Moses’ Examples of Prayer -Part 3

Moses grew to be exceptionally strong in his mediations with the Lord, between God and the Israelites. Moses identified with the people as his own family and kept in mind all the miracles the Lord had performed. Unlike the people, Moses did not forget the mighty hand of God and the miracles He performed against the Egyptians. He knew their God was capable of amazing things! And terrible things!

Moses fell down before the Lord and worshiped. And he said, “If it is true that I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, then please go with us to the Promised Land; yes, it is an unruly, stubborn people, but pardon our iniquity and our sins, and accept us as Your own.” (Exodus 34:8-9)

“Oh please, show the great power of Your patience by forgiving our sins and showing us Your steadfast love. Forgive us, even though You have said that You don’t let sin go unpunished, and that You punish the father’s fault in the children to the third and fourth generation. Oh, I plead with You, pardon the sins of this people because of Your magnificent, steadfast love, just as You have forgiven them all the time from when we left Egypt until now.” Then the Lord said, “All right, I will pardon them as you have requested…” (Numbers 14:17-20)

But Moses begged … “Lord,” he pleaded, “Why is Your anger so hot against Your own people whom You brought from the land of Egypt with such great power and mighty miracles? … Turn back from Your fierce wrath. Turn away from this terrible evil You are planning against Your people! Remember Your promise to Your servants – to Abraham, Isaac and Israel. For You swore by Your own self, ‘I will multiply your posterity as the stars of heaven, and I will give them all of this land I have promised to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever’.” So, the Lord changed His mind and spared them. (Exodus 32:11-14)

Then, for another forty days and nights I lay before the Lord, neither eating bread nor drinking water, for you had done what the Lord hated most, thus provoking Him to great anger. How I feared for you – for the Lord was ready to destroy you. But that time, too, He listened to me… Yes, you have been rebellious against the Lord from the first day I knew you. That is why I fell down before Him for forty days and nights when the Lord was ready to destroy you. I prayed to Him, “O Lord God, don’t destroy Your own people. They are Your inheritance saved from Egypt by Your mighty power and glorious strength. Don’t notice the rebellion and stubbornness of these people, but remember instead Your promises to Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Oh, please overlook the awful wickedness and sin of these people… They are Your people and Your inheritance which You brought from Egypt by Your great power and Your mighty arm.”(Deuteronomy 9:18-29)

Even to the end, Moses stood as a warrior for the people praying for their safety and protection.

Then Moses said to the Lord, “O Jehovah, the God of the spirits of all mankind, before I am taken away, please appoint a new leader for the people, a man who will lead them into battle and care for them, so that the people of the Lord will not be as sheep without a shepherd.”(Numbers 27:15)

We need to learn how to stand with our fellow countrymen, to have compassion for them as Moses demonstrated. Because we too have been called to lead others to the New Promised Land.