment looking at two events happening simultaneously, very near each other, yet they could not have been more dramatically different from each other. Up on Mount Sinai, in a cloud of God’s Presence, Moses had been meeting for almost 40 days with Almighty, Holy God. They’d been having a remarkable conversation as God had been explaining to Moses how He wanted His people to see themselves as a holy people of God and therefore live in a way which honored God continually.
At the very same time, at the base of the mountain, were 1 million people who could see the pillar of cloud which had led them to this mountain, and these people had eaten God’s provided manna for breakfast that morning… but they were frustrated Moses had been gone so long. They had made a golden calf, built an altar in front of it, and were having a combination worship service and outrageous party as they turned away from God’s Covenant relationship with them, and His leadership of them. They sought a different leader and a different future than what God was offering them. It was shocking. Startling when you consider all God had done for these people in the past several months rescuing them from Egyptian slavery and bringing them to freedom here at Sinai! Yet, my friends, this is the history of humanity isn’t it? Every nation, every city, every family, every person. Our natural tendency is impatience with God. That’s the powerful message of Romans chapter 1 isn’t it? We naturally want to pursue our own agenda and be in control of our own destiny, and we’ll reject or at least ignore God to pursue the future we desire! Isn’t that true?
God’s assessment of the situation was clear and deeply troubling! Moses had been in that cloud with God for 40 days hearing all about God’s wonderful plan for a worship centered relationship with these people. Here’s how Moses records what God next said to him: “The LORD said to Moses, ‘I have seen these people and 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.” (Ex. 32:9,10) Do those words shock you as much as they must have shocked Moses? God was losing patience with these people and their ingratitude for all He had done for them. But does it seem extreme that God would actually say: “Leave Me alone so that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them.”? I wonder if your concept of the character, personality, and nature of God has room for such radical judgment? What is your concept of the WRATH of God in His Holy justice as He judges the wickedness of humanity and our total rejection of God, God’s truth, God’s Holiness, and even God’s mercy extended to us in Jesus? I believe this statement by God to Moses is important for us to hear and contemplate, for we must ask… how close are we to God saying the same thing today about the evil and wickedness in your city and mine?
It was one thing for God to speak of His wrath against the wickedness of the people that He had rescued, it was quite another for God to suggest He might start all over with Moses, as He had done with Abraham, and create a new nation of people descending from Moses! Now be honest with yourself for a moment my friends and put yourself there in Moses’ sandals. He had already grown very weary of the grumbling of these people and their refusal to be obedient to God’s instructions. Do you suppose something may have welled up inside Moses that began to tantalize him with the thought of God beginning a new, miraculous, Covenant people with him?
Look at the record of how Moses responded to God: “But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. ‘O LORD, 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 at 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.” (Ex. 32:11-13)
Now may I admit to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends, all around the world, that this profound appeal by Moses to God, requesting that He spare these rebellious people… well, it simply amazes me, it astounds me! It shows me that Moses’ heart had been powerfully tenderized by God. May I ask… have you ever made such an appeal to God? Perhaps some of your own family have turned away from God to pursue a self-destructive lifestyle of addiction. Maybe some people you love have become hard hearted, resentful, spiteful, bitter people, in response to difficult things in their life experience? So my friends, do we see in Moses a wonderful example of mercy and compassion and courage to intercede on behalf of those who desperately need God’s help, but find themselves in deep pits of despair?
Now, let’s remember that the 1 million people down at the base of the mountain ensnared in a riotous, shameful, despicable display of debauchery, had no idea that Moses was up on the mountain negotiating with God for their very lives! There is one more powerful statement which Moses put in the record of this historical moment. Exodus 32:14 records what happened next: “Then the LORD relented and did not bring on His people the disaster He had threatened.” WOW! Now what do you think it means? Did Moses actually negotiate with God so effectively that Moses changed God’s mind or did Moses convince God to reverse His decision?
No my friends. While there are some who believe that, it is not true. That is not consistent with the nature of Holy, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Sovereign God. What happened here was that God laid before Moses a possible response to the problem that might have seemed logical, even appropriate, to many people. But as we’ll see in days to come, God wanted to work in these people in ways that would show to ALL humanity, in EVERY generation, in EVERY culture of the world, that God can transform any life, any marriage, any family from decadent wickedness to being a trophy of HIS grace! God also wanted the world to understand He is a God of MERCY… not giving wicked people the horrific judgment of destruction we deserve. He is also a God of GRACE… giving wicked people compassion and love that they do not deserve. Those two themes will flow from Mount Sinai and this experience, down through time to the hill called Golgotha, where Jesus gave His life for us, and beyond, all the way to you and me today, wherever we live!
So let’s pause right here with Moses and contemplate what he has just experienced with God. And may I ask, have you experienced it? Have you experienced the power of God’s Mercy… not receiving from Holy God the justice judgment you deserve for your sin? Have you experienced the wonder of God’s Grace… receiving undeserved favor and blessing from God? Have you interceded with God on behalf of someone who is caught in the downward death spiral of deception and sin? Oh my friends, let’s allow ourselves to be overwhelmed with the love of God, the forgiveness of God, the patience of God, the Mercy and Grace of God… and let’s thank HIM!!! It’s all because Jesus Christ, God the Son took our place, paid our sin debt on that cross. As we place our full trust in Jesus, Holy God accepts His horrific sacrifice on the cross to be payment in full for our wickedness! Jesus is our mediator, our advocate, our ransom payer, and our resurrected intercessor.
Here’s a worship song which invites us to pour out our thanks to Jesus Christ who makes living forgiven possible!! Listen closely to the words. Is it your anthem of praise?
Today’s Scripture is Exodus 32:9-14.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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