WHAT IF GOD HAD DESTROYED ISRAEL AND HAD MADE MOSES A GREAT NATION

After Israel left Egypt, God provided for the needs of His people with great and mighty interventions. Israel was finally poised to enter the Promised Land but, because of the fearful report brought back by the spies, Israel refused to proceed and again murmured against Moses and Aaron. In fact, some among them selected a leader to bring them back to Egypt.

Because of Israel’s lack of faith, God became angry and threatened to wipe them out and build a nation from Moses’ descendents. He said to Moses: “I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they”(Numbers 14:12).

But Moses refused God’s offer and interceded on Israel’s behalf with such sincerity and intensity that God heeded his word and reassured Moses that He would again show mercy to Israel. God tells Moses: “I have pardoned, according to your word” (14:20).

What if God had not heeded Moses’ words? What if He had destroyed all of Israel and had built a nation from Moses’ descendents?

If that had occurred, the ramifications would have been enormous indeed. Though true that the descendents of Abraham would have continued being the inheritors of the promises to their ancestor, it is also true that the promise given to Judah by Jacob regarding the Messiah would not have been fulfilled. In Genesis 49 we read: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver form between his feet until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the people” (Genesis 49:10).

Of course, God could have made the Messiah emerge out of Levi (Moses was a Levite), if He so wished. After all, He can modify His prophecies whenever He wants, if rebellion comes into play. Yet, if He did change His plans, things would have been quite different.

Moses had a point in emphasizing to God that if He had destroyed Israel it would have been quite hard to convince the nations that God was a merciful God. On the other hand, though exceptionally longsuffering, God is not a pushover and did consequence Israel anyway. The generation of murmurers who had left Egypt was condemned to forty years of wondering in the Wilderness until they all died. Only their children would be allowed to inherit the land (Numbers 14: 22-38).

Moses’ beseeching God and God’s merciful reply is marvelous because it reinforces the fact that heartfelt, sincere, prayers do indeed avail much with God (James 5:16). Yet, we also see that God is patient -- but up to a point. There is a point when God is patient no longer and does demand a punishment, especially if humans become insolent and ungrateful.

Lastly, if God had destroyed Israel, we would have been deprived of the rich and inspiring history that fills the Old Testament. For instance, we would have never heard of special people like Samson, David, Solomon and other unforgettable characters.

Had it not been for the fervent intervention of a humble and faithful man named Moses, the history of the Holy People would have been dramatically altered, our view of God might have been negatively affected, and His longsuffering and merciful nature would have been negated. The event is very meaningful indeed.

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