Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people.

Numbers 14:1-20 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. ² All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! ³ Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” ⁴ So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”

⁵ Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel. ⁶ Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; ⁷ and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. ⁸ If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. ⁹ Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” ¹⁰ But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.

¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? ¹² I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.”

¹³ But Moses said to the Lord, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst, ¹⁴ and they will tell it to 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 eye to eye, while Your cloud stands over them; and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. ¹⁵ Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, ¹⁶ ‘Because the Lord could not bring this people into the land which He promised them by oath, therefore He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ ¹⁷ But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, ¹⁸ ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’ ¹⁹ Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”

²⁰ So the Lord said, “I have pardoned them according to your word;

^“ Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”      There is no question that the people were wrong. They defied and rebelled against both God and Moses. Moses shows the true heart of a leader and intercedes for the people of Israel, even to his own hurt. This was not the first time that Moses pleaded with God for mercy and compassion for the people. Moses is what is known in scripture as “a type” of Christ. One who lived before the birth of Jesus whose life and character reveal the qualities of Christ. Moses mission was to deliver the people from oppression to promise. At the onset of His earthly ministry Jesus said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, ¹⁹ To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” ²⁰ And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. ²¹ And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”     Hebrews 7:25 says this of Jesus: He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.     In today’s text we see Moses, like Jesus interceding on behalf of the people.

If we call ourselves Christians, followers of Christ, literally “little Christs”, then we too should have this same heart for people. We should not look at what is wrong in their lives, their rebellion against and defiance of God and seek their punishment and condemnation. Rather we should stand before God on their behalf and remind Him:  You have declared,  ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression.   Our conversation with God regarding the lives and actions of others should be: Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness.   Even to our own hurt we should have this heart toward reconciliation with the sinful people of the world. It was after all on the cross that Jesus, just before His death said: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)  In Acts 7:60, we read the account of the death of Stephen, a follower of Christ:    Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep.

Jesus says:  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸ Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.   If we are to be Christians, followers of Christ, then we should have the same heart toward people that Moses had, that Stephen had and that Christ Himself has. We should seek their reconciliation to the Father, not the condemnation of their sins. We should remember the truth revealed by the psalmist who says: Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight.     Regardless of how the consequences of the sins of others may affect us we should recognize that their sin, their defiance and rebellion is really against God and God’s desire: is not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

Loving and interceding, seeking restoration and reconciliation of people to God does not mean that we love sin. 1 John 2:15-16 says:      Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.…      The price Jesus paid for the sin of man was His death on the cross. To think that Jesus loves, accepts, tolerates or embraces sin is foolishness and a lie from the pit of Hell.   But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)  As Christian, our love, our lives our prayers of intercession should not tolerate and embrace sin, neither should they seek condemnation of others. Rather, our love and lives should demonstrate the selfless love of Christ. Our love should point others to the cross of Christ. Only there can they be reconciled and restored to the Father.  

Lord Jesus Christ thank You for Your selfless act of love displayed on the cross. Because of that love I am reconciled to the Father. Holy Spirit fill me and guide me that my life and my prayers would be to bring others to the revelation of Christ’s love. Father God hear my prayer today for the people of the world.  Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You have pardoned me and others since the beginning of time.  Amen.