Moses Standing in the Gap

Moses was heartbroken and furious at the same time. He'd been on Mount Sinai receiving God's laws for forty days, and when he came down, he found the Israelites dancing around a golden calf they'd made to worship. After everything God had done for them! The plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the daily provision of manna—they had already turned their backs on Him.

God was furious, too. He told Moses, "Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation." It was an incredible offer; Moses could start fresh with a whole new group of people who might actually be faithful. He could escape the constant complaining and rebellion he'd been dealing with for months.

But Moses did something that is hard for me to wrap my head around. Instead of stepping aside and letting God's judgment fall, he stepped between God and the people who had disappointed them both. "Lord, why should Your anger burn against Your people?" he pleaded. Notice he called them God's people, not his own. Even in their failure, Moses was fighting for them.

Maybe you have someone in your life who keeps making the same destructive choices over and over. Perhaps it's a child who continues down dangerous paths despite your prayers and guidance, or a spouse whose decisions are tearing your family apart. Maybe it's a family member whose behavior has hurt everyone around them, and you're tired of being the one who always makes excuses or tries to help.

Moses shows us what it looks like to stand in the gap for people we love, even when they don't deserve it. He didn't minimize their sin or make excuses for their behavior. Instead, he appealed to God's character and His promises. He reminded God of His reputation, His power, His faithfulness to past generations.

And God listened. Scripture says, "the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened." Moses' intercession literally saved an entire nation from destruction.

Your prayers for the difficult people in your life have more power than you realize. When you stand in the gap for those who can't or won't pray for themselves, you're participating in the kind of love that changes destinies. You're fighting battles in the heavenly realm that may determine someone's eternal future.

Will you pray with me?

Lord, help me stand in the gap for those I love who are walking away from You. Give me Moses' heart to intercede for them even when they break my heart. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. Who in your life needs you to stand in the gap for them through prayer?
2. How does Moses' intercession encourage you to keep praying for people who seem hopeless?
3. What would change if you saw your prayers as literally standing between someone and destruction?