Exodus 32:31-35 
So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.” 

The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.” 

And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made. (NIV)

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Moses offered to bear the blame for the people. He was willing to give his life in exchange for theirs. God let him know that he was not capable of doing so. God would manage matters of justice in the most gracious manner according to the nature of the sin and the fulfillment of his purpose. 

We do not get to do God’s will our way, even if our way appears humble and sacrificial. God is the ultimate arbiter of justice. He will always do what is right, just, and fair. 

Moses couldn’t bear the sins of the people, but one would come who would bear the people’s sins, and he did. 

Exodus 33:19 and Romans 9:15 tell us what we need to know about this truth:

And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭33‬:‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭9‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

You and I cannot bear another person’s sins, but we can intercede like Moses for the salvation and well-being of others. We can gently instruct our wayward loved ones and friends. We can seek God’s highest and best for him. We can trust God to love them more than we do, and to draw them to himself better than we could even hope. 

Whose burden are you carrying today? Do you have a prodigal son or daughter? Do you have an intransigent relative, coworker, or friend? Intercede like Moses. Speak the truth in love as often as you have the opportunity. Live and love these people like Jesus lived and loved everyone, even Judas, whom he called Friend. (See Matthew 26:50.)

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I will live and love like Jesus, seeking God’s highest and best with intercession, conversation, and notes of kind and thoughtful witness.

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Our Father, thank you for how Jesus interceded for us. Thank you for how he interposed his blood to save us and bring us into your Kingdom. Equip and empower us to intercede regularly, discuss often, and serve sacrificially to help others know and experience your mercy and grace, your love and peace. Amen.