Thursday, January 10, 2013

An Offer God Won’t Accept



Many years ago I made a proposal to buy the adjoining property right next to our church in an Argentine city. I talked to the owner, and she expressed interest in selling the land. Sometime later, everything seemed to be in order for the transaction to take place without a hitch. On the appointed day, the owner traveled from a distant city with her accountant and lawyer. I came with another pastor and an accountant and with my down payment in hand. The legal papers were all drawn up. All that lacked were the signatures of the seller and the buyer. Then suddenly, without warning, the lady changed her mind and decided not to sell the property. We asked her why, and she said, “I don’t know why; maybe I’ll need this property later on.” It was upsetting to us, but especially to the pastor who had accompanied me. He pressured the owner to reconsider, but she became more firm in her position. We walked out of the meeting asking ourselves what just happened.

Something similar happened to Moses when he made a proposal to God. Moses put the offer on the table, and everything looked ready, and then without warning, God rejected Moses’ offer. The setting for this happens after Israel sinned by making a golden calf and worshipping it. Moses destroyed the idol and at God’s command eliminated the instigators of this idolatrous orgy. Then Moses said to the people, "You have committed a great sin. But now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin" (Exodus 32:30).

Moses laid out his offer to God in this way, "Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin — but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written" (Exodus 32:31-32).

Moses was beginning to understand the concept of atonement. He hoped he could somehow provide substitute atonement for the people. However, God flatly turned Moses’ offer down; The Lord replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin" (Exodus 32:33-34). Why did God flatly turn Moses’ offer down?

Moses couldn’t atone for the people’s sin because he himself was a sinner. Though Moses grew to become one of the most exemplary people in the Bible, he was still a sinner. Early on he had murdered a man, and he had a temper. God, however, used Moses’ life to show us more about Jesus. The more we study the Old Testament, the clearer the picture of Jesus becomes.

Philip Ryken provides a good example of understanding the relationship of Moses to Christ. Imagine Moses as an extra who fills in for the star of a movie during the filming process. While the star is off doing more important things, the extra stands in for the star. The techs adjust the lighting, sound and camera so that when the star finally appears and the director is ready to film the movie, everything will be ready. God is the Executive Director who used Moses to teach us about Jesus and his ultimate role as our only savior who alone could atone for our sins. No matter how much Moses wanted to make atonement for the sins of the people, he couldn’t because he was a sinner. That role belonged to the sinless Son of God, who at the right moment in history, when God called for “Action,” would appear and die on the cross for sinners. [1]




[1] Philip Graham Ryken, Exodus, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL 2005, P. 1016.

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