Shalom!

Shemot/Exodus 32:11 Then Moshe pleaded with YHWH his Elohim, and said: "YHWH, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
 
I was so touched by the above verse this week. We can apply our own interpretation to the meaning of this word "pleaded", or we can search the Scriptures for further clarification. "Pleaded" is from the Hebrew word chalah, and it only appears three times in the Torah. The basic meaning of the root is "to become sick or weak". In Moshe's case, he was broken-hearted (sick of heart) as he had gone from the high of being in the Presence of the Almighty to being confronted with the idolatry of the children of Israel. We also see Yeshua experienced the same "anguish of heart":
Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased YHWH to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief .
It is worth noting that through his "broken-heartedness", Moshe prays a passionate prayer:
Shemot/Exodus 32:11 ...YHWH, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 "Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, 'He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. 13 "Remember Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yisrael, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.' "
Why is this intercessory prayer so incredible? Because there were many reasons why Moshe could have easily rationalized giving up on the Israelites. The first reason is Elohim, Himself, had made known to Moshe their terrible sin of idolatry:
Shemot/Exodus 32:7 And YHWH said to Moshe, "Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. 8 "They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!' "
 
It was heinous sin in the eyes of YHWH. Have you ever thought it pointless to pray for someone who so grievously sinned? Moshe did not refrain from pleading for these people. He begged YHWH to forgive them. He knew YHWH was angry, but it didn't keep him from interceding on their behalf. What an example! Even when YHWH says, "let Me alone!", Moshe wrestles with Elohim for mercy!
Shemot/Exodus 32:10 "Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them...
Was it really all a test for Moshe? Was the Almighty trying to see if Moshe was capable of making intercession for the chosen ones even when they were ungodly? I find how Moshe handled the next part of verse 10 even more incredible:
Shemot/Exodus 32:10 .... And I will make of you a great nation."
Now if Moshe had a desire for personal glory, he could have easily gone along with YHWH's proposal. YHWH offered to destroy the people and make a new nation out of Moshe's descendants! He could have reasoned, "I am a direct descendant of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya'acov. Elohim could destroy this idolatrous nation and make a nation out of me without breaking His covenant with Avraham." In Devarim, we are told the nation from Moshe would have been an "even greater nation":
Devarim/Deuteronomy 9:14 'Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.'
Let's take one more look at Moshe's plea to the Father:
Shemot/Exodus 32:11 ...YHWH, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 "Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, 'He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and repent from this harm to Your people. 13 "Remember Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yisrael, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.' "
Instead of accepting YHWH's offer to make of him an "even greater nation", Moshe's prayer includes:
  • Reminding YHWH that they were "HIS people" whom He had brought out of Egypt "with His great power and with His mighty Hand"
  • Reflecting on his concern for YHWH's glory. If He abandoned Israel now, the Egyptians would mock and dishonor YHWH
  • Reminding Him of His covenant commitments to the patriarchs. YHWH must be true to His Word, so the people can lay hold of the things He has promised. When you pray the promises of YHWH, you can pray with great boldness.
The next verse is very interesting:
Shemot/Exodus 32:14 So YHWH repented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.
The word translated as "repented" is "nacham" . It can also mean "to have regret", or "to change one's mind". The word most frequently used to indicate man's repentance is "shuv", which generally means "to turn away from sin and to turn toward Elohim's ways." Unlike man, YHWH is free from sin, but does He really "change His mind" in regard to His sovereign purposes? On the surface, "YHWH repenting" seems contradictory with other verses in the Scriptures:
1 Samuel 15:29 "And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent (nacham). For He is not a man, that He should repent (nacham)."
 
Psalm 110:4 YHWH has sworn And will not repent (nacham), "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek."
YHWH is unchanging. His purposes have been established from eternity and He will bring His Divine plan to pass:
Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure
 
Ephesians 1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will
So what do we make of verses scattered throughout the Hebrew Scriptures that refer to YHWH as "repenting," apparently "changing His mind"?
1 Chronicles 21:15 And Elohim sent an angel to Jerusalem to destroy it. As he was destroying, YHWH looked and repented (nacham) of the disaster, and said to the angel who was destroying, "It is enough; now restrain your hand."
 
Amos 7:1 Thus Adonai YHWH showed me: Behold, He formed locust swarms at the beginning of the late crop; indeed it was the late crop after the king's mowings. 2 And so it was, when they had finished eating the grass of the land, that I said: "O Adonai YHWH, forgive, I pray! Oh, that Ya'acov may stand, For he is small!" 3 So YHWH repented (nacham) concerning this. "It shall not be," said YHWH.
 
Jeremiah 26:3 'Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way, that I may repent (nacham) concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings.'
When Scripture speaks of YHWH "repenting", it is considering Him from man's point of view (called "anthropomorphism). From man's point of view, it only seems as if YHWH is changing His mind...from YHWH's point of view, He never changes His mind and His purpose is always carried out. As an example, we refer to the sun setting, but this is only from our limited viewpoint. The actual truth is, the sun wasn't doing the moving - it was the earth that was revolving. But we speak from our viewpoint which is easier for others with the same perspective, to understand.
 
YHWH is never taken off guard by something that happens. He already knows the end from the beginning. He "repents" or changes directions, not because events have taken Him off guard, but because events make the expression of a different attitude more fitting now than it would have been earlier. He is constantly "working all things for the good."
 
So what we know about YHWH Elohim is that He is always consistent. He is also gracious and if man turns from his wicked ways, in His graciousness He is able to exercise mercy in withholding judgment. Though it may appear that His purposes have changed, according to His perspective, nothing has changed. He deals appropriately with us as individuals or as a people. Whether we sin or repent (shuv), He will "change His mind" (nacham) with regard to the blessing or punishment appropriate to our situation. With Moshe, we see the effect and power of intercessory prayer from a humble, broken heart.
 
Now let's look at one more thing that Moshe did:
Shemot/Exodus 32:30 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moshe said to the people, "You have committed a great sin. So now I will go up to YHWH perhaps I can atone (kafar) for your sin." 31 Then Moshe returned to YHWH and said, "Oh, these people have committed a great sin, have made for themselves a god of gold! 32 "Yet now, if You will forgive their sin -- but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written."
The Hebrew word for "atone", (kafar), is a word which literally means "to cover." This "covering" is not accomplished by deleting a debt or transgression, but instead by paying it. It is true that Moshe was guiltless of the sin of the golden calf, but he offered to take upon himself the guilt of the whole ordeal. He was offering to do so not only for the nation of Israel, but also for His own brother, Aharon:
Devarim/Deuteronomy 9:20 "And YHWH was very angry with Aharon and would have destroyed him; so I prayed for Aharon also at the same time.
Quoting the Lumbrosos (http://www.thelumbrosos.com/):
 
The golden calf event defines for us the idea of redemption by "chen
", which usually translates as "grace", which is often given the meaning of "undeserved forgiveness". The truth is that that word may be better translated as "favor" which Moshe certainly had with HaShem (Exodus 33:12). The difference between grace and favor is that "favor" is earned through obedience and faithfulness. Just like a child earns the favor of his parents or teachers by doing that which pleases them, we earn HaShem's favor through our obedience. By the same token, we can lose it through our disobedience. Moshe had earned HaShem's favor by obedience, and Israel lost it by disobedience.
 
What Moshe did next is at the heart of what any would-be leader for Ha
Shem, any leader in the name of our Master should do... Favor with HaShem is like credit. Sin is like a debt. That is why the prayer says, 'Forgive us our debts, as (in the same manner as) we also have forgiven our debtors. ...For if you forgive others their trespasses (debts towards you), your Heavenly Father will also forgive you, (Matthew 6:12-14). HaShem had previously promised that He would come live among His people and take them to the Promised Land. That was HaShem's marriage proposal and betrothal with Israel. After the golden calf incident, as a groom disappointed at the indiscretions of his wife to be, HaShem called off the wedding.
 
In the beginning of the text of Moshe's negotiation with Ha
Shem (Exodus 33:12-17) for Israel, Ha
Shem already started to call Israel, "Moshe's people". To this nuance Moshe reminds HaShem that they are "His" people. Then HaShem offers Moshe that He will go with "him" to the Promised Land. Now Moshe could have thought of saving his own skin and tell Israel "Tough luck for you rebels!....but Instead, Moshe doesn't "buy" the deal. As a wise diplomat, he invests his won favor with HaShem, and continues the negotiations by using the terminology, "Me and the people...". In essence, though guiltless of the sin of the golden calf, Moshe sides with sinful Israel. This implies now that if HaShem punishes Israel, He would also have to punish Moshe. But since Moshe hadn't sinned, HaShem would be found unjust. This also reminds us of Abraham's negotiations with HaShem for his nephew Lot in Sodom.
 
This negotiation is an earthly blueprint of what our Master Yeshua did for us. Sinless Yeshua had "earned" favor with Ha
Shem by always doing those things that pleased Him (obedience) (John 8:29). But instead of staying and enjoying HaShem's favor in the halls of the heavenly kingdom, much like Moshe did, He came to "side" with sinful us so, like Moshe, He could negotiate for us in the sight of His Father using the terminology, "Me and Your people". As a result, we are allowed to nestle under the "favor" that He Himself received from HaShem. No wonder that the Redeemer to come was called "one like Moshe!" (Deuteronomy 18:15)
 
This same Yeshua one day said as He was praying to the Father, "Just as You sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world." (John 17:18). In essence, we are to do the same for others as Moshe and Yeshua did for us.
 
It is meritorious to take the blame for someone else for the sake of peace and harmony, especially if one claims to be a leader of Ha
Shem's people. To be able to do that and trust HaShem for the outcome is actually a sign of great maturity in understanding the heart of the nature of our role as leader for HaShem's people. Paul brought it up to the Corinthians. Unable to legislate issues between themselves, they besmirched their public image as well as HaShem's name in Corinth by enrolling secular lawyers. To that Paul exclaimed, "Actually, if you are bringing lawsuits against each other, it is already a defeat for you. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?" (1 Corinthians 6:7)(end of quote)
Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of Elohim!
Purim begins tonight, February 28th. For insights in the book of Esther
from Messianic Jew, Judah Gabriel Himango, read here - Five Unusual Lessons for Yeshua's Disciples.
 
 
Shalom, Shalom!
Ardelle