Moses said to the Lord, “You said to me, ‘I know you very well, and I am pleased with you.’ If I have really pleased you, then teach me your ways. I want to know you. Then I can continue to please you." Exodus 33:12-13
* * * *
When have we heard God say "I know you very well, and I am pleased with you"?
Moses is a rarity. Very few people have been able to converse with God this way. But, Moses had a secluded place where he went to meet with God...no distractions. He went there every day. There, he got to know God intimately...and God spoke with him. It made a remarkable difference in Moses' ability to lead Israel. So much so that when God said He was no longer going to travel with Israel, Moses challenged him. He said "Lord, you must go with us or we will be no different than any other nation". And, God responded by saying "I will do what you ask. I will do this because I am pleased with you. I know you very well, and I am pleased with you".
Most of us speak to God but don't hear much back...
This intimacy with God is surely what influenced Moses' heart...and could influence our own hearts to say If I have really pleased you, then teach me your ways. I want to know you. Then I can continue to please you.
Do we want our lives to have influence? We will need to hear God to speak clearly to us. When he does, our hearts will change and we will thirst for more of what God wants to say. And we can respond to Him more perfectly.
But...it all begins with getting alone with God...regularly
Live boldly out there today...
March 16, 2017
March 15, 2017
When God wants to Leave
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. Exodus 32:7
Then Moses entreated the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Exodus 32:11
* * * * * * * * * *
Have you ever thought you'd done something so bad that even God was through with you? Maybe not, but...maybe. While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Law from Yahweh, the Israelites became impatient and said to Aaron, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”
That's bad...
God saw it and said to Moses... "your people" have done this. “Now then let Me alone...that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.” This was at least the third time Israel demonstrated an incorrigibility since leaving Egypt and God was done. Furthermore, this wasn't a complaint about water, or food, or danger. This was an assault upon God, Himself.
So...He was fed up...
Moses listened to God and asked, "why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’"
Picture God and Moses, facing off, pointing their finger at each other..."They're your people!" "No, they're your people!"
The nation of Israel, God's "chosen people" were on the precipice of destruction for their evil deeds. Then, a marvelous thing happened. Moses interceded for them and reminded God...remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, " Here, Moses is a "TYPE", or example, of Christ...interceding on our behalf. Israel was fortunate, indeed, to have Moses on that mountain with God. And, he was very effective. God actually changed His mind.
This doesn't mean we get away "Scott free". When Moses returned to the people he declared “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!” This is a call to repentance. Those who did not repent (turn away from their sinfulness) were destroyed. After the purge Moses said “You yourselves have committed a great sin; and now I am going up to the Lord, perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” Back on the mountain, Moses asked God..."if You will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!” This is a picture of Jesus, God's Son, saying "Father, I will die for them".
Do we believe we are beyond redemption? We need to remember...no matter how bad it gets; no matter how disobedient we have become; when we are so stained with sin that God cannot live in fellowship with us; we have Christ to defend us. As believers in Christ we can count on Him to ameliorate God's anger. God will not say "no" to His Son.
And some of us...who believe we really aren't worthy of destruction...should remember some of those Israelites who refused to step forward and follow Moses. Perhaps a wife, or a son, who told themselves "I didn't worship the idol...I don't have anything to repent from...I don't need to listen to Moses!"
Jesus is saying, today, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!” Will you take that step?
Live boldly out there today...
Then Moses entreated the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Exodus 32:11
* * * * * * * * * *
Have you ever thought you'd done something so bad that even God was through with you? Maybe not, but...maybe. While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Law from Yahweh, the Israelites became impatient and said to Aaron, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”
That's bad...
God saw it and said to Moses... "your people" have done this. “Now then let Me alone...that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.” This was at least the third time Israel demonstrated an incorrigibility since leaving Egypt and God was done. Furthermore, this wasn't a complaint about water, or food, or danger. This was an assault upon God, Himself.
So...He was fed up...
Moses listened to God and asked, "why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth’"
Picture God and Moses, facing off, pointing their finger at each other..."They're your people!" "No, they're your people!"
The nation of Israel, God's "chosen people" were on the precipice of destruction for their evil deeds. Then, a marvelous thing happened. Moses interceded for them and reminded God...remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, " Here, Moses is a "TYPE", or example, of Christ...interceding on our behalf. Israel was fortunate, indeed, to have Moses on that mountain with God. And, he was very effective. God actually changed His mind.
This doesn't mean we get away "Scott free". When Moses returned to the people he declared “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!” This is a call to repentance. Those who did not repent (turn away from their sinfulness) were destroyed. After the purge Moses said “You yourselves have committed a great sin; and now I am going up to the Lord, perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” Back on the mountain, Moses asked God..."if You will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!” This is a picture of Jesus, God's Son, saying "Father, I will die for them".
Do we believe we are beyond redemption? We need to remember...no matter how bad it gets; no matter how disobedient we have become; when we are so stained with sin that God cannot live in fellowship with us; we have Christ to defend us. As believers in Christ we can count on Him to ameliorate God's anger. God will not say "no" to His Son.
And some of us...who believe we really aren't worthy of destruction...should remember some of those Israelites who refused to step forward and follow Moses. Perhaps a wife, or a son, who told themselves "I didn't worship the idol...I don't have anything to repent from...I don't need to listen to Moses!"
Jesus is saying, today, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!” Will you take that step?
Live boldly out there today...
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