Moses and the People
Moses' intercession for the people demonstrates the Lord's mercy and forgiveness, and shows the importance of humility and love in our relationship with God.
Clement of Rome reflects on the story of Moses interceding for the people of Israel after they sinned against God by making molten images. Despite God's anger and desire to destroy them, Moses pleads for their forgiveness, even offering to be blotted out of the book of the living in their place. This act of selfless intercession showcases Moses' deep love and care for his people, mirroring Christ's sacrificial love for humanity. Clement emphasizes the importance of intercessory prayer and sacrificial love in the face of sin and disobedience.
Text
Ye understand, beloved, you understand well the Sacred Scriptures, and you have looked very earnestly into the oracles of God. Call then these things to your remembrance. When Moses went up into the mount, and abode there, with fasting and humiliation, forty days and forty nights, the Lord said to him, "Moses, Moses, get down quickly from here; for your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have committed iniquity.
They have quickly departed from the way in which I commanded them to walk, and have made to themselves molten images."
And the Lord said to him, "I have spoken to you once and again, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people: let Me destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make you a great and wonderful nation, and one much more numerous than this." But Moses said, "Far be it from You, Lord: pardon the sin of this people; else blot me also out of the book of the living." O marvellous love! O insuperable perfection! The servant speaks freely to his Lord, and asks forgiveness for the people, or begs that he himself might perish along with them.
Sermon Outline
- Moses and the People's Disobedience
- Moses' Intercession for the People
- Moses' Humility and Love
- The Lord's Mercy and Forgiveness
Key Quotes
“O marvellous love! O insuperable perfection!” — Clement of Rome
“Far be it from You, Lord: pardon the sin of this people; else blot me also out of the book of the living.” — Clement of Rome
Application Points
- We should be humble and willing to intercede for others, just like Moses did for the Israelites.
- God's mercy and forgiveness are available to us, but we must also be willing to forgive and show mercy to others.
- Our actions have consequences, and we must be careful to follow God's commands and avoid sin.