Broken Hearted

Exodus 32:7-14

The LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a 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!’ ” The LORD said to Moses, “I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.”

But Moses implored the LORD his God, and said, “O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ” And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.

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Stop! In the name of love
Before you break my heart
Think it over

"Stop in the Name of Love" by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Edward Holland, Jr. recorded by Diana Ross and the Supremes

Here's an interesting story, the story of the changing of God's mind.

Moses is on the mountain with the Lord his God. Moses is learning. Moses is receiving the Torah, the law. He's getting the "Heavy Ten," the Ten Commandments. But more importantly, he is experiencing the most intensely personal relationship with God since Genesis. Moses is allowed to see the shadow of God, and for a human, that's all we can bear. And Moses is knee deep in the love and glory of God. He's getting God's wisdom, but above all else he is spending time getting to know the Lord. One more time-He's getting to know the Lord.

So Moses can just barely begin to imagine the Lord's disappointment when the Golden Calf is open for business. Weren't the people told to wait? Weren't the people told to be patient. Well, never mind, all that's out the door and the people have built an idol.

God is so upset that it's time to wipe the whole slate clean and try again. Moses can be the new Adam, first in line. Moses has already fallen, so nobody has to go through that again, but the Lord God can start over with someone who is discovering what it means to be faithful.

Moses says, "Stop in the name of love, think it over!" Moses asks God to, well, remember the Good times with the Nation of Israel. Moses asks God to consider "what the Egyptians will think." Moses asks God to remember the covenant with Noah not to wipe the nation out again.

God's mind was changed. God chose not to take a course of action because one good man interceded on behalf of a stiff-necked people. Or did he? It could be that the Lord never intended to wipe out the people. It could be this threat was made see how Moses would respond, and if this is so Moses passed with flying colors. God's heart, broken by the nation is salved by Moses.

We're still a stiff-necked people, but we also still have good men and women interceding on behalf of the world, and God responds. Thanks to those, like Moses, who pray; and thanks to the Lord God who listens.