Some Verses

And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.

And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man at his tent door.

And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou has said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.

Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me know thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.

Exodus 33:9-13

This passage was part of my Bible reading this morning.  One of the things that I love about the Bible is the detail.  The wording of the Scripture is so amazing sometimes.  I believe that every word we have in the Bible was meant to be there.  I also believe that God worded things certain ways very deliberately when He inspired the writers of His Word.  For instance, verse 9 says that the cloudy pillar stood by the door of the tabernacle.  I think that's so interesting.  Why would it say the cloudy pillar stood? Then it says the people saw it stand at the tabernacle door.  I just think it's fascinating that the cloudy pillar is described as standing.  I also think it's fascinating that the presence of the cloudy pillar caused all the people to worship.  I wonder why seeing the cloudy pillar caused people to worship?  I wonder if God Himself was in that cloudy pillar?

Another interesting detail I find in these verses is how it describes Moses as God's friend, and also that God spoke with Moses face to face.  How wonderful it must have been to have such an intimate familiarity with God.  Wow!  Then it says that God knew Moses by name, and that He told Moses that Moses had found grace in His sight!  Imagine standing before God and God telling you you have grace in His sight! WOW!  I know myself that I fail God in so many ways.  I know there's SO much more I could be doing to serve the Lord.  I struggle with sin and with living a consistent Christian life.  And yet, Moses wasn't perfect either, but he came to a place of spiritual victory where he found grace in God's sight.  I find it encouraging that if Moses could get there, it's possible for me to get there too.  I also find it motivating.  I WANT to find grace in God's sight.  I want to be in that right relationship with Him, serving Him, living for Him, so that He can say that of me.  

Another interesting detail is the fact that Moses came out of the tabernacle, but Joshua didn't.  Joshua stayed in the holy place.  I wonder what he did when he stayed? Maybe he was praying?  Maybe he wanted to be close to the Lord?  Maybe he just wanted to stay where God's presence was.

There's so much more in these verses, but the last thing I like is how Moses asks God to show him His way, and asks that he would know God.  A few verses after this we see God placing Moses between the cleft in the rock and covering him with His hand.  Then God passes by Moses and removes His hand so Moses can see His back.  Moses had such a deep desire to see God.  More than anything he wanted to be close to God.  He wanted to be walking in God's way.  He wanted find grace in God's sight.  He wanted to know God.  It's almost like the more time Moses spent with God, the more he wanted to be with Him.  Moses had just spent forty days and nights on Mount Sinai with God while God wrote His law.  Then he spoke with God in the cloudy pillar, but he wanted more. What an example to us of how much we should want to know God. And, I believe the same is true of us.  The more time we spend with God, the more we will want to know God and spend time with Him. Moses was consumed with finding, following, and fellowshipping with God!