Moses arises from his humiliating position and enters the tabernacle to commune with God. Then the Lord proposes to immediately destroy this rebellious people. He desires to make of Moses a greater nation than Israel; but the meek leader of His people will not consent to this proposition. “And Moses said unto the Lord, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for Thou broughtest up this people in Thy might from among them;) and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that Thou Lord art among this people, that Thou Lord art seen face to face, and that Thy cloud standeth over them, and that Thou goest before them, by daytime in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if Thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of Thee will speak, saying, Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which He sware unto them, therefore He hath slain them in the wilderness.” {4T 152.1}

Moses rejste sig fra sin ydmyge stilling og gik ind i tabernaklet for at have fortrolig samtale med Gud. Da havde Herren i sinde at udslette det oprørske folk med det stamme. Han ønskede at gøre Moses, et større folk end Israel; men hans folks ydmyge leder ville ikke gå med til denne plan. »Men Moses sagde til Herren: »Ægypterne har hørt, at du i din vælde har ført dette folk bort fra dem; og ligeledes har alle dette lands indbyggere hørt, at du, herre, er midt iblandt dette folk, thi du, herre, åbenbarer dig synligt, idet din sky står over dem og du vandrer foran dem om dagen i en skystøtte og om natten i en ildstøtte. Hvis du nu dræber dette folk alle som een, vil de folk, der har hørt dit ry, sige: fordi Herren ikke evnede at føre dette folk til det land, han havde tilsvoret dem, lod han dem omkomme i ørkenen.«