While reading this, please identify with Moses?
When Moses met the Lord at the burning bush, he had a royal upbringing, but at the time was just an ordinary farmer. As the Lord had higher goals for Moses, Moses desired to know the Lord better. They became friends like no one before or after Moses ever were. “Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend (Exodus 33:11).”
During a chat Moses had with the Lord regarding himself and Israel “the LORD said to Moses, ‘This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favour in my sight, and I know you by name (Exodus 33:17).’” By this time Moses had the confidence to ask, “Please show me your glory (Exodus 33:18).” Can you picture what was happening here? I can almost see Moses holding his breath. From being a man with inferiority problems to this point was huge growth in confidence and the main reason was because he’d spent so much time in the Lord’s presence.Amazingly the Lord offered to show Himself to Moses, but said, “‘you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.’ And the LORD said, ‘Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen (Exodus 33:20-23).’” Do you sense the intimacy?
Can you imagine how special this was for Moses? How would you have liked it? Moses did a few key things that qualified him.
· He was prepared to change. When God disciplined him he listened.
· In spite of his own weakness he took up this humungous task, trusting the Lord. He believed God for great things.
· Whenever the Lord said something, he obeyed in the midst of great resistance from the Israelites.
· He sought the Lord. He wanted more of the Lord and he wanted to know Him. He desired to be the Lord’s friend.
When Israel had sacrificed to the golden calf, the Lord’s anger burned against them. During one of Moses’ chats with Him, the Lord said in Exodus 32:10: “‘Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you.’” If it were one of us we probably would have kept quiet, thinking ‘yeah Lord, that sounds quite nice, go ahead’ or we might have just walked away obediently. “But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, ‘O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? (Exodus 32: 11)’” and then he went on counselling the Lord not to do it, focusing on the disgrace it would bring to the Lord. “And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people (Exodus 32:14).” The Lord allowed Moses to counsel and convince Him to change His mind.
In Jesus we have even more access to the Lord. He promised to reveal Himself to us if we obey His commandments (John 14:21). Obeying His commandments include such things as loving Him with everything we have (Mark 12:30) and considering righteousness with Him as well as His desires and plans as first priority (Matthew 6:33). Do you see something of Moses’ attitude in this approach? The Lord desires for us to have a similar relationship with Him than Moses had. He would also allow you to counsel Him if you are that close to Him. His greatest desire is for you to become so close a friend to Him than you would be to your best human friend.
Lord, I’d love to come as close to you as Moses was.
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