23. A Disagreement and a Prayer

A Divine Disagreement

So who brought the Israelites out of Egypt.  Moses says it was the Lord who did it and the Lord says that it was Moses who did it.

Moses: The Lord God of your fathers, said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt. Ex. 3:16. 

The Lord (said to Moses): (You) brought Israel from the Red Sea. Ex.15:22.

Moses: By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt. Ex. 13:14.

The Lord: (said to Moses) “Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves." Ex.32:7.

Moses: Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt? Ex. 32:11.

The Lord: (said to Moses) “Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt. Ex. 33:1.

Moses: “You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’" Ex. 33:12. 

It sounds as if Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt!

In English we speak of a land, flowing with milk and honey, but in Hebrew, the word is not, flowing, it is the much stronger word, gushing.

A Heartfelt Prayer

This is a down to earth prayer, it contains no high falutin religious words.  Moses is still speaking to Jehovah, face to face, and he lays all his cards on the table.

Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’  And according to You, I did bring the people out of Egypt.

But You have not let me know whom You will send with me.  I had understood that You would provide an understudy for me.  So far I don't even know who it is.

Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, You also said, "you have also found grace in My sight."  Jehovah, we are on a first name basis, You said so yourself and You have been so very kind to me. That being true ... I pray, ... show me now Your way, that I may know You.

Lord, I don't pray only for myself, but I ask You to please consider that this nation is Your people.”

Jehovah said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Moses said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. Lord, if You are not willing to lead us to the promised land, please let us stay here, this place is not as bad as some places where we have been.

“For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us?  But, still, Lord, if You do not lead us how will other nations get to know your awesome power. However, if You do lead us we shall be separate, a special nation, chosen by You, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” If you don't lead us, how will we be any different than any other nation on earth?

Moses prayed, show me now Your way, that I may know You.  Surely this should be the heart cry of every Christian.  The answer that the Lord gave Moses, “for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name,” Exodus 33:12-17, is also given to us.  Saint John wrote it like this, truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3.

If this prayer, by Moses, touches your heart, I would sincerely recommend that you spend some time meditating on the prayer of Jesus Christ as it is found in the Gospel of John, chapter seventeen.

The Sin of Moses

What was the sin Moses committed which kept him out of the promised land? 

Movies and books portray it as being the time when, in his anger, Moses smashed the two tablets that contained the ten commandments. The Lord does not get angry when a person is passionate about what is right, as Moses was at that time.  There are incidents recorded in the Old Testament where Jehovah rewarded His servants for being passionate.

So what was the sin of Moses?  Take your pick:

The Lord said to Moses: “see the land which I have given to the children of Israel." “And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people.  For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes. Num. 27:12-14.

Or:

After recording the defeat of the Israeli army against the Amorites, the author of Deuteronomy, writes about the plan to invade The Promised Land. The people were discouraged by the majority vote of the spies and refused to go in; Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God; ... The Lord was also angry with me for your sakes (because of you), saying, ‘Even you shall not go in there (the promised land). Deut. 1:26+37. 

It seems that Deuteronomy had a different author than Exodus did and that the new author chooses a different reason for Moses being barred from the promised land.

“Do not go up nor fight, I am not among you."  How do people defend the theory that God is omnipresent, (everywhere at the same time), if Jehovah Himself says, I am not among you?  

It seems that the majority of Bible teachers need to think about re-evaluating many of their basic doctrines.