Exodus 32:30-35 - Standing in the gap

God was not through dealing with the people despite the death of 3,000 people. And Moses knew. So, the next day he told the people how great a sin they had committed and that he was going before the Lord to see how he could make atonement for their sin. In these verses, we see the shaping of the doctrine of redemption. God’s wrath had to be appeased. How? By whom could the sin of the people be atoned?

Moses returned to the presence of God and he began to intercede for the people. He acknowledged that the people had committed a great sin by making a god of gold for themselves. He must have begun to realize how redemption could work from all that God had told him about the sacrificial lamb. He must have caught the lesson that for redemption to take effect a substitute must die in the place of the sinners. So, he offered to be the substitute.  Perhaps. he also knew his personal inadequacy. Here in also lies another lesson on intercession. Moses was a praying man. Throughout the journey, we have seen how he would turn to God on behalf of the people. Here he was doing it again. He was asking God to forgive the people and was even prepared to die to take their place. Verse 32 had a dash after he asked God to forgive their sin. A dash signifies a long pause. It is believed that at this point, Moses felt the hurt of God. He could not go further and he broke down and wept. So, that long pause was represented by a dash.

We all know that every nation keeps a national register of her citizens. Every time there is a birth, the name of that baby will be entered into the register. And at death, a person’s name will be taken out of the register. Exodus 32:32-33 make reference to that heavenly register where the name of the people who had trusted God would be recorded. This is the book of life that the Bible talks about. Moses was interceding for God not to cancel out the name of the people and take them out of that book. He offered to be the atoning sacrifice. However, Moses did not have the credential to be that atoning sacrifice God needed. He, like every man, had a sinful propensity. God’s atoning sacrifice had to be perfect. What Moses said here was perhaps forecasting the coming of Jesus Christ, God’s perfect atoning sacrifice.  

Moses made an offer to be the atoning sacrifice for the people. And his offer reminds us of Jesus Christ who laid down his life for us. Jesus could do it because He had the credential to be the atoning sacrifice which Moses lacked. However, God did not take up Moses’ offer. But from his life, we learn how to be a great intercessor and a good shepherd. These verses show two great assets Moses had. Firstly, we can see that he was a true shepherd. He was prepared to lay down his life for his sheep. Secondly, we see in him a great intercessor. He offered to fill up the gap for his people.