PENTECOST 17
September 19/20, 2010
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: Exodus 32:7-14

“THE NEED TO INTERCEDE”
1. God’s punishment is deserved.
2. God’s mercy is great!

Exodus 32:7-14 (NIV) “Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.'
9 "I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 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." 11 But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. "O LORD," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in 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. 13 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.' " 14 Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.”

There’s a part of you that wants to cut the Israelites a break but you can’t. You start out thinking about their lives as slaves and how hard that must have been to keep their worship of the true God when their owners and all the others were blatantly worshipping idols. But then you have to remember that shortly before this event these people had seen the LORD demonstrate His divinity with the 10 plagues, the miraculous parting of the Red Sea and drowning of Pharaoh’s army. They had seen water coming from a rock, a pillar of cloud leading them by day. A pillar of fire by night. Manna and quail were there every day. When they got to Mt. Sinai God shook the mountain. He surrounded it with thunder and lightning. He gave them the 10 Commandments. There could be no mistake that the Lord, He is God. He had specifically told them in Exodus 20:23 “Do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gold,” and the people had publicly responded “We will do everything the LORD has said. We will obey!” Then Moses went up Mt. Sinai again to receive further instruction on how the people would live as a nation. He would be gone for 40 days and 40 nights. Now what do these people, these same knuckleheads do? When they get tired of waiting for Moses to come down they go to Aaron and ask him to make them gods like the Egyptians had. A golden god! And he did. Can you believe that? What were they thinking? Can there be any question that these people deserved punishment?
Is there anyone here who disagrees that when someone knows God’s laws and promises to keep them and then blatantly disobeys they deserve punishment? Of course they do! Of course we do. The Israelites aren’t the only people who have been taught God’s will and who have publicly promised to obey it and have sinned instead, are they? Every confirmed member of this congregation has been formally taught God’s holy will. Every confirmed member in one way or another at this congregation or another promised to obey, to be faithful to Jesus even if it means dying. And yet we have teens who have been drinking, adults who have been drunk. We have children who are disrespectful and disobedient to their parents and others in authority. We have unmarried people giving in to forbidden sex. From some God is getting leftovers not firstfruits in offerings and time when it comes to weekly worship. Our biggest threat to the Word of God is not Muslims burning our Bibles but God’s people leaving theirs unopened. It’s not bullets and knives that are hurting us but the sniping comments, barbed and cutting remarks that brothers and sisters in faith make about each other and to each other that are hurting us. God’s punishment is deserved.
“Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.' 9 "I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 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." God announced His plan to punish the people with death. God’s punishment of these people was deserved.
Yet there’s something going on here, isn’t there? Why does God bring this to Moses’ attention? Why does He disassociate Himself from them saying to Moses, “your people whom you brought up out of Egypt?” Isn’t it the same reason that Jesus told the parables of the “lost,” and why He urges that prayers be made for all people? God rejoices in repentance and His chief overriding characteristic is mercy. By bringing the sin of the people to Moses’ attention God was making him aware of the need to intercede.
Moses took that opportunity. “But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. "O LORD," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in 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. 13 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.' " Look at how Moses traps the Lord with the Lord’s own words. “Your people whom You brought out of Egypt!” See how he appeals to the promises God has made and the Lord’s good name. And yet can you really trap someone who wants to be trapped? No! God’s mercy is great and He delights in showing it. “Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.”
The Israelite people were sure blessed that God gave them someone like Moses, someone to intercede. Makes us think of how blessed we are to have Jesus. God’s mercy is great and while the people of Israel had Moses, we get Jesus. While Moses could only appeal to God’s favor and promises, Jesus gives us God’s favor and is God’s promise. He earned our forgiveness when He gave His life on the cross. There is nothing that the Father will deny to His Son and God is predisposed to want to show mercy. Remember that when you have sinned. If God’s law poked you today and your conscience is hurt, look to Jesus. He intercedes for you.
Maybe then you can intercede for someone else. As you focus on this word of God your attention is drawn to different things. There’s the foolish sinning of the Israelites. There’s God righteous anger. There’s Moses amazing interceding. I wonder if at any time he briefly felt like saying “Yes! I’m rid of them.” Then there’s the wonderful mercy of God. Where do you see yourself in it? An Israelite who needs intercession? A Moses who can intercede? Parents, do you pray for your children, that the Lord would not hold their sins against them, like Job who offered intercessory sacrifices just in case his kids sinned at their parties? Teachers are you praying for God’s mercy on your students who sin by disobeying or being disrespectful? Because of who we are on this side of heaven there is a need to intercede that is ongoing. God’s punishment is deserved by all of us. But His mercy is greater than our sin. Thank you God, for giving us Jesus. Amen.