#DailyDevotion Who Is Interceding For You To The Lord?

Third Sunday of Easter

Read Ex 32:15–35

Exo 32:24  So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”…30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”  (31)  So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold.  (32)  But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.”

When Moses saw what the people had done, how they had rebelled against the Lord he broke the tablets and sent Levites to go out and kill that the people may realize their sin. But Moses was not without compassion. Even after they had rebelled against him and the Lord, Moses tells the people he will go to the Lord and see if perhaps he can make atonement for their sin.

Now just how did Moses plan to make atonement for their sin? By sacrificing a goat or a bull? No, he knows the blood of such creatures could never atone for the people’s sin. Moses offers himself up to the Lord. He begs to have their sins forgiven, but if not, to blot him from the book of Life the Lord had written. But Moses was not an appropriate sacrifice. The Lord would blot out those who had rebelled against him. He would send a temporal punishment to bring the people to repentance, a plague. But the Lord would continue to lead them, to give the people the land he promised to their forefathers.

Now we too rebel and have rebelled against the Lord our God. Who will stand before the Lord for us? Who will atone for all our sins for which we deserve to have our names blotted out from the book of Life? Thanks be to God! The very Lord who stood that day on Mt. Sinai speaking with Moses has become one of us. It is the Lord Jesus Christ. He has offered himself on the cross to atone for our sins. He has brought his blood into the Holy of Holies in heaven and poured out his blood upon the mercy seat of God. His blood has atoned for our sins. It is the Lord Jesus Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father continually interceding for us, pleading his blood so we might not be blotted out from the Lamb’s book of Life but instead that we would be given faith through the promises and persevered in that faith unto life everlasting. When we sin, we need to turn to the promises of what Jesus has done for us and believe the good news that an atonement has been made for us by God himself in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Such trust in Jesus’ work of atonement will be your righteousness before God on the day of judgment.

Heavenly Father, give us your Holy Spirit, that we might believe and remain faithful unto death to the promises you have given us in your Son Jesus Christ. May Jesus ever intercede for us that we may not perish but have eternal life. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.