How cool is that!?! God meeting with Moses in a tent “as one speaks to a friend.” And what did Joshua see and experience as he accompanied Moses and then stayed in the tent? Certainly these men chose well and their lives and future showed the impact of meeting with God. The people saw this process of meeting with God and treasured and respected it in their actions.
Exodus 33 begins though, with unpleasant prospects. God gives the promise of delivery to the abundant land but then expresses His displeasure stating: “But I will not go with you because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.” This is the state of life. The Israelite nation had seen and experienced God’s presence and leading. They wanted to hold on to it but it seems they took His presence for granted and held on to old ways in their travels. They disobeyed quickly and were proud and resistant to God’s will. The state of our creation.
I’ve had times when pride seems to overwhelm the presence of God and His fruit in my life. Those times bring me to crossroads where I need God. When I choose His presence at the crossroad, His presence is palpable. It changes my state.
Moses is the vehicle God uses to display His presence to the people and Moses is used through his friendship with God to argue a case for and remind God that the people were His chosen people. It changed their state.
With Jesus’ incarnation, He is much more than Moses. Jesus is the mediator and presence of God for us. He brings us as family into God’s presence. How often do we take this gift and His presence for granted and become wayward and stiff-necked. Let us be like Joshua and not leave the tent of His presence, so that God would teach us His ways through His word, prayer and worship. What comfort to know, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (vs. 14). The state of the believer. How cool is that.
For reflection:
- Are you experiencing the presence of God by meeting with Him in prayer and reading the Word? Does the work of Jesus resonate in your life and relationships? Is His presence changing the state of your life and the state of the lives of those around you?
by David Bier
Recommended Posts
Practice: Jubilee
April 18, 2025
A Gift of Grace
April 17, 2025
Wash My Feet
April 16, 2025