Thoughts on Exodus 34

Today’s reading: Exodus 34; Ephesians 6

When Moses descends from his second 40-day trip up Mount Sinai his face is shining such that he has to wear a veil before the people to mask the fact that he is literally glowing after spending time with the Lord, and I don’t think the timing and placement of this detail is at all a coincidence in the narrative.

Moses has already spent significant time in the Lord’s presence. He spoke with Him at the burning bush, there were a few times in Egypt that seem to indicate He was interacting with a physical manifestation of God, He has seen God and His angel multiple times along the way to Sinai, He and the elders had a covenant meal in the presence of the embodied Yahweh at the foot of the mountain, and, most importantly, he spent 40 days with Him on the mountain before the golden calf incident. But in none of these accounts are we told that his face was glowing after he left the Lord’s presence. On top of that, Exodus tells us that this was an on-going phenomenon. It’s not clear whether his face just always glowed or if it would fade over time and start glowing again after he spent more time with the Lord, but from here on out, every time Moses comes out from before the Lord, his face is glowing.

So what’s this all about? And why didn’t this happen in the past?

I think the answer is in what we read about, and what I wrote about, yesterday in Exodus 33. In Exodus 33 God tells Moses He is not going to go up in the midst of His people anymore, but that He will send His angel before the people to clear out the land He has promised them. So Moses has the chance to lead the people up to Canaan and lay hold of all the blessings God has promised them, but he refuses to go if God is not with him. Moses chooses that he would rather have the relationship with God at the cost of blessings than have the blessings at the cost of the relationship with God. And this is the point, after which, Moses’ face begins to shine after he has spent time in the Lord’s presence.

This is often how our relationship with God is built. We have some level of knowledge about and experience with God, and we have some depth of relationship with Him, but then at various times we will be brought to points of decision. The Holy Spirit begins to convict us of that sin we have been holding onto, and we have the choice to respond and set that sin aside or to try to quiet that voice of the Spirit against our conscience and continue on as we have for so long. We have a chance to step into some area of ministry that God has opened for us, but maybe it is out of our comfort zone and would be a big, long-term time commitment. We are presented with a new job opportunity that would big step up financially and great for our career, but would require we step back from something God has previously called us to. We face a time of suffering and can choose to draw near to God for comfort in the midst of our pain and confusion, or to turn to the things of the world to distract us and mask our pain.

In each of these decision points, and so many others, is the opportunity to trust God and to value our relationship with Him over our own desires, fears, and aspirations. In each of these decision points is the opportunity to lean more fully on God than we ever have, or to step back from Him and decide that our own ways are better than His. And it is in these decisions that we find real depth in our relationship with God.

Many Christians desire the closeness and joy of the presence of God that others around them seem to experience, but they aren't willing to take the practical steps toward God that build trust and facilitate depth in the relationship. Too often we desire the blessings more than the relationship, and specifically the blessings we have decided are best over the blessings that our good and loving Creator and Father desires for us.

While I can't promise that your face will start shining every time you sit down with the Lord, I can promise (because God promises) that when we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. The more faith we are willing to exercise in our pursuit of God, the more intimately we will experience His life and presence within us.

So what is holding you back, today, from knowing Him that much more deeply? And are you willing to hand that over to Him and decide to value the relationship with Him above all else?

You know my heart, Lord, and you know the things that hold me back from you. Give me the clarity to see things the way you do and to more often and more fully choose to go your way and trust in your goodness in all things, so I can know you more deeply and experience your presence more fully.