20th.: The Egyptian’s will hear: Part 1
The Lord was getting more and more put-out with the
Israelites defiance.
The most recent case was the Israelite’s decision to avoid the Canaanite giants.
We hear this with,
“How long will this people provoke me?
How long will it be, before they believe me,
for all the signs, which I have showed among them?” (Num. 14:11).
God wanted to disinherit the people of Israel (Num. 14:12).
Moses responded with, “Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou brought up this people in thy might from among them). And they shall tell it to the inhabitants of the land, for they have heard that thou Lord art among this people that thou Lord art seen face to face, and that thy cloud stands over them, and that thou goes before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations, which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, ‘because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he has slain them in the wilderness.’ And now I beseech thee, let the power of the Lord be great, according as thou has spoken, saying, ‘The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.’ ”Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people, according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou has forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” (Num. 14:13-18).
Sometimes, our appeals to God may be lengthy. Moses’ appeal shall be discussed tomorrow.