In the name of our Lord and precious Savior Jesus Christ, I bring you my heartfelt greetings.
As a help to prepare our hearts for the Lord’s Table, let us turn to Exodus 32. (For time’s sake, you may choose to read select verses.)
Here, we see the grievous sin of the people of Israel—those whom God had brought out from Egypt with mighty signs and wonders through the wilderness path. Just days earlier, they had heard the terrifying voice of the Lord at Mount Sinai, and with one heart they declared before the Lord, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” (Exodus 19:8)
In Exodus 20, God had spoken to them the Ten Commandments. And in obedience to God's command, Moses ascended the mountain (Exodus 24) to receive further instructions and to commune with God—something the whole assembly had witnessed.
But as days passed—forty of them—Moses did not return. The people, ungrateful and impatient, concluded that Moses was dead. They forgot the One who had provided water from the rock and fed them with manna, the bread of heaven. How quickly they forgot the Lord! Truly, it is astonishing—and yet, that is also the sad reflection of our own hearts.
The Lord, seeing their rebellion, revealed it to Moses. The judgment they deserved was utter destruction. God was ready to wipe out the whole nation and raise up a new people through Moses alone. But Moses, like a true shepherd, stood in the gap. He interceded with God for the people. He pleaded not for his own life but for the lives of the rebellious. He was even willing to have his name blotted out from God's book, if only the people might be spared. The Lord listened to Moses’ plea, for He is a God who remembers His promises.
Yet, greater than Moses’ intercession was the prayer offered by Jesus on the Cross—“Father, forgive them.” (Luke 23:34)
The Father always hears the Son (John 11:42), and in that heavenly court, the plea of Christ is our strong hope.
God has rescued us from a slavery far worse than Egypt—from bondage to Satan, from the hopelessness of a godless life, and from the fear of eternal punishment. He looked upon us with mercy and sent His own Son into this world, to redeem us. Moses could not offer himself as a substitute for the sins of the people—he too was a sinner (Exodus 32:32–33). But Christ, the sinless Son of God, bore our transgressions, and offered Himself as the spotless Lamb on the Cross. He died, rose again, and now stands before the Father, pleading on our behalf by His own blood. Soon, He shall return to gather us unto Himself in glory.
“What the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do—Christ has accomplished. Yes, He died for you.”
(John 10:11; 1 Corinthians 5:7)
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise. The risen Christ shall return as He said.”
(2 Peter 3:4; Habakkuk 2:3; Acts 1:11)
Sin is dreadful. When a man forgets God’s commandments, he forgets God Himself. When Israel forgot God’s Law, three thousand died in judgment. God is holy. None can see Him while clinging to sin. Even now, as we gather around this sacred Table, let us examine our lives. If there is any sin or fault within, let us bring it before the One who is rich in mercy. Look to Christ—stricken and crucified for us. With the assurance of divine forgiveness, let us partake of this communion in a worthy manner.
May the holy name of the Lord alone be glorified!
(Andrew Kingsley Raj)
