Moses, God, and the Dynamics of Intercessory Prayer

Michael Widmer reconsiders the significance of the canonical portrayal of Moses as intercessor in the aftermath of "documentary" pentateuchal criticism. Paying careful attention to both the diachronic and synchronic dimensions of the text, at the heart of this study is a close reading of Exodus 32-34 and Numbers 13-14 in their final form with particular focus on the nature and theological function of Moses' prayers. These intercessions evoke important theological questions, especially with regard to divine reputation, covenant loyalty, visitation, and mutability. The author's investigation makes evident not only that Moses' prayers embody an important hermeneutical key to biblical theology, but also that Moses sets an important biblical paradigm for authentic prayer. Moreover, Michael Widmer argues that YHWH's fullest revelation of His name is enacted in a specific and concrete situation in the scout narrative (Nu. 13-14). Thus the latter stands as a kind of commentary on Exodus 34:6-7.