S:
Exodus 32:30 Then the next day Moses said to the people, “You have
committed a great sin. Now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make
atonement for your sin.” 31 So Moses returned to the Lord, and said, “Oh,
these people have committed a great sin [against You], and have made themselves
a god of gold. 32 Yet now, if You will, forgive their sin—and if not,
please blot me out of Your book which You have written (kill me)!”
Acts 8:24 But Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me both of you, so that nothing of what you have said will come upon me.”
O: I find it interesting that Aaron in verse 5 said after he had made the golden calf that the next day would be a feast to the LORD. I wonder if Aaron really thought he would be worshipping the One True God or what his thinking was in making this statement.
Acts 8:24 But Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me both of you, so that nothing of what you have said will come upon me.”
O: I find it interesting that Aaron in verse 5 said after he had made the golden calf that the next day would be a feast to the LORD. I wonder if Aaron really thought he would be worshipping the One True God or what his thinking was in making this statement.
The
one thing I find in both passages is the thought of intercessory prayer as seen
in Exodus 32:30-32 and Acts 8:24. Matthew Henry says this: “Pray to
God to give the renewing graces of the Holy Ghost to all for whose spiritual
welfare we are concerned; for that includes all blessings.”
In
Acts 8 the apostles encountered a man who wanted to use religion to further
himself in this life. This account reminds us that earthly wealth
cannot “purchase the pardon of sin, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and/or eternal
life.” “Our hearts are what they are in the sight of God, who cannot be
deceived. And if they are not right in his sight, our religion is vain, and
will stand us in no stead.” You see it is so easy to deceive
ourselves. Scripture tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all
things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
We must pray for godly wisdom and understanding. We must not only
intercede for others, but also ourselves!
“May
we abhor all thoughts of making religion serve the purposes of pride or
ambition. And keep us from that subtle poison of spiritual pride, which seeks
glory to itself even from humility. May we seek only the honour which cometh
from God.” ~ Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
A:
Be ready and willing to spend time in intercessory prayer!!
P:
Dear Jesus, May our minds and hearts be right before you. You alone know
the intentions and the secret things of our hearts, even things that may be
hidden from us. It is so easy to deceive ourselves. Give us godly
friends who will keep us accountable to You and to speak truth into our lives
and give us hearts open to listen. Help us to always be intercessing for
ourselves and those we care about that we and they might be pardoned of sin and
inhabited more and more by Your Holy Spirit. Amen & Amen
Love & Blessings,
Michelle L. Kirkbride
Join me in studying God's Word
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