Scripture to Read: Exodus 32:7–15
God knew the hearts of the Israelites long before He chose them to be His people, His nation, and, of course, God knew their hearts were obstinate (stubborn, headstrong, self-willed). Nonetheless, God still chose them to be His people to proclaim Him to all other nations. We read in Exodus 32:7–15 that God was ready to wipe out the Israelites and start over, and Moses began to ask the Lord to show the Israelites His mercy. Did God change His mind? Before we answer, let’s read Ezekiel 33:13–16. As we see in Ezekiel 33, God calls down His judgment on those who have sinned to lead them to repentance and when they repent, God shows His great mercy. But when God blesses people and they rob Him of what He has done through them, God will judge them for their arrogance and pride because arrogance and pride are sins. As we see in Romans 8:26–27, God’s Holy Spirit leads our prayers to pray according to His perfect will. God used Moses to pray according to His perfect will; therefore, God accomplished His perfect will in this situation. Also, God taught Moses how to have mercy on the nation of Israel, for God knew Moses could also be a person to lose his temper. God loves to teach us through the tests and trials of this life. God also wants His fruit (Galatians 5:22–23) to be produced through us. So, God will use the circumstances of our lives to teach us to act according to His Holy Spirit in us and not our flesh.
Challenge & Application
· What did God teach Moses through this situation, and how did Moses respond?
· How does God teach us each day, and what does He expect us to do in each situation we face?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!