Remember in Exodus 33:3, God said He
won’t be going with the Israelites. His travelling with them would pose a great
danger to them. For they were an obstinate pe0ple and God in His holiness could
destroy them before they entered the promised land. That news brought tears to
the people’s eyes and they wept and were prepared to repent, tearing off the
ornaments. As they were regretting their sin, Moses went into the tent of
meeting to speak with God and mediated for them.
Now in this second half of Exodus 33, we catch a
glimpse of the mediation. These verses reveal what transpired between God and
Moses in the tent of meeting. Both of them were locked in an intimate encounter
and Moses was frankly unveiling his heart and thoughts to God. What a precious
moment. Don’t we wish for a moment when we can lock heart to heart with God and
reveal our admiration and love for Him? Moses was more than thinking about
himself, he was thinking of the people. So, in Exodus 33:12-13, he made a
request for God to stay with him. That would be the first step. Then in verses
15-17, he progressed into asking God to go with them. Of course, Moses
identified himself with the people and requested God by saying, “go with
us.”
Moses began by saying to God in verses 12-13a
saying, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up these
people!’ But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with
me. Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also
found favour in My sight.’ Now, therefore, I pray You, if I have found
favour in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I
may find favour in Your sight….” He was pointing to God that while the calling
to lead the people out still stands, he was unsure of the resources available
to him. God had promised to send an angel but who was this angel? Moses made it
very clear that he wouldn’t settle for anything less than God’s own presence.
He didn’t want an angel. He wanted the Lord Himself. So, he begged God to teach
Him His ways so that He might know Him. Moses was fully aware that God
knew everything about him and so his one plead was to know God in return. What
better way to have an effective life and journey but to know God and His
ways?
At
the end of verse 13 he slipped and told God, “Consider too, that this nation is
Your people.” He reminded God that Israel belonged to Him. He was
referring to the covenant promise He had made with Israel to be their God, and
they to be His nation. He wanted God to stay with him but he also wanted
God to go with him and the nation. God’s response was “My Presence will go with
you, and I will give you rest.” Sadly, the pronoun “you” is in the singular.
God meant that He would be with Moses but not the people. Notice God said,
“I will go with you”, but Moses replied to God “If Your presence does not go with us,
do not lead us up from here.” He had changed the “with you” to “with us.”
He included the people. He went on further in verses 15-16 and gave God two
rationales why He must go with them. Firstly, to show that he and his people
had found favour with God. Secondly, so that His presence would distinguish
them from all other people of the earth. Like them, we are such a privileged
lot. The feature that makes us different from all others in the world is that
God’s presence is with us. So, God accepted Moses argument and told
him, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you
have found favour in My sight and I have known you by name.”
Moses
shows us how good an intercessor he was. He first had God’s interest at heart. Then
he never forgot the purpose God had set. To top it all he also had a heart for
God’s people. He would deal with them knowing that they belonged to God. His
very intention was for them to be at their very best for God. Let’s be that
kind of an intercessor and leader.
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