Lessons from Moses

“The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with His friend…”  Exodus 33:11

Although Moses has been dead for quite a while :), I keep finding that God uses Moses’ life to teach me really important truths.  Some of these truths are ones I learned years ago.  Some are ones I thought I learned…but I need to be reminded of these every day.  

Even this week I was struck with another truth!  So I wanted to write these down as a “stone of remembrance” as I start a new school year tomorrow!

TRUTHS from Moses’s life:

1.       The answers to the biggest questions/doubts we have in life revolve around who God is, not who we are.  (Exodus 3-6)

a.       “Who am I?”  (3:11)  - IDENTITY

                                                               i.      God replies:  “I will be with you.”  (3:12)

b.      “O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant.  I am slow of speech and tongue.”  (4:10)  - GIFTS/TALENTS

                                                               i.      God replies:  “Who gave man his mouth?  Who makes him deaf or mute?  Who gives him sight and makes him blind?  Is it not I, the LORD?  Now go, I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”  (4:11-12)

c.       “O Lord, why have you brought trouble upon this people?  Is this why you sent me?  Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.”  (5:22-23) – SETBACKS

                                                               i.      God replies:  “Now you will see what I will do…I am the LORD…I am the LORD…I will…I will…I will…I will….I will…I am the LORD….I will…I will…I am the LORD.”  (6:1-8) 

(**It sure seems like God’s going to take care of things, eh? J)

2.       The ability to persevere through the hard times in this life is made possible by keeping our sights on God.

a.       Hebrews 11:24-27 “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.  He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.  He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.  By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.”

3.       It is one thing to see what God is doing around us.  It is another thing completely to trust in His ways.  (even if you don’t fully understand)

a.       Psalm 103:6-7 “The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.  He made known His ways to Moses, His deeds to the people of Israel.” 

b.      Trusting in His ways comes from knowing who He is.  (I’m sensing a theme….)

c.       Moses specifically asked God that he would better understand His ways. (Ex 33:13)

4.       This last one I’m going to frame as a question, because this is the one I have had to relearn this week.  What is most important to me in this life?

Exodus 33:12-17 “Moses said to the LORD, ‘You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me.  You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’  If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.  Remember that this nation is your people.’

“The LORD replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’

“Then Moses said to him, ‘If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.  How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us?  What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?’

“And the LORD said to Moses, ‘I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.’”

This was a very important passage to me when I was graduating college a few years ago.  I read it and thought, “Yeah!  All my friends are getting married…I don’t know where I’m going or what I’m doing for you – who are you going to send with me?”  And I realized that God was going with me.  He loved me. He knew my name.  He would direct me and give me rest.

But as I looked at this passage again, I realized that being married or single is not what this passage is about (although God used it years ago to remind me of His presence going with me into the unknown).  Maybe Moses was never asking God about people to be with Him.  Maybe the whole time Moses was making sure that God would go with Him.  It sure seems like a theme throughout Moses’ life.

Beth Moore looked at this passage (Exodus 33) in her devotional book, Whispers of Hope.  Her thoughts were so encouraging to me, I wanted to retype them here:

• “Moses had a remarkable relationship with God…He experienced and indescribable level of intimacy that comes from two having their full attentions and expressions turned toward each other.”  (face-to-face)
• “So deeply involved were God and Moses that the weary servant could not bear the thought of proceeding a single step without God’s presence….Moses didn’t want good results.  He wanted God.”
• “How would you feel if God promised you success and victory but without His presence?  Would we know the difference?  Would we go on reluctantly?  Or would we trade in every victory, every dream come true – our chosen destiny – just to enjoy His presence?  Difficult questions.  But I think if we knew God – really knew Him so well He felt He could talk with us like a friend and share HIS heart with us as we share ours with Him – we would trade in everything just to enjoy His presence.”
• “…We will not want to make a move without receiving an answer to this question: ‘Is your presence going with me, God?  If not, keep me in the wilderness, seal away the milk and honey, keep the Jordan from my sight.  For if your presence does not go with me, do not send me from here.’”  (p. 103)

Moses’ life is filled with reminders that we experience the fullness when we know who He is, not who we are (but that also knowing Him clarifies who we are).  We can rest when we keep our eyes on Him.  We can trust in His ways.  We can develop a relationship where we speak with Him face-to-face.  Hopefully, someday, we can say like Moses that God speaks with us as a man speaks with his friend. 

And when all of that is true – I am sure that the choice between worldly “success” and God’s presence won’t even be worth contemplating.  

In the 2014-2015 school year, may His Presence be my goal.