Why should the Egyptians say...

(if this is your first time reading these essays i encourage you to start with the first one titled "Surprises.")

Last time we looked at Abraham's intercession for Sodom, and his concern for God's character. An even more dramatic appeal to God for mercy comes from Moses after the episode of the golden calf. Moses has been up on Mt. Sinai receiving God's laws and instructions. On his way back down, God fills Moses in about the mess he is going to encounter when he gets back.

Exodus 32
7 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.
8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'"

Notice the possessive pronouns God uses in verse 7. Whose people, and who brought them out of Egypt? I am reminded of a scene where a father arriving home from work, is greeted by his wife with, "do you know what your son did today?"

9 And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.
10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you."

God is so angry and disappointed with the people that he is planning on wiping them out and starting over with just Moses. What a terrible thing for God to say, "let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them." Do not intercede! Do not change what is going to happen by praying. Let "your" people share the fate of Sodom, and let you, Moses, be the new Lot, the new Abraham, who will be the sole father of the chosen people.

But the Hebrews are not called "the children of Moses." They are still "the children of Abraham", because Moses disobeys this word from God and does intercede.

11 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?
12 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.
13 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.'"
14 And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

Moses reminds God that these are not Moses', but God's people, and that God is the one who delivered them from Egypt. He also reminds God of his agreement, his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Israel. A covenant that God vowed by himself to fulfill.
But in between comes this appeal to God's reputation: "Why should the Egyptians say, 'with evil intent did he bring them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth.'"

In other words, "God, if you give these people what they deserve, the pagan Egyptians will get the wrong idea about your motives and character. They will think you were treacherously deceiving the Israelites the whole time." Now why should God care about what the Egyptians think? After all not long ago God sent ten plagues on them. But this consideration is enough for God to change his mind. He does care what all people say and think about him. And it worked. I have heard many horrible accusations against God, but never this: that God's promises to the Jews were a sham, just designed to get them to a place where he could destroy them.

God's dealings with the Israelites were not just a private matter between God, Moses and them. Israel was not just chosen for their own sake. At least part of God's plan for Israel is that through them and their relationship with God, all the world was to receive some truth about God and his character. Moses had at least a glimpse of this and so was able to intercede effectively.

So you and I stand outside, looking at this exchange, like the ancient Egyptians did. If God had not relented and had destroyed the Israelites and started over with Moses, what would you conclude about God and his character? Given what is recorded here, what do you instead learn about God's character?

Next time, Moses has to do this all over again.

(“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”)