Numbers 14: Prayer answered

In Numbers 14, the Israelites are grumbling again. That's pretty much all they've done since they left Egypt. This time God is tired of it and plans to destroy them all. But Moses talks to God about this decision. I'm calling this discussion an intercessory prayer. That seems appropriate to me. Moses tells God why He may want to reconsider destroying the people He'd just rescued from slavery in Egypt. Moses asks God to reconsider and not to destroy them. Verses 15 and 16 tells us that Moses says, "If you put these people to death all at one time, the nations who have heard this report about you will say, The LORD was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath; so he slaughtered them in the desert.'". So Moses asks God to change His mind. Both brave and loving of Moses.

What is God's answer? Something like, "Ok, I won't destroy them all right now, but over the next 40 years they'll all die off then the rest of My people, the ones who didn't grumble, can enter the promised land." And that's what happened in the rest of Numbers.

Some answer to prayer huh? Not exactly what I would have thought of. I'll bet Moses didn't think of this either. He probably wasn't too happy with the new plan of wandering around in the desert for 40 years!

So what do we learn from this passage. Several things. 1) God listens to our requests and discussions with Him. 2) Our desires and opinions matter to Him. 3) When we pray as an intercessor, we need to keep God's glory and reputation in mind as the reason for the prayer. - Not, "God don't destroy them because I don't want you to." Rather, "God, for Your glory change this situation for Your purposes." 4) The answers to prayer are not what we might expect. God thinks outside the box, always. He isn't in and won't work in a box of our design. Therefore, His answers won't be in the box we design either. Just because we don't recognize an answer to our prayer doesn't mean our prayer hasn't been answered. We are just looking in the box when we should be looking outside the box. Think bigger. God is as big as they come so think outside the box for answers to prayers. 5) Answers to prayer take time. It took 40 years to complete this answer to Moses' prayer. Complete answers to prayer may take a lot of time.

God of the Universe, Thank you for considering us. Thank you for thinking outside the box that I try to put you in. Open my eyes to Your fullness and purposes. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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