The Importance of Prayer

I Timothy 2:1-8

After a person has gotten saved, become a Christian, and is following the Lord in their life, there are several things that they should do in order to keep in close fellowship with God.  They should be faithfully reading their Bible, attending worship services regularly, and loving the Lord and their neighbor, among other things.  There is another very important thing that a Christian should be doing on a regular basis, which is highlighted in our Scripture passage for today, and that is prayer.  Let us take a quick look into what the Apostle Paul was instructing Timothy in his letter to him.

The Apostle Paul was a mentor to Timothy, who was a young man from Lystra in Asia Minor, and who became one of the leaders of the church in Ephesus.  Paul wrote two letters to Timothy to help and encourage him as he ministered to the Ephesians.  One thing that he stressed early on in this first letter was the importance of prayer in a believer’s life, both private prayer, and prayer with other believers.  Prayer is foundational, both in our personal life, and in the life of every church.

As we begin reading our Scripture, Paul lists several different types of prayers that Christians should be making (vs. 1).  He mentions supplication, prayer, intercession, and giving thanks.  Each one is somewhat different from the other, as we shall see.  Supplication is earnest prayer for some specific need.  Perhaps you are unemployed and need a job.  Maybe you have been given a serious medical diagnosis.   Prayers for these types of situations are “supplications”.  Next Paul lists “prayers”, which would be general communion with God.  A Christian can come and commune with God at any time about anything.  We don’t always have to be asking Him for this or that.  We can just spend time in conversation with Him.  Next we have “intercessions”.  This is prayer made on behalf of someone else, other than ourselves.  We all know someone who needs prayer for all sorts of different needs, and we, as believers, should be praying for them.  The last one listed here is “thanksgiving”.  We need to always remember to express our gratitude to the Lord every day.

As believers, we are called upon to pray for all people (vs. 2).  We shouldn’t limit our intercessions to just our immediate family and friends.  If we hear that someone in our neighborhood is sick, pray for them.  If we hear of an accident with injuries, or an earthquake clear across the globe, pray for them.  Paul specifically mentioned political leaders in this verse.  He didn’t say to pray for them only if we agree with them or if they were particularly righteous.  The Bible says for “all who are in authority”.  The goal of praying for leaders is to be able to live godly lives, unhindered by persecution or chaos.

As we continue on, we read that God desires that all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (vs. 4).  This is not a verse proving “universal salvation”, a false doctrine which teaches that ultimately everyone will be saved and be in heaven.  That is false teaching.  God would love it if all people were saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth, and He provided a way for that to happen through Jesus.  However, not all people avail themselves of that.  God will not deny His holiness and justice to reward men who have rejected His love and grace.  Not everyone will be saved (John 3:18).  Unrepentant people who reject Jesus will not be ultimately saved and go to heaven.  They will end up separated from God in eternal punishment.  “Knowledge of the truth” implies doctrinal clarity.  Salvation is not emotionalism, but is grounded in the truth.  Our prayers should reflect God’s heart for the lost.

One verse of doctrinal truth that helps to bring us to “knowledge of the truth” follows in verses 5 and 6, and that is that there is only one God, and only one Mediator between God and men, that being Christ Jesus.  Jesus is the only One who is able to bridge the gap between us and God.  He chose to die the brutal death that we deserve, which broke open the gates of heaven, allowing us to live in His presence.  This excludes all other religions.  No other religion or their leaders can bring one to salvation and heaven, only Jesus Christ.  His death was sufficient for all, though only effective for those who believe.

Paul continues by reminding both Timothy and anyone else in the church that he was appointed a preacher by God (vs. 7).  This was ordained by God, not something he chose himself, which his enemies often accused him of.  God appointed him to bring His message, both to Jewish people, and also to the Gentiles.  Finally, he concludes this segment by repeating that people everywhere are to pray, lifting up holy hands without any doubts or anger (vs. 8).  This isn’t just a physical posture to have in prayer, but also speaks of our being pure, free from known and deliberate sin, free from anger and doubts, but instead having moral integrity.

In conclusion, let’s make prayer a daily practice.  Pray not only for your own needs, which are important, but also for the needs of others, and also for our national leaders.  Pray for the unsaved to come to know the Lord Jesus as their Savior.  We also need to teach our children and new believers the importance of doctrinal truth, especially that regarding salvation.  False doctrine, such as universal salvation, leads people astray, and brings many to their eternal doom.

Wrong Actions Bring Consequences

Psalm 137

Wrong actions will bring consequences.  We all know that, and many of us have experienced that to some degree in our life.  When someone goes speeding down the road, they will likely face the consequence of a speeding ticket.  If someone spends their school days goofing off, not doing homework or studying for tests, they will likely not graduate with their classmates.  A shoplifter can face some prison time, and the person who pulls the trigger and callously kills someone will face the ultimate consequences.  Today’s psalm is a lament that was written in response to some consequences that the people of a nation were then experiencing.  Let’s take a look at what they said.

Psalm 137 was written by an unknown psalmist, and was written in the aftermath of the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the taking of the people of Judah into captivity into Babylonia.  Imagine the terrible emotion and grief at not only seeing your beloved capital city razed to the ground, including the great Temple of God, but then also being physically taken captive and exiled many hundreds of miles away into a foreign country.  This was a horrible thing to go through!

As bad as that was, though, the Scriptures make it very clear that this wasn’t just a random act of war.  This was divine judgment upon the people of Judah for their forsaking Yahweh and turning instead to the worship of false, pagan gods, the gods of the surrounding nations.  This was the consequence of their wrong actions and wrong decisions, actions and consequences that the prophets had warned them about, over and over again for many years.

That being said, though, God did not forsake His people.  They were in a terrible place, and many of the people turned back to Yahweh, lamenting and repenting of their sins.  While displaced in a foreign country, the Babylonians told them to cheer up, to sing some of their songs, and start enjoying life in their new surroundings, but they could not (vs. 1-4).  They mourned not only their physical displacement from their homeland, but also the consequences of their sins against God.  Today, when Christians see that their sinful behavior has led them to wander away from God and the close fellowship that they once had with Him, they too should repent, grieve, and turn back to Him.

How can we sign the Lord’s songs in a strange land, they asked (vs. 4).  True worship is difficult when the heart is burdened by guilt and separation from God.  Worship must be pure, reverent, and rooted in truth, not adapted to worldly settings.  The captivity in Babylonia cured the people forever from ever turning to pagan gods and idolatry again.  The psalmist vowed that they would never forget Jerusalem, God’s city (vs. 5-6).  He had unwavering devotion to God’s truth.  We, too, must remain faithful to God’s Word and His promises, even when we might be in a hostile environment.

Next we come to the last three verses of this psalm, verses that are difficult to read because of their harsh nature.  This psalm is part of several “imprecatory” psalms, psalms which call upon God to come down hard, very hard, on their enemies.  However, they are asking God to go after them, not going after their enemies themselves.  How many times have we heard someone say “Let me at him for just sixty seconds!”?  They are perhaps furious at some criminal who may have hurt their child.  They say that, but they don’t go and take the law into their own hands.  They are longing for justice.  Likewise, our psalmist is asking for justice.  The authors of the imprecatory psalms are not asking God for permission to bring vengeance themselves.  They are praying for God to bring His vengeance.

The psalmist is angered that the people of Edom, who are the descendants of Esau and thus related to the Jewish people, were joyful when they saw the Babylonians destroy Judah (vs. 7).  As brothers, they should have helped them, or at the very least wept with them, but instead they cheered the Babylonians on.  His feelings against the Babylonians were even harsher (vs. 8-9), but again, he didn’t act upon his anger, but instead left it with God.  God did bring His judgment on Babylonia when they were conquered by the Persians.  They had the witness of the prophets Ezekiel and Daniel, but never turned to the Lord.

As we reflect on this rather difficult psalm, as Christians we must examine our own hearts, and turn from sin before judgment comes.  Even while living in a corrupt world, we must remain loyal to God’s truth.  Don’t ever take vengeance into your own hands.  Leave that for God, as He will vindicate His people and judge the wicked in His own time.  Finally, remember that sin has consequences.  This psalm is a call to holiness, remembrance, and an unwavering hope in the promises of God.

A Different Famine

Amos 8:4-12

Today’s Old Testament reading from the Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer for this week brings us to the Book of Amos the prophet.  It is not an easy passage to read or receive, as the Lord did not mince any words in the message He gave to the people.  He did not soften nor hold back what He had to say, and the people were not happy to receive this warning from Amos.  Let’s look at what God’s Word has to say to us today.

The prophet Amos lived in the 8th century BC, and his brief ministry took place approximately around 765 - 755 BC.  Though he was believed to have been from the Southern Kingdom of Judah, Amos’ ministry was to the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.  Before he was called to bring God’s Word to the northern kingdom, Amos was both a sheep herder and a sycamore fig farmer, which he probably returned to doing after his brief ministry ended.

The Northern Kingdom of Israel was a rather affluent country, and many of its people were financially well-off.  The unified Kingdom had split into two several years after the death of King Solomon in 930 BC, and the people of the Northern Kingdom began to turn their backs on Yahweh and worship pagan idols almost immediately.  Many combined the worship of Yahweh with paganism, thinking that was alright, which certainly wasn’t.  God sent Amos to these people, and he had a strong message for them.  Despite their eternal success, Israel was spiritually bankrupt.

As our Scripture passage begins, Amos preached against how the wealthy of the land were exploiting the poor (vs. 4-6).  He condemned the merchants for their dishonest practices, such as manipulating weights and measures in order to sell less but be paid for more, and also for selling inferior goods.  He also came down hard on them for the fact that though they outwardly were observing the Sabbath rest, they were inwardly restlessly impatient to get back to their businesses in order to make more money.  This was hypocrisy, and showed no love or true worship of God.

God sees through our outward religious observances.  He knows if we are just going through the motions of worship, but our hearts are somewhere else.  He also sees how we conduct our business affairs, and knows if we are true and honest, or are corrupt and wicked.  True worship must be accompanied by righteousness.  Amos’ words are a rebuke to any society that prioritizes profits over people, and is a call to uphold God’s justice.  As Amos said, God saw what they were doing, and He was not going to forget.

As we continue, Amos warns the people that God has sworn that His judgment will come (vs. 7-10).  This was not just something symbolic, this was literal and was irrevocable.  God was going to send some natural events in judgment of the people’s sins, such as earthquakes and darkened skies.  These were real events, as there was a major earthquake during the ministry of Amos.  Their happy, carefree life would turn to lamentation, with death, silence, and grief.

God’s judgment is not metaphorical as some claim it is.  No, it is actually real and it will be terrifying if it comes against you.  The moral decay of the northern Kingdom of Israel brought divine retribution, and where so many nations of the world today are standing, God’s judgment may come, too, if they don’t repent and turn to Him for mercy.

As Amos concludes this portion of his message from the Lord, we read how there will be a famine for God’s Word (vs. 11-12).   Throughout history there have been many nations who have had deadly famines, where large portions of their population die of starvation, or at the least, people go hungry for long periods of time.  During these times people wander the country looking for anything that they can eat.  Amos prophesied that the people here would face famine - not of actual food, but instead a famine for the truth, for God’s Word.  They will seek it, but not be able to find it.  People will wander, searching for answers, but it will be too late.  When a nation rejects God’s Word, He may withdraw it.  This is a judgment worse than physical hunger, as the Bible is the only source of truth.

In many places there is a famine of hearing the Word of God.  This includes in many churches.  Many today preach on only the issues that the world wants to hear, what they feel is important, to the exclusion of the Gospel of salvation.  People are looking for things to make their life more enjoyable.  They are searching for peace in their hearts, but they are looking in the wrong places.  They are running to and fro, trying to find their way.  The Bible tells us to look to Jesus.

Amos’ message is for us, today, as well as the people in his own day.  Don’t just go through religious motions. Instead, live out your faith with integrity.  Stand against any exploitation you see, and uphold righteousness in your dealings.  And most importantly, cherish God’s Word, the Bible.  Study it and obey it.  Never take it for granted.  A famine of God’s truth is the most dangerous famine of all.

Searching For The Lost

Luke 15:1-10

I am sure that all of us, at one time or another, have lost something.  It can be particularly distressing if it is something valuable, or even of sentimental value.  We search high and low, and often will enlist the help of other family members, and frequently we will pray that God will lead us to where that lost item is.  In our Scripture today from the Gospel of Luke, we read about two lost items, and the lengths that the owners went to find them again.  Let’s take a look.

As our Scripture passage begins, the Lord Jesus had been talking and teaching the crowds who had gathered around Him.  Among the crowds were some folks who many would classify as sinners.  There were also plenty of Pharisees and scribes, two groups within the Jewish religion who very strictly obeyed and followed the Mosaic Law.  These Pharisees started to criticize Jesus because He didn’t admonish these sinners for their actions, nor send them away.  They despised these people, and thought that Jesus actually welcoming them to sit and listen was scandalous (vs. 1-2).  Jesus heard their words, and proceeded to tell them two parables, to hopefully open their eyes to His ministry.

The first parable was about a lost sheep (vs. 4-7).  Shepherds with their flocks of sheep was a common sight in the Holy Land at that time.  Every evening when the shepherds would gather their flocks together for the night, they would carefully count each sheep and lamb.  In this parable, the shepherd finds one missing.  Instead of just shrugging his shoulders and saying that he would look for it when he goes out the next day, he goes out searching high and low in the wilderness, looking for that one, poor, possibly injured lamb.  He does not give up until he finds the lost sheep.  When he does, he doesn’t scold or berate the sheep for wandering off.  Instead, he carefully carries him home, and then calls all of his friends to come and rejoice with him that the sheep is found.

Jesus is very clear in the meaning of this parable.  Just as any shepherd seeks out the one lost sheep, so too does God actively seek the lost sinner, desiring that they would come to faith in Him and become part of His flock, His family.  Just as the shepherd and his friends are rejoicing that the sheep was found, there is great joy in heaven over one sinner who repents and accepts Jesus.

The second parable is similar.  A woman loses one of her silver coins and diligently searches the house, sweeping in every corner until it is found, and then rejoices with her friends (vs. 8-10).  Again, Jesus repeats how in heaven the very angels are rejoicing before God’s throne over each time a sinner repents of his sins and turns to Jesus for salvation.  Knowing this, wouldn’t it be more appropriate for the Pharisees to be glad that these sinful folk are coming to listen to God’s Word, and some coming to faith in Him, rather than being critical of their being around?  The same goes for any self-righteous person today who scorns and murmurs when an “undesirable” person shows up at their church.

When we have something that we treasure, we keep track of where it is kept.  If it goes missing we search high and low for it.  We value our treasures as they are precious to us.  God views us as His special treasure, something to be protected and loved.  How could God rejoice over someone as unimportant as me or you?  And yet Jesus says He does.  We are not unimportant in His eyes.  He will go beyond all reason to get us back because He loves us.  God sacrificed His Son to purchase us, and He loves each one of us.

Sometimes even a believer might stray away from God, and lose his way in life.  However, God loves us, and never gives up searching for us until we are found again.  We are never tossed away or forgotten about, even when we might turn our backs on Him.  When we have been backslidden and return to the Lord again, or the lost come to salvation, there is great rejoicing.  It is never too late for the backslidden to return to Jesus, or the lost to repent and accept Him as Savior.  Jesus is calling.  He is waiting.

Do you believe that Jesus might be returning at any time?  If you do, then are you searching for the lost? Are you fervently praying for the wandering?  Are you sharing the love of Jesus with others, even if it means ridicule or anger from others?  Jesus is diligently seeking the lost, and we need to help by bringing His message to others.  Every soul matters to God, and their salvation glorifies Him and brings joy to the heavenly host of angels.

Why Did Jesus Come?

I Timothy 1:12-17

Think of some of the worst criminals that you can imagine.  Maybe you think of some of history’s cruel despots who were responsible for the deaths of millions of their countrymen.  You might think of serial killers or mass murderers who have killed multiple dozens of people.  There are child abusers, violent gang members, terrorists, and all sorts of other criminals that can come to mind.  Can any of these criminals ever find salvation, or are they just too wicked to get saved?  Our Scripture today should give us the answer.

Our Scripture passage comes from one of several pastoral epistles that the Apostle Paul wrote to individuals, rather than to a specific church.  This one he wrote to his young friend and often companion, Timothy.  There were factions within the Church who felt that Paul, because of his past, or for various other reasons, did not deserve, and should not have been allowed to be in the ministry.  Paul, here, gives a very brief defense of his being in the ministry.

As we begin, Paul told Timothy, and all who would read this, that it wasn’t himself who decided to go into the ministry, to criss-cross the Mediterranean world bringing the Gospel.  Instead, it was the Lord Jesus who had appointed him (vs. 12).  Jesus enabled and divinely empowered him for this ministry.  God saw what He could do through Paul, and that he would be faithful to His calling.  God equips those He calls, not the other way around.  He doesn’t look down upon the earth and find the best possible speaker, teacher, or any other talent, and then call them.  Instead, He calls us, and then gives us what we need to do His work.

Paul then goes on to confess the sins of his former life, the life he led before his vision on the road to Damascus, and coming to faith in the Lord Jesus as his Savior (vs. 13).  Of his own admission, Paul was one who had violently and viciously persecuted the new Church in its very early days.  He would hunt down Christians in Jerusalem and other cities, and bring them before the religious authorities.  He would then incite and goad them to say somethings that might anger the Pharisees, enough so that they might be put to death as a blasphemer, when in actuality Paul now realized that it was he who was the blasphemer, one who was unjustly persecuting the Church.

What we see here in this Scripture passage is that no one is beyond redemption.  It doesn’t matter what sins one has committed, including mass murder, child abuse, or any other heinous sin, if once sincerely confesses, repents, and turns to Jesus, they can and will be saved.  If Paul could obtain mercy from God for persecuting Christians and seeing them put to death, then He will also have mercy on any other sinner who comes to Him.

Now we come to the heart of the gospel, which we read in verse 15.  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.  The purpose for which Jesus came was not to heal people, though He did that, and still does today.  He didn’t come to be a great preacher and teacher, though He is that, too.  The reason Jesus came to earth was to save sinners.  Paul said that his salvation should be a pattern for others to believe in Jesus for everlasting life (vs. 16).  God is long-suffering, and if He would save Paul, He will save anyone.

Our Scripture passage closes with Paul bringing great praise to the Lord God (vs. 17).  This verse immediately brings to my mind the magnificent hymn “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”, written in 1867.  Though many churches have stopped, or greatly reduced the singing of traditional hymns, this is one of the great ones that should never be set aside.

Is there some notorious criminal and sinner that you feel is beyond redemption?  If you heard that while in prison they made a profession of salvation, would you rejoice or would you cast criticism and doubts of its sincerity?  Only God truly knows anyone’s heart, including ours, and only He is the judge of whether someone is truly saved or not, not us.

In closing, we need to remember that no one is too far gone for God’s grace.  If you are a sinner, God’s grace is available to you for salvation.  No matter how vast your sins may be, God’s grace is greater.  As His Word says, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners!

A Rock Higher Than Ourselves

Psalm 61

Every once in a while we hear of someone caught in a very treacherous, even life and death situation, whether actually physically, or emotionally.  Perhaps it might be a friend, or maybe even ourselves.  When faced with such a situation, we need to get to a safe place, and sometimes in order to do that, we need someone stronger than ourselves to reach out their hand and take hold of us, to pull us to safety.  Our psalm for this week speaks of being in just such a spot, likely both physically and emotionally, and shows us where to turn to.

Psalm 61 was written by David.  This psalm, like many were, was intended to be sung..  It was supposed to be accompanied by a stringed instrument, likely either a lute (similar to a mandolin) or a lyre (a small, hand-held harp).  David was an accomplished musician, and was for a while a personal musician for King Saul.  Throughout David’s life, both before he became king and after, he faced many trials and tribulations.  Countless times his very life was in danger.  Even a strong and resourceful young man like David was, would find himself afraid at times.  Where could he go when he needed help?  Who could he trust?  Sometimes we find ourselves asking the same questions.  Sometimes we are faced with dangerous, treacherous situations and need help.  Psalm 61 tells us where David turned, and where we, too, can find help in our times of need.

From his earliest years as a young shepherd boy caring for his family's sheep herds, to his final days as king, David knew where to turn to when faced with any type of problem.  At various times in his life, David had faced many dangers.  There were dangerous animals that attempted to attack the sheep under his care.  He had to flee from those seeking his life, including King Saul and later his son Absalom.  As a soldier and later king, he led troops against enemy armies.  One thing David knew for sure was that God would hear him when he prayed (vs. 1-2).  It didn’t matter where he was, whether hiding deep within a cave, or escaping on a path at the bottom of some ravine, even if at “the end of the earth”, he knew that his prayers would reach God.  He knew that God was with him wherever he went.

When our problems seem overwhelming to us, when they seem like a flood swirling around us, threatening to pull us down under, we need to get to a place that is higher, away from the threats.  That is what David prayed.  He asked God to lead him to a rock that is higher than he currently was.  The answer to that prayer is to turn to the Lord Jesus.  He is the only safe Rock that is higher than I am (I Corinthians 10:4).  Our own efforts to rescue ourselves, or any other human solutions to our problems will all fail us.  Climbing onto the Rock that is Jesus Christ, will save us!

As David made this prayer, he could look back upon a lifetime of the Lord helping him and answering his prayers (vs. 3-4).   He recalled God’s past faithfulness.  He had been a shelter for him, Someone he could turn to who would protect him.  In ancient times, when an enemy army was nearing the city, the residents would flee for shelter inside a strong, tall tower inside their walled city.  We see mother birds hide and protect their young chicks under their wings, sometimes even at the risk of their own life.  David compares the Lord as his shelter, his strong tower, and like a parent bird keeping him safe under His wings.

When caught in a serious bind, many people will make God all sorts of promises if only He will get them out of the trouble they face.  Yet, how many of these people actually follow through and keep those promises?  Very few.  David, though, was going to keep the vows and promises he made to the Lord (vs. 5).  In turn, because David had put his faith and trust in God, and feared His Name, he would have a wonderful heritage with Him.  David ends his psalm with a vow to sing praises to God’s Name forever (vs. 8).  Even in trials, we are called to glorify God.

As we close Psalm 61, we see that God does hear and answer the sincere cries of His children.  God is a safe place and a strong fortress where our enemies cannot reach us.  The more we believe this, the more we will find peace and rest in the Lord.  If we struggle to believe this, we will spend most of our time trying to be a safe place for ourselves, and miserably fail.  We can turn to Him when we are in trouble, and He will be our rock and shelter in every storm.  Jesus is the Rock that is higher than ourselves.

The Golden Calf

Exodus 32:1-14

Two months is not a long time.  It’s just a small handful of weeks.  Yet in that short span of time the Hebrew people went from praising and worshiping Yahweh for His great deliverance to completely turning their backs on Him and worshiping an idol.  Just two months.  As we look into our Scripture today, let’s see what happened.

After God’s miraculous parting of the waters of the Red Sea for the people of Israel to cross, and His destroying of the armies of Pharaoh, the people journeyed to Mt. Sinai.  The people made camp at the base of the Mt. Sinai, while Moses went up the mountain to meet with God, where he received the Ten Commandments and other laws.  While he remained up on the mountain for several days, the people began to get impatient.  This seemed like a waste of their time.  They wanted to get moving, get on over to their promised land.  While Moses was gone, the people began thinking and discussing among themselves, and one of the things they questioned was who was this God that Moses talked about.  They couldn’t see Him, and no one but Moses ever heard anything from Him.  They didn’t like that, so they decided they were going to make their own God.

The people’s impatience and thinking that strayed so far afield from God then led them to pressure Moses’ brother Aaron to make them a visible god (vs. 1).  They didn’t know, or really even care where Moses was.  They just demanded a god that they could see, some god who would cater to their whims and sins.  This showed a lack of faith and great spiritual immaturity.  As for Aaron, one who had stood beside Moses all through the ten plagues and Pharaoh’s threats, he showed no backbone or courage.  Instead of standing firm for Yahweh, he caved to the pressure and made a golden calf for them to worship (vs. 2-5).  This is a direct violation of the second commandment (Exodus 20:4-5).  Some more progressive thinkers have argued that this wasn’t really idolatry, but rather the people just wanting something visible to worship.  However, that is not what God says or permits.  True worship must be based on God’s revealed truth, not human imagination.  Mixing pagan practices with worship of Yahweh is spiritual adultery.

Following the making of this golden calf idol, the people compounded that sin with that of gross immorality.  We read that the people proceeded to have a banquet and then participated in immorality (vs. 6).  It said they rose up to “play”, but that did not mean that they were playing cards, checkers, or Monopoly!  Once we start on the downward slope of sin, we will fall further and further unless we repent.

We may think that God doesn’t see or know what we are doing, and it seems obvious that the people of Israel didn’t.  However, he does!  God sees and judges.  He told Moses that his (Moses’) people, who he had brought out of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.  He told Moses about the golden calf (vs. 7-9).  God called them Moses’ people, as if He had washed His hands of them.  Because of their sin, so soon after leaving Egypt, God distanced Himself from them.

Not only did God distance Himself from the people, He would have destroyed them had not Moses stood in the gap for them, interceding for them, despite their terrible sins (vs. 10-14).  This was a test of Moses’ heart and leadership.  God’s holiness demands judgment on sin.  The severity of His response here underscores how offensive idolatry is to Him.

Moses interceded for the people, he stood in the gap for them.  If you have a hedge around a garden, and a gap develops, then pesky animals or even people that you don’t want might get in.  However, put something in that gap and they will keep out.  Moses stood in the gap, interceding to God that His righteous wrath not come down upon them.  He appealed to God’s reputation, especially with the Egyptians if He killed them all.  He reminded God of His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  He begged for God’s mercy.  Because of Moses’ prayers, God relented.  This doesn’t mean that God changed His nature, but instead that He responded to Moses’ intercession in mercy.

Looking over this Scripture passage, how can we apply what we read to our lives today?  Though as Christians, we may not make a literal idol and worship it, we need to guard our hearts against anything that would replace God in our life.  We need to be careful, because even good things could become an idol.  Unlike Aaron, we need to be bold and courageous in standing up against what we know to be wrong.  Even if it is just yourself against the crowd, be strong and steadfast in your faith.  Finally, be willing to stand in the gap for others.  God honors fervent, faith-filled intercession.  Believers are called to pray for others, including those who have strayed far from the path of righteousness.  Though God is holy and just, He is also merciful.