Christ in all the scriptures Numbers 14 part 2

 Christ in all the scriptures

Numbers 14 part 2

We continue this astonishing chapter in which the judgment and mercy of God are displayed in awesome harmony.

The Dialogue of Moses  Numbers 14v13-25

In view of the whole rebellious congregation the Lord speaks directly to Moses.  This episode reveals to us God's attitude to sin, even amongst His redeemed people.  "I will smite them with pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than them".  We must never minimise God's intolerance to sin, particularly wilful sin in the face of privilege.  What follows is an intercession by Moses of unparalleled appeal.  He ignored the offer to exalt Himself and exterminate the rebels.  He appeals to God on three grounds: 1) the reputation of His name.  2) the superior character of His person.  3) the greatness of His mercy.  This was a high point in Moses life, even greater than his decision to refuse the palace of Egypt.  Moses relinquished personal grandeur for the greater glory of God, and the needs of his beloved people.  Most of us would place personal glory above everything else.  

We ponder for a moment what this reveals.  Firstly, human sin is hurtful to the Lord, it is offensive to Him.  We can only truly know this when we understand that MY sin is hurtful and hateful to Him.  Secondly, Moses denied himself highest honour in order to save his erring people, here he becomes the saviour of Israel.  Ask yourself what you would do if you were offered this by the Sovereign Majesty in heaven.  Thus he foreshadows One who would deny Himself to save the world.  It is written of Jesus, "He thought it not robbery (a thing to be grasped) to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation (emptied Himself), and took upon Himself the form of a servant..."Philippians 2v6-7.  He "looked on the things of others" to become their Saviour and Intercessor, He looked on my things to be my Saviour and Intercessor.  What follows in Moses prayer reflects what is happening every day in heaven for us, as "He continues to make intercession for us"-Isaiah 53v12; Romans 8v34; Hebrews 7v25.  His intercession for us reveals His deep connection and concern for us, and for the glory of God.

He appeals on the basis of the greatness of His name  Numbers 14v13-16

"And Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall hear it (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;) and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people, that thou Lord art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by daytime in a pillar of cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.  Now if thou kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which He sware unto them, therefore He hath slain them in the wilderness".

The Name of the Lord is important, His reputation matters.  From this we understand that the outside world knows what God's people should be.  This very public annihilation would diminish the reputation of God in their eyes.  He is not a capricious God, that is He is not subject to sudden and unaccountable changes in mood, He does not act arbitrarily, but according to consistent principles clearly revealed.  What the unbelieving world thinks of Him, even if they don't accept Him now, will culminate in universal acclaim to His glory.  

He appeals on the basis of His excellency of His character  Numbers 14v17-19

"And now I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord (Adonahy-sovereign Lord) be great according as thou hast spoken, saying, the Lord (Jehovah-the eternally unchanging One) is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.  Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy...".

God had spoken of the power of His justice, His holy wrath upon sin.  Moses appeals to the power of His grace, which is greater even than His judgment.  The New Testament makes this clear in Romans chapter 5 where the power of grace is superior to the power of sin (sin reigned...grace reigns-verse 20).  The power of God is awesome in judgment, just as He said He could terminate a nation at a stroke; the power of His grace is even more.  The music industry produced a song called "the power of love", and God's version of it is the greatest drawing power on earth.  It is to this Moses appeals.  The character of God is such that He is apart from all in His judgment, but also in His merciful dealings.  His mercy toward people does not compromise in any way His revulsion of sin, and will be enacted within families in the course of time.  However His lovingkindness is always to the fore, and He must act in accordance with His character.

He appeals on the basis of God's consistent dealings with His people  Numbers 14v19b

"...and as thou hast forgiven them from Egypt until now".  If He would pardon them for the treachery of the golden calf (as an extreme example), will He not also pardon them now?  Consistency is implicit in the title Jehovah, and Moses appeals to the Lord on this basis.  Note the reverence with which he spoke to the Lord; in chapter 33v13 he had referred to them as "thy people", now in the wake of God's threat to disinherit them, he spoke of "this people", repeating how the Lord described them in 14v11 (refer v13, v14, v15, v16, v19).  In this Moses is acknowledging the Lord has a right to disinherit them, but because of the greatness of His mercy He will pardon them.  "And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word".

The prayer intercession of Moses that day saved a nation from extinction, and preserved an undeserving people, a status that continues to this day.  We can only imagine, yet we know it is true that our Saviour in heaven lives to intercede for us.  His work of intercession will go on until we are glorified, yet its purpose is to wean us away from sin and mistrust in the Lord.  The grace of God toward us is truly amazing, but we must not tarnish it with perpetual sin.  As we shall see next, although they escaped eternal consequences, there were earthly consequences, the glory of God must be paramount.