“Then Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, and said: ‘LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?’”

Exodus 32:11, (NKJV)

While Moses was on top of Mount Sinai receiving the Law from God, the people and Aaron were breaking the Law below. While Moses was steeped in God’s wisdom, the people were indulging in foolishness. For the moment it seemed that everything God had done to deliver His people from Egypt was a loss. God’s anger was hot, and He was ready to destroy the children of Israel. But Moses interceded.

Righteousness, sin, judgment, mercy. We experience all of these in this human condition. Because we are born sinners, we sin, and our sin calls for God’s holy judgment. There would be no hope for any of us were it not for God’s mercy.

In this case, Moses stood in the gap between the LORD and the people. Let’s face it, already the people were a pain. They had murmured and complained against Moses and Aaron, but really their complaining was against God. They had just agreed to do whatever God had commanded them, and within forty days they were breaking the first two of the Ten Commandments by worshiping the golden calf. But Moses reminded God that if He wiped them out, then the Egyptians would say that He lured them into the wilderness to slay them. Moreover, God had promised the patriarchs that He would bring their descendants into the land of Canaan. Wouldn’t God make good on His promise?

God values the role of the intercessor. In fact, it was God who put this desire to save the people into Moses. When God first appeared to Moses in the burning bush, Moses wanted nothing to do with delivering the people from Egypt. But God had worked in him to will and to do according to His good purpose. Moses stood in the gap to turn away God’s fierce wrath, because God desires mercy over judgment.

Everywhere we look people violate God’s covenant. They rebel against His commandments. They ignore His counsel. But God continues to stretch out His hands to them, for He delights in mercy (Micah 7:18). And He continues to seek people who will intercede…who will stand in the gap, so that He does not have to bring judgment (Ezekiel 22:30-31).

Are we willing to take that place?

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