44.p. “Wilderness” – 8.v. “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people”

 

Exodus 32:11-14  But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, “O LORD, 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? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

 Deuteronomy 9:18-20    Then I lay prostrate before the LORD as before, forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all the sin that you had committed, in doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to anger.  For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure that the LORD bore against you, so that he was ready to destroy you. But the LORD listened to me that time also.

 Psalms 106:23   Therefore he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them

 Deuteronomy 9:26-29    And I prayed to the LORD, ‘O Lord GOD, do not destroy your people and your heritage, whom you have redeemed through your greatness, whom you have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

In his prayer, Moses first gave the people back to God. “LORD, they belong to You and not to me. Moses then appealed to God on the basis of grace. “LORD, we didn’t deserve to be brought out of Egypt to begin with. You did it by Your grace, not because we deserved it. Please don’t stop dealing with us by grace.”  Moses next appealed to God on the basis of glory. “LORD, this will bring discredit to You in the eyes of the nations. The Egyptians will think of You as a cruel God who led your people out to the desert to kill them. Don’t let anyone think that of You, God.” Finally, Moses appealed to God on the basis of His goodness. “LORD, keep Your promises. You are a good God who is always faithful. Don’t break Your promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.” “Undoubtedly Moses was filled with compassion for the people, but his chief concern was for the honor of the name of God.” (Guzik)

Why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people? so as to think or speak of consuming them utterly; otherwise he knew there was reason for his being angry and wroth with them; but though they were deserving of his hot wrath and displeasure, and even to be dealt with in the manner proposed, yet he entreats he would consider they were his people; his special people, whom he had chose above all people, and had redeemed them from the house of bondage, had given them laws, and made a covenant with them, and many promises unto them, and therefore hoped he would not consume them in his hot displeasure; God had called them the people of Moses, and Moses retorts it, and calls them the people of God, and makes use of their relation to him as an argument with him in their favour; (Gill)

Do you ever wonder how often we may have displeased God with our actions? Do you ever think about how many times Jesus Christ, sitting at the Right hand of God, has interceded on our behalf? How many minutes and hours go by every day without a thought about Jesus Christ, God’s Word, and things of God?  We live free from the guilt of sin because of the substitutional death and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We are not set free to live as we will or according to this world’s pleasure.  We are to live in such a way that in all we think, say, and do, Jesus Christ is honored and glorified.

33.h. “When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him”

 

Matthew 14:34  And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

 Matthew 4:24-25    So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.  And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

 Mark 1:28-34    That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

 Mark 2:1-12    And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.

 Mark 3:8-10   and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him.  And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him,  for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him.

 Mark 6:54-56  And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was.  And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

There was a time (and not that long ago)  when people spoke openly about Jesus Christ and what He did and was doing in their lives. It seems now the only place where Jesus is spoken about is through social media. I don’t think this is wrong, in fact, it has its place – (a call to prayer, a call to worship, a call to rejoice) However, there is nothing more important than the children of God proclaim God’s grace, mercy, love, power, abundance, ever-present help, guidance, encouragement, promises., etc…… It is in our spoken word people will see the faith, trust, and reliance we have in and through Jesus Christ. People will hear and feel the spoken word of confidence, joy, hope, faith, and reliance we have on Him. It is in the simplest of words spoken by the simplest of people that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed. Out of the abundance of the heart our mouths speak – let us speak of our confidence, hope, trust, reliance, joy, and faith, in our Creator, Savior, Redeemer, and coming again King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ.