Jesus Isn't Decaf (By Naomi Meyers)

Several years ago I had the unfortunate experience of being present when two grown men got into an ugly, verbal argument. As they got closer to one another and tempers flared higher, it had all the signs of deteriorating into a physical altercation. Because children were present, or because I was much younger and had less common sense, I stepped between them. I have no idea why. I wasn’t big enough to deter them from throwing down if that’s what they wanted to do. Neither necessarily reminded me of someone who would be deterred by the thought of possibly hitting a woman. I said something. I don’t remember what it was. They probably didn’t hear me. I’m sure they didn’t care. Whatever I said certainly didn’t have the same flavor as some other words floating around. Somehow, likely the rescuing hand of God, the situation diffused. No one hit anyone. No one got arrested. Everyone went home instead of spending the night in the county “hotel”. Thankfully, I haven’t been in a similar situation since. I hope I’d react differently now. I’m older, hopefully wiser, probably less brave…or less crazy. In truth, I’d forgotten the whole incident until I was reading the account of Moses and Aaron trying to lead the Israelites after they left Egypt.

What a task that must have been! Continual complaints. Persistent grumbling. Frequent disobedience. Low optimism. Not everyone was happy. Not everyone wanted to keep travelling. Turning back grew more and more appealing as food depleted and water was scarce. Some were disappointed to find the Promised Land wasn’t just around the bend. Some were afraid they would die in the wilderness even before their rebellion doomed them to that fate. For people rescued from horrific working conditions and slavery in a foreign country by amazing acts that could only be attributed to God, they were incredibly demanding and wilfull. Recalcitrant children, as it were, completely dependent on God’s mercy, yet wholly uncooperative and unaccepting of His authority until they were in a bind.  

And they were often in a bind. Situations created by the darkness of their unholy hearts. Complaints about the provisions. They didn’t like manna. Or quail. They wanted Egypt’s food–leeks, garlic, cucumbers, melons. (Numbers 11:5) Years in the desert do not seem to reduce their recollections of the culinary pleasures of Egypt. Time after time they anger God with their complaints and lack of faith in His provisions and wisdom. ( Exodus 15:24-25; Exodus 16:1-36; Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:2-5) 

It wasn’t just provisions. Like sneaky children, while Moses is up on the mountain getting instructions from God, the Israelites get busy convincing Aaron to create a golden calf to worship. Why would they do that? They had explicit instructions concerning creation of idols. (Exodus 20:4; 32:1-29) Yet there they were, testing the very limits of God’s patience by direct disobedience. Even after seeing the demise of Korah and his followers for their rebellion, the Israelites began murmuring against Moses–the very next day! (Numbers 16) Each time it angers God that their trust in Him is so small, their affection toward Him so fickle. Each time He wants to punish, even destroy them. Each time Moses and Aaron jump in the gap between the people and God to beg for mercy. And each time He relents from His decision to wipe them from the face of the earth.

Their complaints, attempted uprisings, rebellions and disobedience wear and grate on Moses. (Numbers 20:2-11) Who can blame him for being frustrated? Even through all the anger, irritation, frustration and tiresome quarreling, Moses, of his own volition, still steps between the judgment of God and the people who are driving him to distraction. What made him do that? Why didn’t he just let God destroy them and start over? How can we explain Moses leaping between God’s wrath and the Israelite people over and over again? What made Moses and Aaron throw themselves on the ground before God to beg for the salvation of the angry, complaining lot. Why would they beg God to rescue, to save a group of people who sin indiscriminately, exhibit no care for God’s laws, and clearly believe they should get into the Promised Land based simply on their genealogy? (Numbers 14:13-44; 16:41-50) 

Moses and Aaron weren’t young men. They weren’t ignorant of the dangers of God’s wrath. Their common sense wasn’t lacking. So why do it? Why step between two warring factions when one clearly has the advantage? Only love does that. Love for God. Love for the people. Love for those outside themselves made them willing to stand in the gap between the selfish people and the God who could wipe them all out with the blink of His eyes. I find it amazing. 

We find ourselves in the same unfortunate situation.The world is full of murmuring, complaining souls selfishly casting aside obedience to God’s laws to instead serve their own rebellious nature. The Bible has been edited and twisted to mean what people want to hear instead of what God actually said. They’ve rubber stamped sin. They’ve tried to tell us everyone gets into Heaven. But you are responsible for your own actions. Those who choose sin, will know spiritual death. (Ezekiel 18:20) They aren’t my words. They are God’s. 

Do you care? As you look around at the broken world, spiritually desolate society, and the pied pipers of hell leading souls astray, does your heart weep? Do you hear the words of God as He speaks through Ezekiel of His search for someone to rebuild the wall of righteousness around the people, as He searches for someone to fill the gaps so He doesn’t have to destroy them?  Do you hear the sadness in His voice as He says no one was found, no one stepped up, there were no wall builders, no gap fillers? There was no one who cared enough to throw themselves between the anger of God and the people who so desperately needed salvation. (Ezekiel 22:30-31)

Maybe you look around, see the need, the evil, the sin, and wonder how you can possibly make a difference? You can’t force people to change. You can’t make people choose Jesus. Neither could Moses and Aaron. So they did the only thing they knew to do, they threw themselves down before the Lord and cried out to Him in prayer for the people. It was all they could do. It’s all we can do too. 

We can talk, preach and teach until we run out of breath. We can write books, articles and blogs until we run out of words. We can pass out Bibles and sing hymns on the street corner all day long. Those are all good things, but, in spite of their worth, they do not enable us to make people turn to God. We are physically, verbally impotent to cause this rebellious, self-centered, sin craving generation to turn back to righteousness. Only God Himself, answering the fervent, consistent prayers of gap fillers and wall builders can do that. 

The question is, “How much do you want it?” How much do you want to see this nation turn back to God? You see the gap, the broken wall. You know God won’t hold back sin’s punishment forever. You know the end of sin is death. (James 1:15) You know people are dying physically without Jesus every day. You know souls are dying every second. Do you care enough about our society, our country, our world to step between the certain wrath of God and the spiritually dying souls around you and plead with Him to save them? Would you implore God on behalf of the lost in our world? Those who have wronged you. Those who want nothing to do with God. Those who don’t want your prayers until they are in a bind. Do you care about them anyway?

God does. And He is searching. Searching for the Moses and Aaron’s of our day. Searching for the ones who will rebuild the wall of righteousness. Searching for someone to throw themselves in the gap and cry out to God on behalf of the people. Searching for you. Searching for me. Asking us to come out of hiding, out of self-preservation status, and throw ourselves down in intercessory prayer for a nation far from God. Knowing Jesus is our only answer, our only hope, will you be the one? Will you step up, answer the call, and be a wall builder and gap filler for the Kingdom?