Timrufus
"Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened." -Exodus 32:14
He was a sincere and generous man to the poor workers from Bangladesh but he was never my Hero. My father was a man of few words who would always keep his head nodded whenever someone tried to correct him but to his own children he would never even speak a word of apology. As we came to a cross road one day and having witness that never once had he turned his back to look on me, I ran in all of my might hoping to supersede him at the destination ahead and to surprise him with a "hoo-haa". But when I realize I had lost him, I became so scared that I almost didn’t want to go home that day.
“He must have gotten his rattan ready for me.” I thought to myself. But bracing myself up to way back home, I found Dad sitting quietly on his favorite chair and reading the newspaper!
Have you ever felt threatened by your own father before? “I have seen these people,” the LORD said to Moses, “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.” (verse 9-10, NIV Gen 11:5, 18:20-21)
Here in this passage it may seems that the LORD really wanted to go all out in exterminating the Israelites yet we all know that unfailing love have those genuine dads who truly loved their kids too much to carry out their threats many a times! and God is definitely a more gracious and more loving Father than we could ever imagine!
Hence, Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. “LORD,” for he said, “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 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. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self..” (Exodus 32:11-13, Romans 11:28-29)
Like the Jews in the days of Saul, the Israelites were though descendants of the great Patriarch Abraham, in faith, they were unlike their father Abraham. There they were, thirsting and dying of water themselves, yet they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” (Exodus 17:2)So Moses was angry that day and he struck the Rock twice with his staff but no sooner had Moses struck the rock, stream of living water gushed out of the Rock and the people get to drink to their hearts’ content. (Numbers 20:11)
Now The LORD had sent Joshua son of Nun ahead with the Israelites into the promise land but Joshua son of Nun soon made a grave mistake by reportedly making a treaty with people of the land, the Gibeonite - A people of whom The LORD had said to Moses, “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you.” (verse 12)
The Israelites paid a big price for it, but Moses died and was buried in Moab. While many bible commentary attribute Moses’ anger as the reason why God refused him entry into the promise land, the people of Israel mourned for him thirty days. (John 19:37) The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness is even pleased that Moses had interceded for these stubborn and stiff-necked people in the wilderness, but why was it that He could have 'barred' Moses from entering the promise land?
Job lived a hundred and forty years, one hundred and twenty years was the time frame God set for himself that He would not contend with man forever. By the waters of Meribah the rebellious Israelites angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them; for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses’ lips. (Psalm 106:32-33)
He was a sincere and generous man to the poor workers from Bangladesh but he was never my Hero. My father was a man of few words who would always keep his head nodded whenever someone tried to correct him but to his own children he would never even speak a word of apology. As we came to a cross road one day and having witness that never once had he turned his back to look on me, I ran in all of my might hoping to supersede him at the destination ahead and to surprise him with a "hoo-haa". But when I realize I had lost him, I became so scared that I almost didn’t want to go home that day.
“He must have gotten his rattan ready for me.” I thought to myself. But bracing myself up to way back home, I found Dad sitting quietly on his favorite chair and reading the newspaper!
Have you ever felt threatened by your own father before? “I have seen these people,” the LORD said to Moses, “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.” (verse 9-10, NIV Gen 11:5, 18:20-21)
Here in this passage it may seems that the LORD really wanted to go all out in exterminating the Israelites yet we all know that unfailing love have those genuine dads who truly loved their kids too much to carry out their threats many a times! and God is definitely a more gracious and more loving Father than we could ever imagine!
Hence, Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. “LORD,” for he said, “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 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. Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self..” (Exodus 32:11-13, Romans 11:28-29)
Like the Jews in the days of Saul, the Israelites were though descendants of the great Patriarch Abraham, in faith, they were unlike their father Abraham. There they were, thirsting and dying of water themselves, yet they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” (Exodus 17:2)So Moses was angry that day and he struck the Rock twice with his staff but no sooner had Moses struck the rock, stream of living water gushed out of the Rock and the people get to drink to their hearts’ content. (Numbers 20:11)
Now The LORD had sent Joshua son of Nun ahead with the Israelites into the promise land but Joshua son of Nun soon made a grave mistake by reportedly making a treaty with people of the land, the Gibeonite - A people of whom The LORD had said to Moses, “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you.” (verse 12)
The Israelites paid a big price for it, but Moses died and was buried in Moab. While many bible commentary attribute Moses’ anger as the reason why God refused him entry into the promise land, the people of Israel mourned for him thirty days. (John 19:37) The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness is even pleased that Moses had interceded for these stubborn and stiff-necked people in the wilderness, but why was it that He could have 'barred' Moses from entering the promise land?
Job lived a hundred and forty years, one hundred and twenty years was the time frame God set for himself that He would not contend with man forever. By the waters of Meribah the rebellious Israelites angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them; for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses’ lips. (Psalm 106:32-33)
While it was God divine sovereign will that Christ should died on the cross, here we see that Moses was in fact a type of Christ and a deliverer rejected by his own people. (Acts 7:25, Isaiah 53:7) The fact that Moses actually lived a hundred and twenty years may have implied that, if Moses were to continue to lead these stubborn and stiff-necked Israelites into the promise land for another forty years, he could have probably died of exhaustion! (Genesis 47:9-10, Deuteronomy 34:6, Isaiah 57:1)
“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin...” (Exodus 34:6-7a)
Read: (NIV Acts 7: 1 - 58, Acts 26:14)
Come Holy Spirit we need Thee. Come Sweet Spirit I pray. Come in Thy strength and Thy power. Come Lord Jesus in Thy own special way! In Jesus Most Glorious Name. Amen!
“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin...” (Exodus 34:6-7a)
Read: (NIV Acts 7: 1 - 58, Acts 26:14)
Come Holy Spirit we need Thee. Come Sweet Spirit I pray. Come in Thy strength and Thy power. Come Lord Jesus in Thy own special way! In Jesus Most Glorious Name. Amen!
