Numbers 14:12 “I will strike them down with plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they.”
If I were Moses’s mother, I would be very proud of his spiritual growth. He’s come a long way from asking God to “Please send someone else” (Exodus 4:13). God has offered Moses the opportunity to be a founding father of Israel, on par with Abraham and Isaac. He is willing to wipe out all the Israelites and start over with Moses.
Numbers 14:13 Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear about it! By Your power You brought these people from among them.”
But Moses doesn’t even appear to consider the offer. His heart is so focused on shining God’s light and caring for God’s people, that he launches immediately into the reasons why God should show mercy (because it will diminish His glory—the Egyptians will assume He isn’t powerful enough—and because showing mercy to the Israelites will show His grace and love). There seems to be no thought at all about what Moses might gain from the situation, showing a true servant’s heart.
Numbers 14:15-16 “If You put all these people to death…the nations who heard this report…will say, “The LORD was not able…, so He slaughtered them in the wilderness.’”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this glimpse into the heart of one of Your servants. Help us to always focus on shining Your light and nurturing Your people, with no thought to our own egos or personal gain. Draw us closer. Amen.
Numbers 14:19 “In accordance with Your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as You have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.”
Have a blessed day.
My faith, my life, my teaching–it's all a work in progress.