Monday, June 24

To download an audio version of this, click here.

Exodus 33:12-13

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.”

When one of our sons was about 3 or 4 years old he developed a fear of going into dark parts of the house by himself. If we were all in the family room and he had to go upstairs, he would stand at the foot of the stairway and look up into the darkened second floor of our home until either his Mom or I walked up the stairs with him. The same scenario would take place if he wanted to go into the basement. We would say really helpful things like, “It’s OK buddy; it’s just the basement; you’ve been there a thousand times. Just go down the stairs and flip the switch, you’ll be fine!” But he would just look back at us with apprehension in his eyes and say, “I’m scary, Daddy, I’m scary.”

So, eventually, one of us would walk with him part way up or down the stairs and then he would go the rest of the way by himself. After some time we would only have to go to the bottom or top of the stairway and he could navigate the rest of the way. Finally, the time came when he would just look back at us and we would just make eye contact and nod our heads, as if to say, “You can do it!” and off he went. 

So it was our physical presence at first; and then, later, just the look on our faces; that allowed our son to muster the courage to complete the journey that he found unsettling and frightening.

In a way we see the same thing in the life of Moses.

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 may recall from our study from a couple of weeks ago that God called Moses to do very unique and difficult job! The first part, confronting Pharaoh and leading God’s people out of Egypt was hard enough; but the second part, leading them into the Promised Land, was proving to be an even greater challenge! The journey was long; the people were rebellious; there were obstacles along the way; and Moses basically says, “I’m scary God, I’m scary!”

So Moses asks God for help. 

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.”

I notice three things about Moses’ request. First, he starts by affirming his relationship with God. He knows and trusts that God knows him by name; that is, knows him not just in a generic sense but in a personal sense. So before Moses asks God for anything, he acknowledges a deep and intimate relationship that God has already offered to him.

The same is true for us. The Bible teaches that God knows each one of us by name. We’ll talk about the significance of names later this week, but for now, as hard as it is to fathom, God wants you to know that he knows who you are and that he knows you.

Second, I notice that Moses expresses a desire to find favor with God. He wants to please God; he wants to obey God; he wants to do what God wants him to do. All too often when I pray, or when I hear others pray, we are really trying to get God to do what we want him to do instead of asking him what he wants us to do. Moses wanted to do what God wanted him to do.

Finally, I notice that Moses can’t help reminding God of his responsibilities! He says, “Remember that this nation is your people.” In other words, “Remember, God, that all this was your idea in the first place, so, it’s really in your best interest to help me out a little here!”

I love how honest Moses is with God! He doesn’t pretend he knows what he’s doing; he asks for help. He doesn’t cover up his frustration that God has not yet promised to go with him; rather, he challenges God to hold up his end of the deal. By this point in his life Moses has learned that he not only can be honest with God, but that a relationship with God requires honesty.

So here’s what we learn from this part of Moses’ story: God’s call sometimes leads us into some scary places. He calls us to serve or give or reach out in ways that stretch our comfort zone. We can feel inadequate or afraid or hesitant. But we see in this story that when he calls us God also promises to go with us! Finally, we see that God invites us into a personal relationship with himself that both allows for, and requires, complete honesty.

Pastor Brian Coffey