For this lent season, I am doing a forty-day study in the Psalms looking for aspects of the atonement that will end around Easter. My hope is to generate a newfound awe of what Christ did on the cross.
Psalm 106:19-23
[19] They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a metal image. [20] They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. [21] They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, [22] wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. [23] Therefore he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
After God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, Moses asked Israel to wait for his return from Mt. Sinai. God was inaugurating the law with Moses and while they were waiting for Moses, Israel decided to make their own god. This was after God's great work of deliverance. How often do we return to our idols soon after God has lovingly delivered us from them? I think it's easy to watch Israel in the Exodus story and judge. I have said things like, “if I saw the Red Sea split I would worship” the truth is, I have seen many miracles and still return my idols.
I would like to draw our attention to Moses as he intercedes for Israel. Look at the story in Exodus, we see that Moses knew that God's anger was the same as in the day of Noah where God would wipe out everyone and start over with Moses. Moses asked God to remember his covenant and we see that God relented his anger on Israel. That doesn't mean his anger just went away; I believe it means that God held his anger and wrath until he poured it out on Jesus. You see, Jesus steps in the way of God and says pour out your wrath on me and save your people. God does not have to save anyone to be a good God; He could have destroyed everyone and still be a good God. God is good all by Himself. Jesus didn't intercede for us to make God good; Jesus interceded for us to make us good.
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