"Standing in The Gap" (Exodus 32:1-14)

And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 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.” But Moses implored the Lord his God…And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.
​(Exodus 32:9-14)

​    Today, of course, is the National Day of Prayer. And for Christians, it is a time to gather together and collectively intercede before the Lord on behalf of our families, our nation, and the world. Because in every true Christian’s heart burns the desire to see our nation healed and restored by the all-powerful hand of God. 
    Now one of the most unique aspects of the Christian faith is that God both hears and answers our prayers, not based on any selfish need on His part but rather simply because He loves us and longs to meet our needs and to take us under His wing and make us His own. And though God’s judgment on sin is real, He will always deal graciously with those who cry out to Him.
    In the thirty-second chapter of the book of Exodus, Israel sinned by making for themselves a golden calf to worship. They had broken the Law of God given to them and engaged in heinous acts under the very mountain where the presence of God had come down to meet them in a special way and enter further into relationship with them. And so God is grieved and His righteous anger is kindled at their having so quickly turned from Him and His way. Therefore He tells Moses to step aside so that He might consume them. But Moses instead casts Himself upon the mercy of God and intercedes on Israel’s behalf. He implores God to turn from his burning anger and to relent from this disaster. And what is incredible is that God does! He listens to Moses and shows mercy instead of judgment. And so Moses became the mediator who stood in the gap on behalf of the people of Israel and helped mend the relationship between them and God.
    Now many of us know this story well. But what should challenge us the most, especially on this National Day of Prayer, is that God is still just as willing to respond to our prayers as He was then to the prayer of Moses. In the courtroom of God, He will still hear our testimony and will often allow His sentence to be changed if and when we cry out to Him. The question then becomes, are we as Christians being faithful to stand in the gap on behalf of our our family, our friends, our country, and the world? Are we being faithful to stand in the gap for those around us who are destined for the fire of the judgment of God? Or are we silent?
    We do not need to ask if it is God’s will to show mercy in any given situation or to any given people. The answer is always yes. If God was willing to have compassion on and turn away His destruction from Nineveh in and through the ministry of Jonah, we can know that He wills to do the same for us as a country and for every individual as well. Let us therefore be faithful to stand in the gap and offer up our intercession!

​Pastor Cameron Ury
Senior Pastor and Teacher at Renton Park Chapel
(425) 255-5272‬
16760 128th Ave. SE
Renton WA 98058
United States​