A Reflection for Saturday, March 29 by Sandy De Jesus
Lectionary reading for 3/29/2025 Psalm 32; Exodus 32:7-14; Luke 15:1-10
Selected Passage for Reflection: Exodus 32:7-14
Read
Exodus 32:7-14, CSB
7 The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go down at once! For your people you brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly. 8 They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them; they have made for themselves an image of a calf. They have bowed down to it, sacrificed to it, and said, ‘Israel, these are your gods, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.’” 9 The Lord also said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone, so that my anger can burn against them and I can destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”
11 But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God: “Lord, why does your anger burn against your people you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a strong hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘He brought them out with an evil intent to kill them in the mountains and eliminate them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger and relent concerning this disaster planned for your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel—you swore to them by yourself and declared, ‘I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and will give your offspring all this land that I have promised, and they will inherit it forever.’” 14 So the Lord relented concerning the disaster he had said he would bring on his people.
Reflect
How do you handle waiting? The space of time between your expectation and your promised reality? I think when we’re forced to wait, our insecurities begin to come out, and we often try to fill in the spaces where God seems to be silent. Certainly this was the way for the Israelites, who continually questioned whether God was truly going to fulfill his promises to them.
This is the backdrop where we find the people of God in Exodus 32. Even while Moses is on the mountain receiving instruction from God, the people have grown anxious, and they call on Aaron to ‘make us a god who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt — we don’t know what has happened to him!’ (v. 2)
God appears to disown the Israelites ‘.. Your people you brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly.’ (v. 7) Moses responds with ‘Why does Your anger burn against Your people You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a strong hand?’ (v. 11)
When God offers to transfer the promise of Abraham to Moses, Moses reminds God of the surrounding nations who would claim that God has become a mockery in not fulfilling his promises (v. 12)
Throughout this exchange and in the aftermath of the peoples’ sin, Moses doesn’t attempt to justify the actions of the Israelites or even suggest that they have done anything to deserve mercy. Moses even offers himself in exchange if God would forgive the people. (v. 32)
This interaction is a beautiful image of Jesus and his intercession for us. “(Jesus) humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death — even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow — of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth — and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Phil. 2:8-11
Respond
In this season of Lent, may we look at how we try to fill in the spaces, where we claim to speak for God when he tells us to be silent and to wait.
What are we raising up, even though it looks more like success than obedience?
Who are we excluding, because they don’t seem to fit our tidy picture of faithfulness?
May we serve others with the same mercy and compassion that God lavishes on us.
Rest
Our gracious God, thank you for your lovingkindness and compassion. Thank you for your Son, Jesus, for his intercession on our behalf and his sacrifice that we might have life, now and forever. Amen
About the Author
Sandra De Jesus is an ordained reverend with the Federation of Christian Ministries. She currently works as a chaplain at a Level I trauma center in Phoenix, Arizona.
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