If you struggle to understand how the sovereign God can “relent,” you might also struggle understanding how the sovereign God is moved to action by our prayers. That is what happened in the “golden calf” and “Kadesh Barnea” incidents. Moses could have become the foundational “father” of a new nation of people chosen by God. But instead, he came alongside the people of Israel/Abraham-Isaac-Jacob. But more than that, he came alongside the LORD Himself and pled with God to do the thing that would bring Him the greatest honor.
That is the nature
of intercessory prayer. It is coming
between God and people so that you are near both God and the people. Then it is pleading with God on behalf of the
people. But what grounds is there to
plead? There is nothing in the people
themselves on which Moses can base his prayer.
Thus, the one who intercedes must find something in the LORD on which he
can base his request.
So, what about God
could Moses bring to God’s attention?
When you think of God’s character at Mt. Sinai what comes to your
mind? HOLINESS! God is totally separate from people and both
the dark cloud crackling with lightening and thunder as well as the fence
around the base of the mountain make this clear. But Moses knows the mercy and grace of God
that mediates His justice.
This is certainly a
New Covenant truth. Where sin
increased, grace increased all the more (Rom. 5:20). At one time we too
were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and
pleasures. We lives in malice and envy,
being hated and hating one another. But
when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because
of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy (Titus
3:3ff). Even though I was once a
blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I
acted in ignorance and unbelief. The
grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly along with the faith and love
that are in Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 1:13-14).
But do not be
deceived by those who claim the God of the OT is different than the God of the
NT. Moses knew God’s mercy and grace
from the burning bush and from the days of the plagues in Egypt. And the LORD said: ‘I have surely seen the
oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of
their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.
So I have come down to deliver them (Ex. 3:7-8). That is mercy! And when the people complained against Moses
and the LORD, God reaffirmed His promise: Now you shall see what I will do
to Pharaoh (Ex. 5:21; 6:1). That is
grace!
We cannot be
effective intercessors through prayer if we do not have a firm grip on the mercy
and grace of God. It never ceases to
amaze me, that simple line in Rom. 4:5: God “justifies the ungodly.” He sees us, and those for whom we pray, and
knows we are sinners. Yet, that is never
the end of the story. The prophet prayed
perfectly: O LORD … in wrath remember mercy (Hab. 3:2).
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