For 40 Days – Day 8: Covenant Renewed: Concepts

Key Episode Scripture: Exodus chapters 32-34

Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. (Exodus 33:11 ESVUK)

Moses spends 40 days without bread or water in the presence of the Lord. He emerges from that experience in such a manner that those who see him encourage him to put on a veil. What leads to this and what’s revealed in this scenario has much to say about who God is and who we are. To explore some concepts, I’ve considered what God is looking for and what this says about reasoning with God.

What is God looking for?

This episode highlights what God seeks in those with whom He has a covenant relationship. He already expects humanity to keep on corrupting, polluting and violating. He requires something different from His people – He expects faithfulness and obedience.

In choosing Israel, He establishes a people distinct from others and for Him based on bearing His character in a covenant relationship. This informs His instructions for what He expects of the people when they enter the Promised Land. It also informs His response to the people in this period, preparing them to be His people in the land He promised. As He purged the world before, so He purges His people now. He does this to get what He’s looking for.

Notice all God has done to rescue His people and establish them in that land. He has not done all that so that His people can give themselves to other gods. It makes the Jealous God factor very reasonable. These are not the expressions of some insecure deity forcing obedience. This is the statement of a righteous God with a rightful claim on the people through the people He rescued. He has not changed from that time to this. He guards jealously over those who are His to retain and reinforce that relationship. He may not appear in a thundering presence that scares people, but he’s no less committed and requires His people to remain in the fold rather than give themselves to other gods.

It’s intriguing that God is doing that with people that He knows are set in a particular way. Yet His commitment to the covenant allows Him to listen and respond to reasoning. Speaking of which …

How we reason with God

Moses is a fascinating figure to study. His interactions, whether with God, the people, or specifically with Aaron, are very informative. The basis of his appeals to God is God’s character and covenant. Though he has the insight to reason and appeal to God, he still desires to know more about God. He’s more than aware that any success in what he does for God is dependent on God’s presence.

To be invested in communion with God to set up a tent of meeting and have a dialogue with God that intimately is set as an example of the kind of relationship God has always desired for His people. It’s never been a case in which God only sought that with one person. It’s how He chooses to engage with us, which makes what Jesus does later on and what those who enjoy life in Christ have a great privilege to experience. This makes it even more tragic when we diminish or overlook the vital nature of how we relate to God.

Next, we will draw some conclusions from this episode based on what we’ve gathered from the context, content, and concepts.

For His Name’s Sake

C. L. J. Dryden

Shalom