Moses Asks for Compassion Towards Israel

The Weight of Compassion

Have you ever seen someone plead for mercy, not for themselves, but for someone else? Maybe a friend taking the blame, a mother defending her child, a leader asking for leniency. Story about show called Severance.

That’s the kind of compassion that shapes history. And in Exodus 32, we find one of the most powerful examples: Moses, standing between a holy God and a rebellious people.

Israel had sinned greatly, worshipping a golden calf while Moses was on the mountain receiving God’s commands. Judgment was coming. But Moses didn’t walk away. He didn’t start over.

Compassion moves us to plead for others, just as Moses did, and ultimately points us for Christ, who intercedes for us.

What do you do when people deserve judgment?

When we see people making destructive choices, what’s our reaction? That’s their problem. They made their bed. Let them face the consequences.

Moses had the opportunity to do just that, but he didn’t. When God says, “Let me consume them” in verse 10, this is an example of God’s justice. Israel had broken the covenant. But instead of stepping aside and let just consequences, Moses steps in for Israel.

This raises the question: What does real, godly compassion look like when others are caught in sin and facing consequences?

What Godly Compassion Looks Like

Compassion doesn’t ignore sin, but intercedes through it

Exodus 32:7–10 ESV

7 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ ” 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.”

God informs Moses that the people have corrupted themselves (vs. 7). He calls them stiff necked and offers to start over with Moses.

But Moses doesn’t distance himself from the people. He steps between them and God, not to excuse the sin, but to seek mercy.

Godly compassion doesn’t excuse sin, but it also doesn’t abandon sinners. It presses into brokenness with prayer and mercy.

Romans 9:3 “3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”

Ezekiel 22:30 “30 And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.”

Do we care enough to plead for people who are in sin?

Compassion means refusing to walk away, even when judgment is deserved.

Compassion Appeals to God’s Character and Promises

Exodus 32:11–13 ESV

11 But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ”

Moses essentially prays. He doesn’t minimize the sin, but refers to God’s Character. “Why should the Egyptians say” in verse 12. And the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Israel in verse 13.

It’s not as if God suddenly forgot about His reputation or His covenants. But it shows us who He is. True compassion acts according to God’s promises, trusting that His mercy is greater than our sin.

Numbers 14:17–19 “17 And now, please let the power of the Lord be great as you have promised, saying, 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ 19 Please pardon the iniquity of this people, according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now.””

When faced with the challenges of showing compassion, we ourselves need to remember who God is and the promises He has given us.

Compassion has great power, but doesn’t ignore the root

Exodus 32:14 ESV

14 And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

Moses confronts the sin

Exodus 32:15–20 ESV

15 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. 16 The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. 17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18 But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” 19 And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.

Moses comes down, sees the idolatry, and breaks the tablets showing how Israel had broken the covenant. He destroys the idol and makes the people drink it.

Compassion doesn’t tolerate sin, it confronts it so restoration can begin.

Proverbs 27:6 “6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.”

Are we willing to place ourselves in uncomfortable situations in order to show the truth to someone? TO teach someone the truth is the greatest act of compassion we could ever show.

Moses Holds Leaders Accountable

Exodus 32:21–24 ESV

21 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

He calls Aaron to account. Aaron deflects, but Moses presses. Leadership failure must be addressed.

Compassion seeks truth, not just peace.

Moses Intercedes Again at Great Personal Cost

Exodus 32:30–35 ESV

30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” 33 But the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. 34 But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” 35 Then the Lord sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made.

Moses goes back up the mountain and speaks to God again, sacrificing himself (vs. 32).

This is self-sacrificial compassion. Moses is willing to lose everything to save them. Though God says judgment will still fall, Moses’ prayer delays it and prepares the way for continued relationship.

Compassion is willing to sacrifice itself for others.

Isaiah 53:12 “12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.”

1 Timothy 2:5 “5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”

Jesus Is Greater than Moses

Moses was a great intercessor, but he couldn’t take the people’s punishment, but Jesus did.

Where Moses said, “Blot me out,” Jesus was blotted out, crucified, taking on the wrath we deserved. 2 Corinthians 5:21 “21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Where Moses broke the tablets in grief, Jesus fulfilled the Law in perfection.

Where Moses prayed for mercy, Jesus became mercy.