Last time, we talked about how Moses learned more about God’s kind of love as he interceded with God for the lives of his people. the kind of love that made him offer his own life, his eternal life, for his people. However, the story doesn’t end there! God had more experiences in store for Moses.
Remember that this was just after the people of Israel had turned away from God and worshiped a golden calf. Moses and God continue to have a conversation about Israel’s future. God tells Moses to get the people moving toward their destination,
“But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way” Exodus 33:3.
Moses shares this message with the people and this seems to get their attention and they are grief-stricken.
Moses presses God for more assurance. He tells God, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” He says to God, “If You won’t go with us, we don’t want to do either!” Wow, Moses is continuing to push God for more and more. Did you know that our God can handle that? Don’t ever think that all God wants is a distant, somewhat positive, respectful relationship from you.
God reassures Moses by saying,
“I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” Ex. 33:17
God wants to know you personally. He wants us to interact with him closely and without fear. Hebrews 4 says,
“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
But we’re used to the kind and loving God we see in Jesus in the New Testament, you say. No, God is the same as He’s always been and this story about Moses proves it. God pushes and challenges Moses and Moses responds the way God wants him to respond. Pushing, asking for more, wanting a deeper relationship, needing a closer friendship.
Today, right now, God wants that from me, and from you. He is all about mending broken relationships, bridging widening gaps, healing wounded friendships. He wants nothing more in the universe than to have a close and loving relationship with you right here, right now. Where you are in life, what you’ve done, how you’ve hurt, are beside the point. He just wants you.
shared in the workplace 11/23/09