He led them to the promised land. Do you have a scripture where God specifically says that Moses would lead them in or into the promised land ? Or have we read that into it . We do know he was to lead them out of Egypt, and to the promised land but I can not think of a specific verse that said he would lead them into it.There may be , but I can not recall one
As for the intercession of Moses for His people ... don't you believe we are led by the spirit to pray for those in our charge? God ordains prayer.
The purpose of prayer is not to change God's will but to conform ours to His. Since God knows all things past present and future, He knew that if He threatened to destroy the Hebrews , Moses would intercede for them. The true nature and Character of Moses' as shaped and developed by prayer
Perhaps Moses was tired and angry and spiritually drained , and God wanted to renew the enthusiasm for the journey and the love for this people So Moses prayer was one of the means that God used to bring about His purposes for Moses' life, and for the Hebrews.
Consider the temptation that it could have been to a man of a carnal nature to allow the destruction of the nation of Israel and become the Father of a new nation ?
We do not know the condition of Moses emotions or spirit at this time , but God knew and He chose to bind Moses to the Nation with that prayer.
To believe that God "changed His mind" is to deny the attributes of God.. Immutability and the words of Scripture
Mal 3:6 For I [am] the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Num 23:19 God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
1Sa 15:29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he [is] not a man, that he should repent.
Hbr 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which [it was] impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Hbr 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever
Jam 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
KJAM if God is mutable and changes , why would you believe the promise of salvation?
Perhaps... yet the text says that God changed his mind. So I would assume that the calvinist position would have to be that God planned all along, before the creation of the earth to change his mind at that time.... just to strengthen Moses.
Wonderfully said. I bite my lip every Sunday during prayer time when we run down the laundry list of things we want God to do. Rarely have I requested anything and I have refused (nicely) to lead the group because our focus is wrong IMHO. Then on the way home my poor wife is subject to one of my 5 minute lectures about prayer. :O)