Joel M Bradshaw

19They made a calf in Horeb
and worshiped a metal image.
20They exchanged the glory of God
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21They forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23Therefore 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.–Psalm 106

The psalmist had been confessing the sins of his ancestors. This is the famous chapter 32 of Exodus. Check out the four verbs.

1. MADE
2. WORSHIPED
3. EXCHANGED
4. FORGOT

Therefore. Moses was Christlike in his intercession for his people. But God still punished the guilty. Do you see yourself in their story? Which of those four verbs might describe you? We are grateful for Jesus who took our sin upon Himself in our place as our substitute. Just like with ancient Israel, that sin still got punished, but Jesus accomplished once-for-all what Moses could not.–JMB