Exodus 32 is a chapter that really defines the good and bad of leadership. Moses is up on the mountain with God and brother Aaron is left in charge to lead the people. They get a bit squirley and want something to worship – so when they ask Aaron to “make gods that will lead us” – what does he do but immediately cave in and ask for their jewelry so he can make a golden calf to worship. No leadership here at all. Total turn and give in to what the people want. Moses is up in communication with God and God tells him the people “have fallen to pieces…in no time they’ve turned away from the way I commanded them”. How does this happen? These people just came out of hundreds of years of slavery in Egypt, passed through the sea, saw their enemies destroyed and immediately they turn away from God and chase idols. How does that happen? The bigger question is do you do the same thing? You walk with God when things are tough but immediately turn to your own ways when it settles down and is going ok….are you just like that?
But the bigger lesson here is how Moses responds. He gets before God and pleads for God not to destroy them all, which was what God had planned. He asks God to reconsider and “God did think twice”. He sends Moses down off the mountain and Moses “threw down the tablets and smashed them to pieces”. He was really ticked off at the people. He takes drastic action and asks “whoever is on God’s side, join me”. And then those who did – primarily Levites – are told to go and kill those who were not. “Three thousand of the people were killed that day”. We are talking some serious repercussions to their choices here. Moses cleans house and removes those who are not focused on God. But there is still a big problem – sin. Moses teaches us a very important lesson on leadership and intercession. Intercession is prayer where we get between God and another person who is in the sights of God regarding sin. Moses stands between God and the people and says this: “And now, if you will only forgive their sin. . . . But if not, erase me out of the book you’ve written”. We are talking some serious intercession here. Moses basically tells God that He has to go through him if God wants to destroy the people. Are you an intercessor? Scripture teaches us that Jesus is doing that on our behalf with the Father now. But we need to learn how to intercede for those we lead and are responsible for. We need to have the heart of Moses in being responsible for those in our care. Are you willing to stand for someone in intercession? God doesn’t destroy them because of Moses plea. They still have to pay a price for their sin – a plague comes upon them – but they are spared their life. Intercession is a powerful way to pray and live. We need to learn it well.
Posted by asorensen 
