ENCOUNTER OF MOSES

“The people stood afar off, Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was” Ex. 20:21

Greetings to you on behalf of the family of Shalom Family Enrichment Mission. May the good LORD bless you and your family, and hold your hand and lead you throughout this month. In Exodus, chapter 20, we read about the children of Israel witnessing the awesome and mighty presence of God, seeing and hearing the thunder, lightning, noise of the trumpets and the mountains smoking. The Holy Spirit points out the reaction of the people when they saw the mighty presence of God – ‘they stood afar off’. They said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen, but let not God speak to us, lest we die” (Vs.19). Because of the sin hidden in their heart, they never wanted to hear the voice of God directly; they could not face God; they could not come into His presence; they wanted a representative. To enter into God’s presence is not easy. One has to be washed by the blood of Jesus Christ to enter into His holy presence. When people responded like this, it was Moses who drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

BENEFIT OF HEARING HIS VOICE.

In Exodus 23:20, Moses says, “Give heed to Him, listen to and obey His Voice; be not rebellious before Him or provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgression”. The LORD says, “I will send an Angel before you” In order to lead a blessed life, you need to have God’s protection in and around you. As you journey every day without God going in front of you, you cannot be victorious or become a conqueror. You have to walk with God and He has to lead you by going before you. Even to Moses the LORD said, “My presence will go before you, and I will give you rest” If God has to go before you, you have to please Him in everything and not do things against His commandments and commission. There is always a conflict between the spirit and the flesh. You have to be led by the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, and walk in the spirit so that you do not fulfill your desires of the flesh. We, His children, have to be cautious every moment to obey Him and do what pleases Him.

GOD’S PROTECTION

When we walk with the LORD, He gives us a lovely promise “I will take away sickness from your midst” (Vs.25). When you serve the LORD, not only will He bless your bread and your water but will also take away sickness from your midst. The simple way to maintain a good health is to fear Him and serve Him. The Lord wants us to obey His Word and live a healthy and perfect life doing service for Him.

WORTHINESS

God permitted Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and seventy Israel’s elders to come up and worship Him but allowed only Moses to come near Him (24:1,2). Out of so many thousands of people only one person was allowed to come near the LORD. Imagine how much commitment this one man Moses would have had towards the LORD. His entry into the presence of the LORD is directly given to Moses alone! All the others are forbidden! About Nathaniel, Jesus said. “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false” About Job God said to Satan, “There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” Can God say something like this about you and me? As a family, we should be able to come to the holy presence of the LORD God Almighty.

GOD’S MAGNIFICIENT PRESENCE

As Moses went up to the holy mountain to meet the LORD, a cloud covered the Mount. The magnificent glory covered the mountain and Moses. What an experience! Alone with God! Every time we go into His presence alone, He covers us with His presence and we interact with Him as a Father and Son. How blessed we are! A strong relationship is built through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God is so gracious to us that He wants each and every one of us to taste His glorious presence so that we can enjoy our fellowship with God just as Moses enjoyed.

Moses, the man of God, was commanded by God to receive the Ten Commandments which the LORD had written with His own fingers. But Moses was with the LORD forty days and forty nights. Before God can use us and make us a blessing to others, God wants us to be with Him and spend our time with Him.

MOSES MEETS GOD

God chose Moses right from the time he was born. Though many of the children who were born at the same time when Moses was born, were killed. But God turned the situations in such a way that he was growing in the house which wanted him to be killed. God was with Moses as He chose him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. And now Moses, who was faithful in God’s work entrusted to him (Numbers 12:7), enters God’s presence and God starts speaking to him. Exodus 33:11 says, “And the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” This is the greatest experience of a child of God on this earth. You and I have to trust this same God who spoke to Moses can speak to us face to face even today.

Let us also long for this heavenly encounter with the LORD. Do not think this is impossible. If we meet God every day in daily prayers and desire to seek His face (Ps. 27:8) and love Him truly, He will reveal Himself to us. “The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth” Ps. 145:18. Long for a heavenly encounter with God.

Prayer: Lord, give me a heart to have a heavenly encounter with You as Moses did. In Jesus’ Name I beg. Amen.