The principal action in a life pursuing God is the physical step of turning away from the natural and stepping towards the spiritual. God is performing miracles all around us even today, but you have to notice them and take a step in His direction. My meditation takes me to a similar passage in Luke 24:13-33 where Cleopas and one other follower encountered Jesus but didn’t recognize him. Verse 28 tells us that as they came to their house, Jesus “would have gone on further,” but it was the disciples’ invitation in for dinner that brought the deepening of intimacy and revelation of God’s presence. I like to think that God occasionally dangles the “bait” of His presence and power in front of us to see how we will respond to it. God’s promise is simple, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20

2. Moses responded to God’s instruction (Exodus 3:5)

I love how simple God’s first directive was for Moses. “Take off your shoes,” is such a simple command that some would gloss over it, but for Moses I think it was God’s first test to see how he would respond to more difficult direction that would follow. Luke 16:10 says “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” Don’t underestimate the importance of the first command you hear after an encounter with God. Obviously, Moses followed God’s instructions throughout the Exodus account; our goal in this study is not to trace every time he acted in obedience to what God said, but it’s incredibly significant that God’s commands required more and more faith, the more that Moses obeyed. God won’t start you off with throwing trees into bodies of water that are undrinkable, but if you obey every time He tells you to take off your shoes, then crossing the Red Sea will be just another act of faith filled obedience

God had told Moses that Pharaoh wouldn’t listen, but Moses was staggered by the hate and anger that his Hebrew brothers and sisters poured out on him. His response shows his growing dependence on God and how it has grown just in a few short weeks. Moses is already proving that, no matter what difficulty, he will turn to God to get it fixed. This too is a required step in the journey of a Christian who desires to know God. You can’t draw near if you believe you can solve your own problems. James 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

4. Moses pulled away to pursue God (Exodus 19:3)

Hiking up a mountain for a closer meeting with God seems to be an obvious decision when we read Moses’ story with modern eyes; but for Moses, God had been coming to him at sea level since he met him at the burning bush. What we observe is a steady change in Moses: no longer satisfied with waiting for God to arrive, he begins to seek out his own opportunities to be with God. Several times later, God tells Moses to come up to the mountain; this first time, however, Moses went up freely of his own resolve. Setting aside time and effort to pursue God, Moses’ journey to a face-to-face encounter takes on new heights. Moses doesn’t know it yet, but it is in this same mountain that God later appears in His glory. 

5. Moses interceded for others (Exodus 32:11-13)

I’ve written about the significance of this conversation between the Lord and Moses before, so I’ll quickly summarize my thoughts. God’s nature has many facets: He is perfection, holiness, and judgement. A God with that standard of excellence has to deal harshly with wrongdoing! However, our God is also love, mercy, and goodness. What Moses does in changing God’s mind is not correcting Him, but rather appealing to a different aspect of God’s nature. Moses knew firsthand that God could judge (Exodus 14:26), but He also knew He heals and delivers (Ex 15:26). His prayer was simply a request asking God to look at the situation in mercy. Moses’ selfless prayer for people who persecute and rail on him is a beautiful proof of what change can happen in one’s life when he pursues God. When he was young, Moses murdered out of revenge; now, Moses intercedes against death for the very people who turned against him. (Exodus 32:31-32)

6. Moses simply asked for a deeper relationship (Exodus 33:13-19)

Never underestimate the power of asking: James 4:2 reminds us, “…ye have not, because ye ask not.” What greater gift could you ask of your Father than to know Him better? It is in the space of walking after Him that everything else may be added unto you. 

 ————————————————–

The accumulation of every decision Moses has made finds it’s zenith in chapter 33 when Moses begs God to see His glory. From the fledgling beginnings at a burning bush in the backside of the desert to the mountain top view of God in His glory and splendor, Moses’ journey came one step at a time as he proved his desire to go deeper with the God who is unending.