Then Moses entreated the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does Your anger burn against Your people who You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and change Your mind about doing harm to Your people.”
Exodus 32:11-12
The people had forgotten God and had placed their focus on an inanimate object. God was angry with the people but Moses did what any good leader would. He prayed for them. He appealed to God’s character, nature, and the promises that He had made to the people as a means of petitioning on their behalf.
Put yourself in Moses’ position for a moment. These are the people that had given you grief over the lack of food, who grumbled, complained, and even falsely accused you of negligence. Then later in the journey, they turned on you again, this time demanding water. And with this request came more grumbling, complaining, and, of course, false accusations as to the sincerity of your heart. And to top it off, they did not even have the decency to wait for you as you went up the mountain to receive instruction from the Lord.
Now the people have strayed, again, and you hear God begin to plan their calamity. And within this plan of destruction, God has even promised that you would be taken care of through it all (see Exodus 32:10). What is your response to God’s plan? If we are honest, it might sound something like, “I’m with you God. These people have been driving me crazy. I wouldn’t blame you for destroying them, I mean they brought it on themselves.” And that is what most of us would probably be thinking, but not Moses.
Moses pleads on behalf of the people. He stands in the gap for them. And he begins his plea with a piece of rational thought: “Why give the Egyptians something to talk about,” (i.e. that God took His own people out in the desert to watch them die). Moses seems to be reasoning with God. A word of caution here: We should not take this passage as an example of how human beings are able to manipulate God in anyway. Scripture tells us, The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds (Psalm 145:17). God does not need the counsel of man in anyway. Moses is not counseling God, but rather making a plea for the people. And within his plea, he makes an argument for God to consider. And that argument is the fact that the enemies of His people would scoff at their deaths in the desert. It appears that God considers this argument. Another caution comes in the form of a reminder: God is higher in all His ways than mankind will ever be. Consider the following:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9
Moses reminds God of the promise He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Jacob) whom these people represented. Again, it is not that God needs to be reminded about anything, it is simply the second part of Moses’ plea for the people. The lesson here is that God is always faithful to keep His promises even when we do not stay faithful to Him. And how was Moses’ plea received by God? It appears with favor.
This is a most interesting passage of scripture. It would appear that Moses’ plea for the people has led to God deciding differently on the course of action He is going to take against the people. The American Standard Version (ASV) and the King James Version (KJV) both say that God “repented” (as in changed direction) regarding the calamity on the people. The Amplified Bible (AMP) says that God “turned from” His previous course of action. The New American Standard Bible (NASB) says that God “changed His mind” regarding His judgment on the people. And the New International Version (NIV) says that God “relented” from the judgment on the people.
Taking a look at these descriptions helps in interpreting this passage. They all point to the fact that God determined to destroy the people but changed course (of His own decision) remembering the covenant that He had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is a tribute to the character of God. He is always faithful even when we become stubborn and obstinate. The people continued to walk through the desert with the Lord and it was their leader, Moses, who continued to look after them as God commanded him to do.
So what do we do when we encounter difficult people? Consider the following:
- Difficult people sometime forget what God has done for them
This was demonstrated through the Israelites when, in the desert, they apparently forgot all about crossing the Red Sea on dry ground. Today, people might have victorious experiences in their past, but now find themselves overcome by problems. These problems place them in a spiritual “desert” where their troubles quickly eclipse any memory of the blessings of God. Therefore their actions can often be attributed to disappointment. This disappointment leads to a change in their demeanor causing us to view them as difficult.
- Difficult people sometime grumble and complain
A natural outflow of expression originating from disappointment is often a critical spirit. The Israelites were disappointed and aggravated at their situation. That disappointment quickly turned to grumbling and complaining. Often times when someone has been damaged or hurt in some way, they feel the need to release their emotions and those emotions are often manifested in the form of complaining. It is their way of letting you know that they are displeased in their life.
- Difficult people sometime make false accusations
Moses was the target of the blame for the Israelites difficulties. They began to accuse him of negligence and plotting to lead them into the desert to die. Although none of these accusations were true, Moses had to endure their criticism. Similarly, difficult people may feel the need to blame someone for their problems. The target of their accusations may or may not be responsible for their predicament, but in any case, the injured person is looking for someone in which they can pin the blame. Sometimes God is the target of these accusations. When we do not understand how or why something occurs, we often take our criticism to God. But if we are to help the individual who is hurt, it is important to understand why they are behaving in that manner.
- Difficult people sometime make demands on us
A difficult person may not just be out to place blame but may be looking for a solution. Often times, in an attempt to acquire such a solution, the victim may place unreasonable demands on us. This is especially true if you are a minister, counselor, or anyone else who, in their mind, is suppose to have some answers. When the people got disgruntled with Moses, they not only blamed him for their lot, but demanded that he, as their leader, come up with the solution. Whenever you are faced with this situation, I would advise taking the course of action that Moses took; call on God for help. Ultimately, He is the One who can lead us to the right solution as well as provide us with patience as we endure these demands.
- Difficult people sometime become impatient with us
Finally, attempts at offering practical solutions to the person’s predicament may be met with dissatisfaction and more grumbling. Often times this can be attributed to the impatience of the victim who might find our solution impractical because it requires more time than they are willing to endure. But it is necessary to go the distance with these people in order to love them the way God does. Moses went the distance with the people even though they grew increasingly more discouraged and impatient with him.
We should consider these possibilities the next time we have an encounter with a difficult person and remember, instead of getting angry or frustrated with them, let’s continue to love them and pray for them!
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