Exodus 3:13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.”
Moses was the boldest man who spoke with God. He literally confronted God with straight questions and brought things to God’s attention. This presupposes that God does not know what He is doing, or not conscious of the outcome of particular actions or that He did not think through the process well. As a result, He made hasty decisions.
Exodus 32:1-14 provides a beautiful example of this dealing. God was angry at Israel for making the golden calf and using it as an object of worship. He threatened to wipe them out from off the earth, “And the Lord said to Moses, I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.” (Ex.32:9-10)
Moses intervened with an intense pleading. He first brought to the attention of God that the people of Israel belonged to God. He further claimed that if He (God) destroyed them, the Egyptians would say that He meant evil for Israel and He does not have the power to protect them.
He further draws in the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to create a great nation. How can God even think of doing such a thing? The end result was phenomenal. God changed His mind, “Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.” (Ex 32:14)
Moses walked his way into the heart of God, by being honest, humble, and deeply desirous to know Him in all His ways. The record confirms that when Moses was 80 years old, he had his first encounter with God at the burning bush.
Exodus 3:1-6 records the incident. In this first encounter, Moses sought to know the name of God. This was his first effort to reach into the heart of God, first to know His name. Exodus 3:13 – Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” The Lord answered Moses by revealing Himself as the “I AM”. The name was loaded with significance with respect to the Nature, Works and Person of God.
While Moses committed himself to fulfil the mandate to deliver Israel from Egypt, he also sought to be drawn closer to the heart of God at the same time. On another occasion, Moses asked God to show him His Glory. Subsequently he asked to see God’s face. This request came at a time when God had clearly stated that no one could see His face and be alive.
It seems so clear that the Lord loves us when we seek to know Him better and try to get into His heart. Exodus 33:17-23 gives us God’s position on the request of Moses. “You cannot see my face” maybe, that should have read, you cannot see my face now. Moses did see His face while he was in the Promise Land and later on the Mount of Transfiguration.
In his effort to know the Lord in a deeper way, Moses extended his request. He asked the Lord to show him His ways. Exodus 33:13 offers us a reason why Moses wanted to know the ways of God. He explained that such revelation would cause him to know that he has found favour in the eyes of God.
A validation from the Lord would make his life so much easier. Did God answer Moses’ request? Psalms 103:7 – “He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel.” Moses knew God in a very personal way, mainly because he did everything to get into the heart of God.
Photo contributed by Sweet Publishing
