The Pulpit Commentary — Exodus — Volume 2 — Section 322

fluctuations of human nature. From extreme to extreme the pcn,\ulnrn swings. 1',·,,- v1011sly he spok_e ns ~lm?st rcb_uking Jehovah for thinking t? destroy :1iH people; n"w even when the msult1ng 1mnge 1s ground to powder, and the nnglenders in tr"n,.,ros.,i, ,11 destroyed, he mRkes his way into the Divine presence a.q one who is fully prep;red r,,r the worst. "If thou wilt forgive them." One can imagine the stammering, l,alr- nshnmed tones in which these words would issue from the lips of Moses. The man wi,., was so fruitful of reasons before is silent now. Jehovah's pllSt promises and past dealings ho cn.nnot urge; for the more he thinks of them, the more by an inevitable consequence, ho thinks of the broken covenant. The light of these glorious promises shines for tho present, upon a scene of ruin and shame. Then it is noteworthy that Moses had to "'O up, from the impulse of his own heart. We do not hear as yet of any general conf:s- sion; it is not the weeping and wailing of a nation returning in penitence that he bears before God. If only the people had sent him to say, "We have sinned a great sin;" if only they had made him feel that he was their chosen spokesman; if only their cou- tinued cry of contrition, softened by dist.ance, had reached his ears, as he ventured before God, there might have been something to embolden him. But as yet there was no sigu of anything of this sort. He seems to have gone up as a kind of last resort, unencouraged by any indication that the people comprehended the near and dreadful peril. Learn from this that there can be no availing plea and service from our great advocate, excep~ as we look to him for the plea and service, in full consciousness that we cannot do without them. We get no practical good from the advocacy of Jesus, unless as in faith and earnestness, we make him our advocate. III. How COMPLETELY MosES ASSOCIATES lIIM8ELJ' WITH THE FATE OF HIS BRETHRE~. He could not but feel the difference there was between his position and theirs ; but at the moment there was a feeling which swallowed all others up, and that was the unity of brotherhood. The suggestion to make out of him a new and better covenant people came back to him now, with a startling significance which it lacked before. Israel, as the people of God, seemed shut up to destruction now. li God said the covenant could not be renewed ; if he said the people must return and be merged and lost in the general mass of human-kind, Moses knew he had no countervailing plea; only this he could pray that he also might be included in their doom. He had no heart to go unless where his people went; and surely it must have a most inspiring and kindling influence to meditate on this great illustration of unselfishness. Moses, we know, had been brought very near to God; what glimpses must have been opened up to him of a glorious future. But then he had only thought of it as being his future along with his people. In the threatenings that God was about to forsake those who had forsaken him, there seemed no longer any brightness even in the favour of God to him as an individual. .Apostate in heart and deed as his brethren were, he felt himself a member of the body still; and to be separated from them would be as if the member were tom away. He who had preferred affliction with the people of God rather than the pleasures of sin for a season, now prefers obliteration along with his own people rather than to keep his name on God's great book. It can hardly be said that in this he spurns or depreciates the favour of God; and it is noticeable that God does not rebuke him as if he were preferring human ties to Divine. Jehovah simply responds by stating the general law of what i:1 inevitable in all sinning. He who sins must be blotted out of God's book. God will not in so many words rebuke the pitying heart of his servant; but yet we clearly see that there was no way out by that course which Moses so very deferentially suggests, When first Moses heard of the apostasy of Israel he spoke as if the remedy depended upon Jehovah; now he speaks as if it might be found in his own submission and self- sacrifice; but God would have him understand that whatever chance there may be depends on a much needed change in the hearts of the people, a change of which all sign so far was lacking.-Y. Vers. 30--35.-The second intercession. This second intercession of Moses is even more wonderful than the first. The question raised on that former occasion-fa Moses more merciful than God ?-will, indeed, no longer occur. Those who migh_t have been disposed to press that question then will probably not be disposed to press 1t now. They have siuce had sufficient evidence of Moses' severity. They have foLLDd that, whatever clcmcuts of character arc lacking to him, he is not wanting in energy of i.r!d.:buation at  iH6 THE BOOK 01<' EXODUS. (on. xxxn. 30-36.