Daily Devotions

Exodus 32: 32

Please forgive their sins – but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.

Here is the record of the meekness and merciful heart of Moses, it was just a while ago when he was so angry with the Israelites for having made a golden calf and bowing before it. This angered Moses so much that he smashed the tablets with the 10 commandments written on them by the finger of God.

But after his anger subsided, the fatherly heart of Moses was revealed when he pleaded to God for his forgiveness of the sins of the people. He was so passionate with God that he cried out and seeks God’s mercy and forgiveness for the people. He pleaded to God to forgive their sins completely otherwise he was prepared to ask God to punish him too by blotting his name out of the book of life.

This showed that Moses’ heart was like the heart of Jesus who laid down His own life in order to redeem the lives of all sinners. Jesus’ heart was a mirror of the Father’s heart. God is love and that love was replicated in Jesus as well as Moses. They were selfless and were ready to sacrifice all for the people.

In the New Testament we see that Paul who was once a hardened man also had a change of heart when he had the supernatural encounter with Jesus. His hardened heart was transformed into a soft and compassionate heart, we see that he too pleaded to God to forgive the people and he was ready to also lose his salvation in exchange for the forgiveness of the peoples’ sins.

We see that in Roms 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsman according to the flesh. Paul too has a heart transformation and now he is no longer the wicked and evil young Saul, now he is the matured and spiritual Paul whose heart is merciful and compassionate for all sinners.

This is what God is revealing to the body today, as leaders we must have the goodwill of the people as our first priority. As under-shepherds our priority is the safety and salvation of the people. It is no longer about us but it’s all about others.

This whole scheme of redemption comes down from God the Father, He passed it to Jesus who in turned passed it to us. The plan of God is that all men have the opportunity to choose salvation and to keep it. Therefore it is our duty to ensure this for the people.