February 19 - Nº 50 Exodus 32:30 – 34:35
Moses knew how angry God was with the Israelites for making a golden calf and worshiping it. So the next day he climbed the mountain and begged God to forgive them. “If you can’t forgive them,” he said, “please just blot my name out of your book.” The Lord replied, “I will not blot your name out of my book, but I will blot out the names of the people who sinned against me.” God sent a plague and many of the Israelites died. God told Moses to lead the rest of the people to the land He had promised to give them. He added, “I won’t go with you, but I will send an angel to guide you and to drive out all the sinful people who are already living there.” The people were upset when Moses told them what God had said, and they began to mourn. They realized how much their sin had cost them. God was no longer going to lead them or live with them. Moses had a lot of questions and concerns about what had just taken place and how it would affect the future of the nation. He needed to talk to God, so he went to the Tent of Meeting, a special place outside the camp where he and God often met privately. When Moses entered the tent, a pillar of cloud always came and stood at the entrance. It signified that God had joined him. This time as the pillar of cloud met him, Moses begged God, “If I am your friend, and if you are happy with me, please come live with us and lead us again. If you refuse to, then we might as well just stay here because we will be no different than any of the other nations.” God answered Moses, “You are my friend, and I am pleased with you, so I will do what you have asked.” Moses had one more request: “Please show me your glory, God!” So, God told Moses to stand in a crevice on the mountain, and sure enough, He revealed Himself to Moses! No longer hidden by a cloud or smoke, the very presence of God passed by the crevice. Moses could not look directly at God’s face, or he would have died. But Moses was able to see the remainder of God’s glory after He had passed by the crevice. Then God told Moses to chisel out two new stone tablets and bring them to the top of the mountain. When Moses arrived, he worshiped God. He stayed there with God for another forty days and nights writing down all the laws and commandments that God had for His people. During that time Moses didn’t eat or drink anything. God personally took care of Him. When he was finished writing, Moses took the tablets down to the people. He wasn’t aware that his face was glowing from all the time he had spent with God. When the Israelites saw his face, they were afraid. After he finished reading all the commandments to them, Moses covered his face with a veil. He kept the veil on and only took it off when he went back into the tent to be with God.
Do you have a special place you meet with God?
Do you go to Him whenever you have important life questions? Or do you just try to make it through life on your own? The more time we spend with God, the more He will reveal about Himself and His plans.
