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Standing in the Gap:  Waiting on God

Today’s lesson in A Woman’s Heart:  God’s Dwelling Place focuses on “standing in the gap” while waiting  on God.  Moses was on the mountain with God for forty days and forty nights.  Aaron was in charge of the children of Israel while Moses was away.  In Moses’ absence, the Israelites became impatient and stubborn.  Even though God had shown his presence to them over and over again, the Israelites still wanted to worship something they could see and touch.  They became weary while waiting on Moses to return.  They wondered if Moses would ever return.  In the absence of their leader, they asked Aaron to make them a god who could lead them.  Aaron did.

The Israelites had taken jewelry from the Egyptians before they left Egypt.  They were supposed to offer the valuables as a gift to God for the tabernacle.  Instead, Aaron instructed the Israelites to bring him the jewelry.  With the jewelry, Aaron made the Israelites a golden calf for them to worship.  God became angry with the Israelites, so much that He wanted to destroy them.  Moses, “standing in the gap” between the Israelites and God, actually talked God out of destroying the Israelites.  Moses, standing in the gap, actually changed God’s mind.

Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation. – Exodus 32:10

Moses:  Standing in the Gap

Then Moses entreated the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’”  So the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people. – Exodus 32:11-14

Standing in the gap is intercessory prayer.

God values intercessory prayer.  He looks for those who are standing in the gap!  I have always known the value of intercessory prayer, but I never realized that God actually looks for intercessors!

I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. – Ezekiel 22:30

It’s amazing to me to know that I have a just God who disciplines His children in order to protect us, but that He is also a loving and forgiving God who listens to those who might intercede for me and to me as I intercede for others.

To benefit from the full blessings from Beth Moore’s Bible study, A Woman’s Heart:  God’s Dwelling Place, considering completing her entire study on your own or with a group.  You can get your copy of A Woman’s Heart:  God’s Dwelling Place here.

 Read all posts in this series here.

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