Exodus 33:1-11 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Exodus 33:1-11. Let’s go!
Exodus 33:1-6 (NIV)
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’
2 I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
3 Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”
4 When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments.
5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.'”
6 So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.
On verses 1-6: In His mercy the LORD allowed the Israelites to proceed to the promised land even after they had broken His law by committing idolatry. In His anger the LORD proposed that He not join them on the rest of their journey lest the Israelites in their stubbornness sin again and compel Him to strike them down in His anger. Instead, the LORD would send His angel to go before them. Yet the prospect of going forward without the LORD’s personal presence was a depressing and sad one for Moses and the Israelites. Even if they were to reach the promised land, what good would it be if they didn’t have the personal presence of God?
What can we learn from this? The greatest blessing you can have is the presence of God. God can unable you to take possession of every material possession in the world, but if you personally don’t have the presence of God, it will be an empty and depressing existence. That’s because nothing less than the presence of God can truly satisfy us.
Exodus 33:7-9 (NIV)
7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp.
8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent.
9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses.
On verses 7-9: Moses longed so much for the presence of God that he wasn’t content to experience God’s presence only on Mount Sinai. So Moses pitched his own tent outside the hustle and bustle of the Israelites camp, where he could draw near to God regularly. With that kind of attitude toward God’s presence, it’s no wonder God would speak to Moses face to face, like speaking to a friend (see verse 11)
May you hunger for the presence of God the way Moses did. Go out of your way to meet with God, taking time out of your schedule to do so. When you go out of your way to meet with God regularly like Moses did and spend extended time with Him, don’t be surprised when God starts revealing more of Himself to you through His Word, speaking to you face to face, as speaking with a friend.
As Jeremiah 30:21 says, “Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?’ declares the LORD.”
Exodus 33:10-11 (NIV)
10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to his tent.
11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
On verses 10-11: Unlike Moses who would pitch his tent outside the camp and go out of his way to draw near to God, the rest of the people (other than Moses’ aide Joshua) would stay around their tents and worship God only whenever they saw their leader drawing near to God and also saw the pillar of cloud descending.
In other words, instead of going out of their way to seek God regularly like Moses did, the Israelites would draw near to God out of convenience: if they happened to see God doing a miracle, or if Moses happened to be at his tent and they saw him praying, then they would worship. Whereas the Israelites did not regularly go out of their way to draw near to God, Moses and Joshua did. Thus it’s no wonder that God especially blessed Moses and Joshua and let them have authority that the rest of the Israelites did not have.
What can we learn from this? Like Moses and Joshua, let’s treasure God’s presence and not take it for granted. For God has already done every miracle necessary (including dying on the cross for our sins and rising again) so that we can draw near to God. Let’s not wait for another miracle to happen or for someone else to set the example before we ourselves draw near to God. For over and over Scripture shows us that those who proactively seek God’s presence will be especially blessed.
Father, thank You for making so much of Your presence available in my life. May I not take Your presence for granted, but cherish it. Like Moses and Joshua, may I go out of my way to draw near to You regularly and find You speaking to me face to face, as speaking to a friend. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
