The Intercessor
My Easter journey through Numbers continues to unfold. The Israelites have wandered the desert. God has provided them with manna; they've complained and asked for meat. God has led them to the Promised Land; they've shrunk back in fear and failed to trust him. Over and over they have tested God, and, through Moses, he has spoken and proven himself faithful.
And then I read this: "[A group of Levite priests] became insolent and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, 'You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord's assembly?'" (Numbers 16:1-3)
Echoes of Eden. An entire garden--an entire world--given freely, and we wanted the one thing we couldn't have: equality with holiness. I hear the serpent's whispers in the voice of the Israelites, Why do you think God is keeping this from you? Don't you want to be like him?
"Moses... said to [them], 'Now listen, you Levites! Isn't it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the Lord's tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them? He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. It is against the Lord that you and all your followers have banded together." (Numbers 16:8-11)
The men heaped insults on Moses and Aaron, questioned their leadership, questioned their authority to speak the words of God himself.
"Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him." (Mark 15:29-32)
The next day, these men were to gather at the Tent of Meeting. They were to bring incense to offer to God, and the offering God accepted would prove once and for all who his chosen priest was. The men gathered around the tent, still grumbling against Moses and Aaron.
"The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Separate yourselves from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.' But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, 'O God, God of the spirits of all mankind, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?'" (Numbers 16:20-22)
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)
God listened.
He told Moses to go through the camp, to tell the Israelites to separate themselves from these men. The earth opened up beneath them, and they were swallowed alive.
The next day the Israelites came to Moses, again grumbling. This time they were angry that these men had been punished.
"But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Mose and Aaron and turned toward the Tent of Meeting, suddenly a cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared. Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and the Lord said to Moses, 'Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.' And they fell facedown." (Numbers 16:42-45, emphasis mine)
Accused of fulfilling the role God had given them. Their leadership and authority called in to question. Grumbling when their very lives had been spared the day before. Insults hurled at them.
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)
"Then Moses said to Aaron, 'Take your censer and put incense in it, along with fire from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them.'" (Numbers 16: 46)
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
In the face of insults. In the face of disobedience. In the midst of questioning the very authority that had been given by God himself. Intercession. No thought of self. No defense of his own. But intercession.
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)
The crimson thread--Moses, the intercessor, the first to come between us and God's just wrath, when we couldn't understand what we were doing. Echoes of the same story, the same intercession, woven throughout our history. Jesus had been foretold.
And then I read this: "[A group of Levite priests] became insolent and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, 'You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord's assembly?'" (Numbers 16:1-3)
Echoes of Eden. An entire garden--an entire world--given freely, and we wanted the one thing we couldn't have: equality with holiness. I hear the serpent's whispers in the voice of the Israelites, Why do you think God is keeping this from you? Don't you want to be like him?
"Moses... said to [them], 'Now listen, you Levites! Isn't it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the Lord's tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them? He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. It is against the Lord that you and all your followers have banded together." (Numbers 16:8-11)
The men heaped insults on Moses and Aaron, questioned their leadership, questioned their authority to speak the words of God himself.
"Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him." (Mark 15:29-32)
The next day, these men were to gather at the Tent of Meeting. They were to bring incense to offer to God, and the offering God accepted would prove once and for all who his chosen priest was. The men gathered around the tent, still grumbling against Moses and Aaron.
"The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Separate yourselves from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.' But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, 'O God, God of the spirits of all mankind, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?'" (Numbers 16:20-22)
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)
God listened.
He told Moses to go through the camp, to tell the Israelites to separate themselves from these men. The earth opened up beneath them, and they were swallowed alive.
The next day the Israelites came to Moses, again grumbling. This time they were angry that these men had been punished.
"But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Mose and Aaron and turned toward the Tent of Meeting, suddenly a cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared. Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and the Lord said to Moses, 'Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.' And they fell facedown." (Numbers 16:42-45, emphasis mine)
Accused of fulfilling the role God had given them. Their leadership and authority called in to question. Grumbling when their very lives had been spared the day before. Insults hurled at them.
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)
"Then Moses said to Aaron, 'Take your censer and put incense in it, along with fire from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them.'" (Numbers 16: 46)
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
In the face of insults. In the face of disobedience. In the midst of questioning the very authority that had been given by God himself. Intercession. No thought of self. No defense of his own. But intercession.
"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)
The crimson thread--Moses, the intercessor, the first to come between us and God's just wrath, when we couldn't understand what we were doing. Echoes of the same story, the same intercession, woven throughout our history. Jesus had been foretold.
