Standing in the Breach

August 29

(Psalm 106:19-31 NIV) “At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal. {20} They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass. {21} They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, {22} miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. {23} So he said he would destroy them-- had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him to keep his wrath from destroying them. {24} Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise. {25} They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Lord. {26} So he swore to them with uplifted hand that he would make them fall in the desert, {27} make their descendants fall among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands. {28} They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods; {29} they provoked the Lord to anger by their wicked deeds, and a plague broke out among them. {30} But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was checked. {31} This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.”

Someone once said that the world would be a pretty good place to live if it weren’t for the people. There must be times when God feels the same way. He sets us free from our personal “Egypt”, but we pack our idols for the road trip to the Promised Land. We take our free ticket to Heaven, but decline God’s call to discipleship. We forget the Lord in daily living, but grumble against Him when life doesn’t measure up. We yoke ourselves to ungodly things and expect God’s blessing. We provoke His anger. Our infidelity and idolatry are legendary. We need help. We need someone like Moses or Phinehas to “stand in the breach” for us and intervene on our behalf. We need an advocate and a defender. We need someone who will shield us from God’s wrath, perhaps even absorb it for us. That someone is Jesus. On the cross, He stood in the breach for us. Stand for Him. Honor Him. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day