‘And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire ….’
What does God look like?
Exodus 20-24
Link to Online Bible to read Exodus 20-24 is here
Exodus 19 saw the mountain where the people witnessed God speaking to them. Thunder (which is like a voice, loud, proclaiming), Lightings, thick clouds, trumpets. Utterly frightening.
But today, reading Exodus 20-24, it repeats that, as God speaks to Moses, giving what we call the Ten Commandments and what the church holds onto like they are still THE thing.
What fascinates me here is that ‘when the people saw it, they moved and stood afar off’. (20:18)
Christians are like this today.
‘I want to hear from God’
‘I want to hear the voice of God’
‘I need a miracle’
‘I want to see the glory of God’
And then, when God speaks, when his power comes, they back off, back into their lives where they hold their money, and covet their family. Where that intensity is for ‘someone else’.
Get Close To God
Who goes all in with God? And does not stand afar off like they did in Exodus 20?
They actually said to Moses ‘you speak to us, we’ll listen to you, but let not God speak with us, lest we die’.
‘Oh Pastor, you hear from God, and just tell me what he says….’
‘Oh Prophet, what is the Lord saying to you…’
Sounds familiar doesn’t it?
It makes my heart hurt. We’re meant to be intimately acquainted with Him.
Jesus said come and let us sup together, the Father, me and you. I mean, WOW!
Moses loved God and the people
But Moses was gentle, he said Fear not; for God is come to prove you, and that HIS FEAR MAY BE BEFORE YOUR FACES THAT YOU SIN NOT’.
The fear of God. In a beautiful, respectful, loving, honouring way.
Exodus 21, 22, 23 elaborates on, really, how to treat human beings, one to another.
People like Abraham and Moses had been living in a relationship with God, they KNEW HIM. It wasn’t ‘obey the law or you’ll die’, it was let us walk together, if you know me, if you love me, you’re going to live the right way. It’s beautiful.
Supernatural experiences with Moses
Now Exodus 24 is fascinating…
Moses, some names, and 70 elders (again with the 70!) are privileged to witness something spectacular.
Exodus 24:10 ‘And they saw the God of Israel, and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness (brightness).’
What an experience. These guys were going to help Moses with these people, now they had a taste of what Moses had witnessed.
And Moses – with his MINISTER JOSHUA – went up to the mount.
Fascinating – Joshua, who we start to see emerge as an incredible man of faith and obedience, serving the will of God, is called a minister. This same Joshua that fought the battles.
God has a way of developing people, calling them.
Today, people just say, oh I feel like I want to be a Pastor, I’ll go to Bible School and get a paid position. Apostle Paul called them hirelings.
When Moses went up onto that Mount to hear God, the children of Israel saw with their eyes, the sight of the glory of the Lord like a devouring fire.
So, not only was Moses with God, the leaders seeing God, now the people were also seeing something incredible.
Witnesses of God
Everyone witnessed it.
You’d think that would be enough for them to have their faith sealed right?
After 30 years involved with Holy Spirit ministry, I’ve seen this time and time again.
It doesn’t seem to matter that God moves powerfully, signs come, that anointing is powerful, the dreams and visions lead. Many walk away and just live their life. People drop off, back to their own focuses, back to a comfortable place. They get offended by something, or get caught in gossip and get distracted by people. They look at their circumstances and want to build their house, not give to God. They lose the vision, and can’t sustain it or build it. But still, they want to ‘get close to God’ and ‘be in his presence’.
Where are the Joshua’s? The ones like Abraham, Moses or Paul.
God, may that be me and you.
