What role does Moses play as a mediator between God and the people? Setting the Scene “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Come up to the LORD—you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel—and you are to worship at a distance.’” (Exodus 24:1) God summons Moses first, then allows leaders to accompany him only so far. Right from the start, Moses is singled out to bridge the distance between the Holy God and His covenant people. Moses as Mediator: Key Functions • Receiver of Revelation – Exodus 24:12-13: Moses alone ascends higher to receive “the tablets of stone with the law and the commandments that I have written.” – Deuteronomy 5:5: “At that time I was standing between the LORD and you to declare to you the word of the LORD.” • Covenant Representative – Exodus 24:3-8: Moses relays every word of the LORD to the people, writes it down, builds an altar, offers sacrifices, sprinkles blood, and declares, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you” (v. 8). • Intercessor in Crisis – Exodus 32:30-32: After the golden calf, Moses pleads, “But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book You have written.” – Psalm 106:23: “So He said He would destroy them—had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him.” • Arbiter of God’s Presence – Exodus 33:7-11: Moses meets with God in the tent of meeting; the pillar of cloud descends, and the LORD speaks “face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.” – Numbers 12:6-8 affirms that God’s communication with Moses is unique—direct, not through dreams or riddles. • Legislator and Teacher – Leviticus 1:1-2 begins, “The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting,” initiating the entire sacrificial system through Moses’ instruction. – Acts 7:38 calls him “the one who received living oracles to give to us.” Bridging the Holy Gap Moses’ mediating role highlights several truths: 1. God is holy, unapproachable on human terms. Even the elders must “worship at a distance.” 2. A divinely appointed go-between is required for covenant relationship. 3. Blood is essential; Moses applies sacrificial blood to seal the covenant (Exodus 24:8; Hebrews 9:18-22). 4. Mediators bear sacrificial love for the people, seen in Moses’ willingness to be blotted out for them (Exodus 32:32). Foreshadowing the Perfect Mediator • Deuteronomy 18:15: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.” • Galatians 3:19: “The law was ordained through angels by a mediator.” • Hebrews 3:1-6; 8:6; 9:15: Christ is the greater Moses, securing a better covenant through His own blood. • 1 Timothy 2:5: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Personal Takeaways • Trust the reliability of God’s Word—delivered through Moses, fulfilled in Christ, preserved for us. • Approach God confidently through Jesus, the ultimate Mediator, while never forgetting the awe Moses modeled on the mountain. • Reflect Moses’ heart by interceding for others, standing “in the breach” for family, church, and nation. |
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