Reading
Numbers 14:10b-24 (NRSV)
Moses intercedes for the people
Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. And the Lord said to Moses, "How long will this people despise me? And how long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? I will strike them with pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they."
But Moses said to the Lord, "Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for in your might you brought up this people from among them, and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people; for you, O Lord, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go in front of them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if you kill this people all at one time, then the nations who have heard about you will say, 'It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them that he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.' And now, therefore, let the power of the Lord be great in the way that you promised when you spoke, saying,
'The Lord is slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love,
forgiving iniquity and transgression,
but by no means clearing the guilty,
visiting the iniquity of the parents
upon the children
to the third and the fourth generation.'
Forgive the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have pardoned this people, from Egypt even until now."
Then the Lord said, "I do forgive, just as you have asked; nevertheless -- as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord -- none of the people who have seen my glory and the signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tested me these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their ancestors; none of those who despised me shall see it. But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me wholeheartedly, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.
Reflection
Moses intercedes for the people
Then the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. And the Lord said to Moses, "How long will this people despise me? And how long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? I will strike them with pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they."
But Moses said to the Lord, "Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for in your might you brought up this people from among them, and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O Lord, are in the midst of this people; for you, O Lord, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go in front of them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if you kill this people all at one time, then the nations who have heard about you will say, 'It is because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them that he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.' And now, therefore, let the power of the Lord be great in the way that you promised when you spoke, saying,
'The Lord is slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love,
forgiving iniquity and transgression,
but by no means clearing the guilty,
visiting the iniquity of the parents
upon the children
to the third and the fourth generation.'
Forgive the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have pardoned this people, from Egypt even until now."
Then the Lord said, "I do forgive, just as you have asked; nevertheless -- as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord -- none of the people who have seen my glory and the signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tested me these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their ancestors; none of those who despised me shall see it. But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me wholeheartedly, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.
Reflection
I have sinned. I have sinned and deserve death. I have sinned and deserve eternal damnation.
I have turned from my sin. I have turned to God and pleaded forgiveness. God listens to my pleas.
God filled all the earth with his glory. God fills the earth as God comes to earth to take on the eternal damnation of my sin. Jesus lived and walk and filled the earth with his love. Jesus filled the earth with his passion. Jesus took on, not only the eternal damnation of my sin, but the sin of all people and suffered and died in that very sin. But then...he rose from death and to life he brought forth a new world. A world of the redeemed. Those, like you and I, who live both in sin and live as forgiven. We are free from sin, even though we sin. As we daily rise to new life and turn from sin, we face the love of a Savior, who comes to our door, day by day. We live and work in the Kingdom. The Kingdom comes to us and we are part of this Kingdom day by day. Yet...
We live in this world of sin and yet we live in this world of saints, we have a promise that will soon be fulfilled. Jesus will return in full power to totally remove the impact of sin. A judgment will occur and we will humbly yet gloriously revel in God's glory. What a glorious day. What an eternity this will be...beyond anything I can fathom.
Welcome, my Savior, welcome to my door. Let's go out to the Kingdom...today...tomorrow and forever. For your glory fills everything...fills everything! Thanks be to God!
Prayer
Lord, I turn to you for forgiveness, I turn to you for love, I turn to you and follow you now and always. May your Kingdom come...may your Kingdom come to me this day and always. --- Amen
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