33:1 The Lord tells Moses to depart and begin his journey with the children of Israel. In continuing to protect and guide their journey, God remembers His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
33:2 God also appoints an angel to be with them on their journey. The angel, a worker for and with God, will be enabled by Him with the ability to force enemies away from the group.
33:3 God directs Moses to go up to the promised land: a fertile land complete with everything the group will need to thrive. After directing Moses, God explains that He will no longer follow the group. Although He has loved them, protected them and provided for them, He makes his way to leave. His reason is that the group are a stiff-necked people.
God's love and generosity is fierce here. The children of Israel have hurt Him: they only love Him in the moments they are receiving tangible gifts. They continue to neglect His constant love and presence. They turn to doubt far too quickly and abandon Him and their faith entirely. Even though He has been hurt by them, God still takes care of them.
We want to be careful not to be this type of person in faith or character. We should show our appreciation and acknowledgement of the people (and God) in our lives at all times, not just when we want something. God is present in the sweet and joyful moments as well. He is alive in the laughter and the awe. He's traveled the distance with us, we should never leave Him. We do not always understand His plan and we almost constantly have needs and hopes and desires... even though we might not be able to see Him, He's constantly working to bring those things into our lives. Remember Joseph's life: he waited years for fulfillment of his dreams but God filled Him throughout the wait.
33:4 The people are ashamed. They realize that their behavior toward God has not only been unfair but selfish as well. This experience gives them the opportunity to acknowledge the entity not just the gifts. Moses loves God for who He is rather than what He gives. It's time for the group to develop the same type of authentic love for Him.
The children of Israel had been ready to celebrate and journey but this news of God's departure causes them to lament by Mount Horeb. This time they are being authentic: even though they already know they are about to receive God's blessings... the blessings are not enough without God beside them.
33:5-6 God has an authentic emotional exchange with the children of Israel. They leave off and take off all of their decoration, all of the distraction and look to God in their most natural and raw state.
God is requesting the same from each of us: Take off the facade. Be real with me. Our love with God is personalized. He is familiar with us, intricately so. His heart hopes for the same love to be returned. Know Him. Love our spiritual entity for all that He/It is. We are so... beyond words... fortunate for our generous and wise creator. Get to know His character, knowing Him will refresh and fulfill you.
33:7-9 Moses creates a makeshift tabernacle from which to meditate with God. Moses is still focused on repairing the damaged relationship between God and the children of Israel. He spends much of his time receiving instruction from God but also expressing his love and allegiance.
33:10-11 This time, the children of Israel are focused on God as well. They take comfort in God's presence and use the opportunity of his nearness for worship. They keep their distance, still -- something we (you) never have to do anymore. God speaks to Moses as a friend because that is the nature of God's love. John 15:15 is a verse in which Jesus explains the relationship between divinity and humans: "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." You have the benefit of a personal relationship with God; you are like Moses: you can receive God's counsel directly.
Faithful as ever, Joshua never leaves his post at the tabernacle. He is always focused on God, always vigilant to ensure that His will is enabled.
33:10-11 This time, the children of Israel are focused on God as well. They take comfort in God's presence and use the opportunity of his nearness for worship. They keep their distance, still -- something we (you) never have to do anymore. God speaks to Moses as a friend because that is the nature of God's love. John 15:15 is a verse in which Jesus explains the relationship between divinity and humans: "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." You have the benefit of a personal relationship with God; you are like Moses: you can receive God's counsel directly.
Faithful as ever, Joshua never leaves his post at the tabernacle. He is always focused on God, always vigilant to ensure that His will is enabled.
33:12 From the beginning, Moses has always doubted himself. Moses does not doubt God's plan, but he doubts his own ability to carry it out. Moses knows that God has told him to lead the people but he does not feel capable and therefore asks God for help.
How many times have we experienced the same internal conflict? Sometimes our faith wavers and sometimes our belief in self wavers. Moses' faith is strong but he is seriously lacking in self-confidence. For Moses, these feelings are humility in complete raw, innocence and infancy. Moses is a great and faithful man without question... and yet he questions.
33:13 Moses prays for God's grace to gift him with more understanding. Moses asks God to take ownership of this group because Moses does not feel capable of being their leader without Him.
13:14 As promised, God is strongest when we are weak and call to Him for strength, 2 Corinthians 12:10. God answers Moses beautifully. God answers you the same way. When you ask Him for help, when you ask Him to take control over that which you feel you cannot handle, this is how he responds:
"My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
This is not the first time God has made this promised declaration. He awaits your requests; He wants and hopes to bless you:
13:15 Moses needs God's reassurance: he does not believe in himself, he needs God and he is not ashamed to show it. Moses tells God, if You are not journeying with us then please do not even let us leave. Moses will not take a single step without God. And for that, Moses is one of the most wise humans to ever live. For that, because of his love and faith in God, Moses will lead humanity through the beginning of their journey on earth. We are still journeying today because of his faith.
13:16 Moses explains to God that if God follows him and the group, he will know that God has forgiven and loves His children despite their flaws and betrayal. Moses prays to be separate. There are two sides in life: allegiance to God and opposition to God. Moses prays for God to gather Him and this group onto His side.
13:17 The Lord grants Moses' request and fulfills His promise to answer His children's prayers. Be the child God has raised and inspired and hoped for you to be and you will hear the same words from Him: "I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name."
Allow God to know you by name. Establish familiarity with Him. Develop your relationship. It thrills Him to provide for you.
13:18 Moses craves God. Perhaps you have experienced the same need. Our love for Him can be so overwhelming... in the best of ways it overfills our hearts and our sole desire becomes the desire to be with Him. To see Him. For we can see His hand in everything. We can see His wisdom and generosity. But our souls still long to be with Him in the most profound way.
13:19 God's response is a promise: "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
13:20 God makes the vow to do everything He can for us... which is everything we will ever need. He promises to be gracious and compassionate. But we cannot see God until we are in spirit with Him. The biology of our bodies simply cannot comprehend or withstand that which is spiritual.
13:22-23 God's promise is to be skillfully with us in every way He is able. He is able to be with us in a way that fills our every need and strives to manifest our every hope and dream. He protects us with His hands, covers us with His body but tells us to await the revelation of His image for the life after this one.
How many times have we experienced the same internal conflict? Sometimes our faith wavers and sometimes our belief in self wavers. Moses' faith is strong but he is seriously lacking in self-confidence. For Moses, these feelings are humility in complete raw, innocence and infancy. Moses is a great and faithful man without question... and yet he questions.
33:13 Moses prays for God's grace to gift him with more understanding. Moses asks God to take ownership of this group because Moses does not feel capable of being their leader without Him.
13:14 As promised, God is strongest when we are weak and call to Him for strength, 2 Corinthians 12:10. God answers Moses beautifully. God answers you the same way. When you ask Him for help, when you ask Him to take control over that which you feel you cannot handle, this is how he responds:
"My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
This is not the first time God has made this promised declaration. He awaits your requests; He wants and hopes to bless you:
- Remember Matthew 7:7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
- Remember John 14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
13:15 Moses needs God's reassurance: he does not believe in himself, he needs God and he is not ashamed to show it. Moses tells God, if You are not journeying with us then please do not even let us leave. Moses will not take a single step without God. And for that, Moses is one of the most wise humans to ever live. For that, because of his love and faith in God, Moses will lead humanity through the beginning of their journey on earth. We are still journeying today because of his faith.
13:16 Moses explains to God that if God follows him and the group, he will know that God has forgiven and loves His children despite their flaws and betrayal. Moses prays to be separate. There are two sides in life: allegiance to God and opposition to God. Moses prays for God to gather Him and this group onto His side.
13:17 The Lord grants Moses' request and fulfills His promise to answer His children's prayers. Be the child God has raised and inspired and hoped for you to be and you will hear the same words from Him: "I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name."
Allow God to know you by name. Establish familiarity with Him. Develop your relationship. It thrills Him to provide for you.
13:18 Moses craves God. Perhaps you have experienced the same need. Our love for Him can be so overwhelming... in the best of ways it overfills our hearts and our sole desire becomes the desire to be with Him. To see Him. For we can see His hand in everything. We can see His wisdom and generosity. But our souls still long to be with Him in the most profound way.
13:19 God's response is a promise: "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
13:20 God makes the vow to do everything He can for us... which is everything we will ever need. He promises to be gracious and compassionate. But we cannot see God until we are in spirit with Him. The biology of our bodies simply cannot comprehend or withstand that which is spiritual.
13:22-23 God's promise is to be skillfully with us in every way He is able. He is able to be with us in a way that fills our every need and strives to manifest our every hope and dream. He protects us with His hands, covers us with His body but tells us to await the revelation of His image for the life after this one.
