The LORD told Moses to go on from there with the people and said that He would give the land to their descendants. He would continue to lead them by His Angel who would drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and the Jebusites. However, He would not be in their midst in case He had to judge them and condemn them if they disobeyed again (v1-3).
He was not withdrawing His promise about the land they were going to, and their enemies would be driven out, but they were being tested for their love and obedience. This was part of their repentance and restoration. The presence of God was vital to them, but they had to show their love and devotion to Him.
When the people heard this (v4-6), they mourned and were sad, displayed by not putting their ornaments on them. A bit like sackcloth and ashes. This was bad news, and they knew full well that it was their own fault. It was devastating to learn that God’s close presence was not going to be with them. It was time to get right with God and they took steps to do this.
Repentance is not just being sorry; it is walking a different path, and the people were showing that they wanted to do that. It is interesting that the ornaments which they wore were used to make the idol, now they were, in effect, handing them over to God by doing without them.
Moses took his tent and moved it outside the camp, a fair distance and called it the tabernacle of meeting (v7). The tabernacle of meeting which had been described to Moses when he was up the mountain had not yet been built thus, he made his own tent a tabernacle of meeting. The purpose of this was that everyone who sought The LORD had to come outside the camp to Moses and they had to make an effort which would show that they were genuine in seeking The LORD. This was another step in their repentance and restoration.
Whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, all the people stood at the door of their tents and watched him go and when they saw the pillar of cloud descend as Moses entered the tabernacle of meeting. You will recall that the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire were given by God to lead the people on their journeys. This would be an assurance to the people that God had not forsaken them despite their disobedience and accordingly they worshiped at their own tent door (v8-10). Moses was an encouragement to the people to worship God as they saw that he met with and talked with God. We are even told that The LORD spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend (v11). Numbers 12:8 explains this – “I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the LORD.” Moses had not, and could not, see the actual face of God. No one has seen the face of God the Father in glory, and this is why John wrote, No one has seen God at any time (1 John 4:12). God may have appeared in the form of an angel, but we don’t really know, and I am not going to speculate.
This is where we are really introduced to Joshua. He went with Moses up the mountain and had to wait part way all the while Moses went alone to speak with The LORD. Joshua’s devotion to The LORD is displayed again here as he remained at the tabernacle of meeting even when Moses returned to the camp. Moses was an encouragement to Joshua, and he displayed his devotion to God.
Moses then prayed intimately to God and said, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” (v12,13) He wanted to know who God would send and an assurance of His presence. A few verses before, God had said He would not be with them but would send an angel. Moses was not satisfied with that, he really wanted God. He was desperate. He knew that if God was not with them, it would be impossible to go on, he could not lead this people, and he confirms this in v15.
Moses received his assurance (v14-17) and what astounding words – “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Surely that was enough, what more could he receive, what more did he need? Moses replied,“If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” So the LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”
Moses wanted to be sure and in fact he makes a remarkable reply, in effect he is saying ‘If You don’t go with us, I don’t want to go’. This shows how vitally important it was to Moses that the presence of God was with them. Do we crave the presence of God in everything we do and every part of our lives?
Not that he needed to, but he asked God, how would the people know if he had God’s favour unless He went with them. Only God’s presence would mark them out as God’s people. His presence made them a unique people. It was necessary for Israel, as well as other nations, to know this.
God honoured Moses’s persistence and pleading for His people. Moses was a humble man; he knew his dependence upon God and God told him “I know your name’. What reassurance!
We are no different, we are a chosen people and the presence of God in us should display to all that we are His. He knows our names too. Isn’t that amazing! Those who have responded and believed in The Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ have their names written in The Lamb’s Book of Life.
Moses was still not done yet; He asked The LORD to show him His glory (v18). Theologians have said that Moses didn’t really know what he was asking for, yet God was pleased with him asking for this for it showed that Moses was intent on having this close relationship with Almighty God. This hunger for more of God, for more of an experience with God, is a mark of true revival and restoration of relationship. We all ask for personal blessings, but how much do we know of this desire for God himself?
Rather than scolding Moses for asking, God said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” (v19,20) Notice that God revealed to him His goodness. That is His glory. God was revealing His character, which is His goodness.
God said that Moses could not see His face (and that explains what v11 means) but he could see His goodness. He showed his goodness in v 21-23 by shielding Moses’ face – “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.” Moses had to be protected by the hand of God and Moses could see as much as was humanly possible.
There are other instances in Scripture – Isaiah 6 when he had a glimpse of God’s glory which made him recognised how sinful he was. Revelation 1:17 The Apostle John saw some of God’s glory and fell at His feet as a dead man. Paul was blinded in Acts 9 when he saw something of God’s glory.
Let us remember that the Lord Jesus Christ came to reveal God (John 1.14)- “…. the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” The Apostle Paul expands – (2 Corinthians 3:18) “…. we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
We should be more concerned about the glory of God than anything else. We should ‘Do all for the glory of God’
