Psalms 106:23
Therefore he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easily missed is that Moses didn't just plead for Israel; he literally stepped into the "breach" – the gaping hole in God's protective wall caused by their sin – and used his own body to block God's destructive wrath. This highlights how intercession isn't passive sympathy but an active, almost physical standing in the gap for others.
In the verses leading up to this, the psalmist recounts Israel's repeated unfaithfulness to God, focusing on their sin at Mount Sinai where they fashioned and worshipped a golden calf. This act provoked God's intense anger, leading Him to declare His intention to utterly destroy the people. This verse highlights Moses' crucial role as an intercessor, stepping in to stand before God and plead for Israel, averting the impending destruction.
Have you ever felt the weight of God's displeasure pressing down, almost as if a protective barrier around you had been broken?
The verse paints a vivid picture of God's intense anger. The 'breach' is a powerful metaphor, like a gap in the wall of a besieged city. Israel's sin had created this breach, allowing God's wrath to threaten destruction. It wasn't that God wanted to destroy them, but their actions had opened the door for His righteous judgment. This imagery reminds us that sin has real, often devastating, consequences, creating vulnerabilities in our lives and relationships with God.
What does it take for someone to stand between an angry God and a condemned people?
Moses is called God's 'chosen one,' meaning specifically appointed and equipped for this critical task. He didn't just step forward; he was chosen by God to stand in the gap. His intercession wasn't based on his own merit but on his unique relationship with God and his obedience to God's call. This highlights a vital biblical theme: God often works through chosen individuals to mediate His mercy, turning away judgment through their earnest pleas.
Is it possible for God's fierce anger to be redirected? What does that look like?
The core of this verse is the astonishing reality that God's wrath can be 'turned away.' Because Moses stood in the breach, God's intended destruction was averted. This isn't about manipulating God, but about responding to His character – He is both just and merciful. When intercession is made, rooted in faith and obedience, God can, and often does, withhold the full force of His judgment. This demonstrates the profound impact of God-given authority and the effectiveness of prayer in altering the course of divine action.
Understand the original words
chemah · Hebrew Noun
Divine indignation or settled opposition against sin and rebellion; a necessary expression of God’s holiness and justice against unrighteousness.
This verse recalls a pivotal moment where Israel's sin nearly led to their annihilation. Moses' courageous stand in the 'breach'—acting as a mediator—highlights the profound consequences of sin and the power of intercession to avert God's judgment.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Israel rebels at Sinai
After their miraculous escape from Egypt, the Israelites made a golden calf to worship at Mount Sinai, provoking God's intense anger.
c. 1446 BC
Moses intercedes for Israel
God declared his intention to destroy the Israelites and make a great nation from Moses alone. Moses pleaded with God, reminding Him of His promises and His glory.
c. 1446 BC
God relents from destruction
Because of Moses' fervent prayer and intercession, God turned away from executing His wrath and destroying the people.
c. 1406 BC
Spies cause rebellion at Kadesh Barnea
The people rejected God's command to enter the Promised Land after hearing the discouraging report of the spies, leading to further judgment.
This passage directly records God's intention to destroy Israel and Moses' intercession, which mirrors the account in the psalm and highlights God's wrath and Moses' role as a mediator.
Ezekiel 22:30This verse uses the same 'standing in the breach' imagery, illustrating how God sought someone to intercede for the land, reinforcing the theme of divine judgment and the need for a mediator.
Numbers 14:11-20Here, God again threatens destruction due to Israel's rebellion, and Moses intercedes, pleading for God's mercy and reputation among the nations, showing a consistent pattern of God's anger and a chosen leader's plea.
Jeremiah 18:7-10This passage describes God's willingness to relent from judgment when a nation turns from its evil, echoing the principle that divine wrath can be averted through repentance and intercession, as demonstrated by Moses.
wesleyPsalms 106:23: "Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them."
106:23 Breach - God had made a wall about them; but they had made a breach in it by their sins, at which the Lord, who was now justly become their enemy, might enter to destroy them; which he had certainly done, if Moses by his prevailing intercession had not hindered him.
clarkePsalms 106:23: "Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them."
Moses his chosen - Or elect; (Vulgate, electus ejus; Septuagint, ὁ εκλεκτος αυτου); the person that he had appointed for this work. It would be very difficult to show that this word in any part of the Old Testament refers to the eternal state of any man, much less to the doctrine of unconditional election and reprobation.
What's easily missed is that Moses didn't just plead for Israel; he literally stepped into the "breach" – the gaping hole in God's protective wall caused by their sin – and used his own body to block God's destructive wrath. This highlights how intercession isn't passive sympathy but an active, almost physical standing in the gap for others.
In the verses leading up to this, the psalmist recounts Israel's repeated unfaithfulness to God, focusing on their sin at Mount Sinai where they fashioned and worshipped a golden calf. This act provoked God's intense anger, leading Him to declare His intention to utterly destroy the people. This verse highlights Moses' crucial role as an intercessor, stepping in to stand before God and plead for Israel, averting the impending destruction.
In the verses leading up to this, the psalmist recounts Israel's repeated unfaithfulness to God, focusing on their sin at Mount Sinai where they fashioned and worshipped a golden calf. This act provoked God's intense anger, leading Him to declare His intention to utterly destroy the people. This verse highlights Moses' crucial role as an intercessor, stepping in to stand before God and plead for Israel, averting the impending destruction.
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c. 1406 BC
Forty years of wilderness wandering
As a consequence of their rebellion and unbelief, the Israelites were condemned to wander in the wilderness for forty years until that generation perished.
c. 1406 - 1366 BC
The Exodus generation dies off
The generation that left Egypt, except for Caleb and Joshua, died in the wilderness as prophesied, paving the way for a new generation to enter Canaan.
"Therefore he said he would destroy them— had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them." — What's easily missed is that Moses didn't just plead for Israel; he literally stepped into the "breach" – the gaping hole in God's protective wall caused by their sin – and used his own body to blo…
