“Go to your room and wait there for me.” I don’t remember the infraction, but I remember being frustrated enough that I needed to cool down a bit and think through the discipline for this infraction. The Children of Israel had committed a grave sin. The LORD told them to remove their ornaments while He considered what to do with them. It was an excellent time for them to think through their sin and to consider what they needed to do to pursue Him. Moses swings into action.
Moses knew how to make significant requests of God. In Exodus 3 he asked, “What is Your name?” Here he requests, “Show me Your way.” Then he follows up with, “Please show me your glory.” But consider the progression of events here. Moses goes daily to the tabernacle of meeting. The people come out of their tents to watch him go by. The cloud descends into the tent when Moses enters. He speaks face-to-face (obviously a figure of speech) with Moses as a with a friend. Wow, can you imagine sitting down and talking with the Creator of the Universe as with a friend? Such intimacy! In the midst of that intimacy, Moses makes his first request, “Show me Your way!” There is no forthright explanation given. Instead the LORD simply promises His presence. In all the uncertainties of life we would like to know the way to navigate through them, but He only promises His presence. But what a promise that is considering the circumstances. No resolution had ever been given for the discipline of their action in chapter 32. When earnestly sought for by Moses, only one promise is given, “My Presence shall go with you, and I shall give you rest.”
Moses couldn’t let it go at that, “Please, show me Your glory!” What? Moses, you were up on the mountain of fire with Him! Moses, the cloud descends into the tent every time you enter in the tent. Moses, you are talking with Him face to face as a friend with a friend! Moses, he has already promised you His presence! What is going on? The final disposition of what God is going to do with the disobedient people has not yet been handed down. Moses wanted to see His glory. Did he want God to dispense glorious judgment on this wayward people? What did he want?
The LORD favorably answers Moses’ request. He will show His glory, but not all of it. If the glory of His justice were revealed, it would destroy Moses and the people. He will show him His compassion. He will place him the cleft of a rock (more on the rock tomorrow), and when the front part of His glory passes by, He will let him see the back part of His glory and proclaim compassion and grace. The disposition is being handed down. It is the compassion and grace of the LORD. God’s glory is awesomely revealed in His grace. The LORD sends us to our room to wait, not necessarily so that He can cool down, but so that we can reflect upon our need of compassion and grace and pursue Him for it. As we will see later in the Pentateuch, His longsuffering eventually reaches an end, but in the meantime, we should pursue the latter part of His glory, His compassion and grace. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
PSALM 81
I have never seen an episode of the TV show Desperate Housewives. Seeing one commercial was enough to convince me that I should not let my mind wander there. I have enough difficulty remaining pure without dwelling on someone else’s impurity. Yet, I imagine that the housewives of that show are fitting illustrations of the wife of the Lord as described in this Psalm. But I do not want to describe any more of her than is necessary to give an antithesis of Him.
He is faithful to His unfaithful wife. He delivered her out of slavery in Egypt. He gave her fresh water when it was bitter. He gave her filtered water when there was none. She ran after other men (foreign gods). He wooed her to Himself with promises of joy and provision, but she would have none of it. He remained loyal to her. He desired to give her the best. He wanted to give her the best foods and deserts. He even desired to give honey from the rock. In a place where there could be no food, he could give honey. He is infinitely sweet to His wife. But that sweetness permits her to pursue her own stubborn design, to walk in her own counsels. Those ways lead to death.
You and I are or can be that unfaithful wife. Lord, You are the ever faithful One! Even now you give me the finest of wheat, figuratively and literally! Help me protect my heart from foreign Gods! They constantly woo me! But only You can satisfy. It is Your glory to satisfy. You are most glorified when we are most satisfied in You! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
LUKE 1:39-56
Ever noticed how women often times seem to be more spiritually sensitive in their spirits than men? Here are at least two cases anyway. Elizabeth feels her miracle baby leap in her womb at the greeting of Mary and she immediately knows it is a leap of joy because John, through the Holy Spirit, knows the mother of Jesus has entered the room. Now how did she know that? Was it just her spiritual sensitivity? Well, certainly that was a part of it.
I mean after all there are cases of men like Lot. Three Angels come to rescue him from certain destruction and they have to almost literally drag him out of town or he would have died. Well, considering his wife and daughters, maybe he isn't too good of an example. Of course there was Barak who wouldn't go into battle unless the prophetess Deborah went with him. Then there is Gideon, who was hiding in a wine press threshing wheat when the Angel of the Lord appeared to Him. The Angel says, "The Lord is with you O mighty man of valor!" Gideon is almost sarcastic with the Angel and before he can really trust the Lord, the Lord must perform 4 different miracles! Then there is Boaz. Talk about slow. No wonder he was so old and never married. Fortunately for him Naomi sensed where God was leading.
As I begin to think about the Scriptural examples, maybe it isn't so much an issue of Elizabeth and Mary being spiritually sensitive (though I think that was definitely a part of it), as it was the tremendous grace of our Lord. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit communicated what she needed to know. This was a one time only event in the history of the human race and God is making sure that everyone gets the right message.
Then Mary having heard all this is overcome with joy that there is at least one other person on this earth who independently knows that what is happening to her is of God. No she did not dream the visitation of the angel. It isn't a desperate psychotic episode that she has thought up to subconsciously explain what is happening in her life. Some one else has had an independent revelation that confirms what she is going through. This is a God thing. Isn't that glorious? The Lord has met her need and confirmed what He is doing! Mary breaks into one of history's most beautiful songs of praise.
I believe that the Lord is constantly doing mighty things for us. His mercies are new every morning, but in order to receive mercy, we must first be in a position where we need it. He does scatter the proud, but they first must have something to be proud about. He does exalt the lowly, but they have to be low first. He does fill the hungry, but if we were not helplessly hungry, we would not recognize that He has helped us. The circumstances help us to see the glory. It is just that we are too often caught up in focusing on our circumstances rather than His glory. It is impossible to be spiritually sensitive when we are focused on our circumstances. God is meeting my need. If I did not have the need, then I would never know that He meets them. Spiritual sensitivity requires recognition of need. That is why we need to meditate on His glory and share it with others. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
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