Ex. 32:1-14
God had worked wonders to get Israel out of bondage in Egypt. The plagues and the parting of the Red Sea should have not only demonstrated God’s great power, but the fundamental fact that he, alone, is God.
Moses had one up to Mt. Sinai, and there God was giving the Ten Commandments. But, while Moses delayed, Israel showed the fickle nature of their faith that would be a constant problem for them. They made a god for themselves, in the form of a golden calf, and instead of worshipping God, they bowed to the idol.
God was ready to destroy them. But, Moses prayed for them.
What Can We Learn?
1. Without constant vigil, it takes only a short time before people who once praised God for his greatness, forget him and seek to worship other gods.
2. Moses’ petition on Israel’s behalf is very much a challenge to God’s stated intent. How bold do you consider it to be to challenge God’s will?
3. Moses’ prayer was also one of reason with God. Moses presented the idea that the Egyptians would have cause to think evil of God if he destroyed Israel after taking them out of the wilderness.
4. Moses appealed to God’s covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and sought God’s faithfulness to his covenant.
More About Prayer for Others
1. One does not have to agree with, nor even like the actions of others in order to pray for them.
2. Prayer for others is motivated by a concern for their well-being.
Questions to Ponder
1. Is it easier to pray for God to give people what they deserve, or ask that God not stay in His anger and punish?
2. Who do you know that might need for you to pray such a prayer for them?
3. How do you reconcile Moses’ request that God honor his covenant with the fact that God would have been justified in punishing Israel’s sin?
4. How confident are you that God might just change his mind if you would just pray about some things?
5. Are some people beyond help?
God had worked wonders to get Israel out of bondage in Egypt. The plagues and the parting of the Red Sea should have not only demonstrated God’s great power, but the fundamental fact that he, alone, is God.
Moses had one up to Mt. Sinai, and there God was giving the Ten Commandments. But, while Moses delayed, Israel showed the fickle nature of their faith that would be a constant problem for them. They made a god for themselves, in the form of a golden calf, and instead of worshipping God, they bowed to the idol.
God was ready to destroy them. But, Moses prayed for them.
What Can We Learn?
1. Without constant vigil, it takes only a short time before people who once praised God for his greatness, forget him and seek to worship other gods.
2. Moses’ petition on Israel’s behalf is very much a challenge to God’s stated intent. How bold do you consider it to be to challenge God’s will?
3. Moses’ prayer was also one of reason with God. Moses presented the idea that the Egyptians would have cause to think evil of God if he destroyed Israel after taking them out of the wilderness.
4. Moses appealed to God’s covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and sought God’s faithfulness to his covenant.
More About Prayer for Others
1. One does not have to agree with, nor even like the actions of others in order to pray for them.
2. Prayer for others is motivated by a concern for their well-being.
Questions to Ponder
1. Is it easier to pray for God to give people what they deserve, or ask that God not stay in His anger and punish?
2. Who do you know that might need for you to pray such a prayer for them?
3. How do you reconcile Moses’ request that God honor his covenant with the fact that God would have been justified in punishing Israel’s sin?
4. How confident are you that God might just change his mind if you would just pray about some things?
5. Are some people beyond help?
No comments:
Post a Comment