This morning I marveled about God’s way of answering a seemingly unanswered prayer. I thought of God’s timing over centuries. I thought of God’s infinite goodness. And it was about Moses of all things. Do you remember how Moses begged God to allow Him to enter the Promised Land? Do you remember how God wouldn’t answer that prayer in the way Moses wanted? Did it make you sad for Moses? You read the account here in Deuteronomy 3:23-26:
“And I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, ‘O Lord God, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours? Please let me go over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.’ But the Lord was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me. And the Lord said to me, ‘Enough from you; do not speak to me of this matter again.”
(If you remember, God wouldn’t allow Moses to enter the Promised Land because Moses disobeyed God’s directions when speaking to the rock to get water for the Israelites. He struck the rock twice instead of speaking to it as God commanded in Numbers 20).
But what I thought about this morning from my reading from Prevailing Prayer was how Moses did indeed enter the Promised Land years and years later at the transfiguration of Jesus in Matthew 17. God answered Moses pleading prayer in an even more marvelous way right in the Promised Land. We read this:
After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
I wonder if God had a special conversation with Moses at that moment. I wonder if God said, “See, Moses! I heard your prayer. I planned for this all along. It would take a long, long time, but I knew it would be worth it for you to arrive in the Promised Land this way, with Elijah. And with Me.”
So when I think that God hasn’t heard me or is ignoring me or even saying no, I remember Moses.
God heard. God said yes.