Exodus
chapter 33 picks up just after the Israelites had rebelled and the
been judged for worshipping the golden calf. God tells Moses, “Leave
this place… and go to the land I promised to Abraham“.
God adds, “I
will send an angel before you to drive out the Canaanites, Amorites
…(etc)…
but
I will not go with you because you are a stiff-necked people and I
might destroy you on the way“.
Many of us have felt like this; at some point, we pull away from God
because we fear He will wipe us out if He knows what corruption is in
our lives. What an awful place! When the Israelites heard this they
began to mourn and repent. Since the Tabernacle had not yet been
constructed, Moses pitched his tent outside the camp, calling it ‘the
Tent of Meeting’. We read, “Whenever
Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the
entrance of their tent… As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of
cloud would come down and stay at the entrance while the Lord spoke
to Moses“.
While Moses met with the Lord, “the
people all worshipped at the entrance of their own tents“.
We read, “the
Lord spoke to Moses… as a man speaks with his friend“.
God did not choose Moses to lead His people because of his
righteousness, but rather, Moses is righteous because of his regular
fellowship with God! We also read “Joshua,
son of Nunn did not leave the tent“
Moses
once again intercedes for the people and adds, “teach
me Your ways so I may know You. Remember, the nation is Your
people“.
And once again God relents, “My
presence will go with you, and I will give you rest“.
God adds, “I
will do the very thing you asked, because I am pleased with you and I
know your name“.
As is always the case, when we experience God’s fellowship, we want
more. Moses replies, “Now
show me Your glory“.
God answers Moses, “I
will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you and I will
proclaim My name, the Lord in your presence“.
God also adds, “I
will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion“.
God is sovereign over all things and His perfect will is beyond our
understanding. God explains to Moses, “You
cannot see My face, for no one may see My face and live“.
Instead God says, “When
My glory passes by I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover
you with My hand until I have passed by… you will see My back, but
My face must not be seen“.
God always rewards those that seek to know Him.
As
hard as it is to imagine Moses having fellowship with God, he was
only able to catch a glimpse of God’s essence. Yet as believers
today we can have complete fellowship with God, but only if we are in
“the rock” of Jesus Christ. Our access to God is based on
the righteousness we have been given through the sacrifice of our
Savior. God became man in order to pay the debt of our sin. Jesus
willingly suffered the death and torture of the cross, not for
“mankind”, but for each of us individually. 2 Corinthians
5:19-21 reminds us, “God
was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their
trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of
reconciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ… He made
Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we might become the
righteousness of God in Him“.
Fellowship with God and be His ambassador to the world around you.
Maybe some of the stiff-necked people around you will stand and
worship with you!