2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
We continue today on the path the Lord directs through citations that reveal Him as Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is there. It is clear to me that the Lord wants us to see how He has been there for mankind throughout their history and that He is still with us today and in the future. There are some great lessons in the Scriptures He directs me to share.
If my understanding is correct, God always tells us exactly what and how much we need to know in order to conform to His will. He wants us to make that choice, so that human agendas won’t get in the way of what is in our best long-term spiritual interests. By the time that EX 33 came about Moses had been serving his commission for awhile. He had led the Jews out of Egypt, crossed the Red Sea with them, received and delivered the stone tablets with the ten commandments, seen the Tabernacle in the wilderness constructed, and had endured the golden calf incident. Now, the Lord commanded Moses and the people to leave Mount Sinai. As usual, the people began to grumble and complain. EX 33: 11-17 gives us insight into not only the relationship that Moses had with Jehovah Shammah, but the mercy of His presence that all the people had. “The Lord would speak with Moses face-to-face, just as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp. But the young man who was his helper, Joshua son of Nun, stayed in the Tent. Moses said to the Lord, ‘It is true that You have told me to lead these people to that land, but You did not tell me whom You would send with me. You have said that You know me well and are pleased with me. Now if You are, tell me Your plans, so that I may serve You and continue to please You. Remember also that You have chosen this nation to be Your own.’ The Lord said, ‘I will go with you, and I will give you victory.’ Moses replied, ‘If You do not go with us, do not make us leave this place. How will anyone know that You are pleased with Your people and with me if You do not go with us? Your presence with us will distinguish us from any other people on earth.’ The Lord said to Moses, ‘I will do just as you have asked, because I am pleased with you.’”
When we look at this passage, it is hard to miss the love of the Lord and the mutual respect that is present in this relationship. Jehovah Shammah is not only present, but He is eager to be a “working Partner” with Moses in getting the job ahead done. He knew that this job was difficult, even more than Moses did, but He also knew Moses was the right man to work with Him and get it done. What made Moses the right man? Just look at the humility in his attitude toward God. Not only that, but Moses had enough understanding of the big picture (even through it was less than God’s omniscient understanding) to recognize that God’s presence and His central position in the ideal Jewish lifestyle to know that this would separate the Jews from all other people. The issue of separation in this context begs to be understood. What was at its basis is that all the other nations were practicing idolatry and believed in multiples gods that didn’t lead to righteousness and eternal life. God created the Jewish nation to set them apart on a road that led to eternal life. Moses was willing to take what he understood and act on that. He did not allow what he didn’t understand to ruin His relationship with Jehovah Shammah. We need to examine our own relationship with God to determine how we deal with what we understand and what we don’t. These same principles apply today, just as they did in Moses’ time. We need to know and appreciate that God really is there with us in our own lives and that He is eager to make us “working partners” with Him.
Long before Moses was on the scene, God revealed His presence with and love for the Jews. GN 15: 13-14, “The Lord said to him [Abraham at the time He was making the Abrahamic Covenant with him], ‘Your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land; they will be slaves there and will be treated cruelly for four hundred years. But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and when they leave that foreign land, they will take great wealth with them.’” Someone with less understanding that Abram had at the time might have complained about his descendants being made slaves of the Egyptians at all. However, Abram’s faith (already justified in GN 15: 6) was strong enough to trust in the ultimate righteousness of God’s plan. He didn’t have to understand every detail to know that He needed to be Jehovah Shammah’s “working partner” in it. He also never felt the need to question that Jehovah Shammah was with him. We need to ask ourselves if we are in the habit of questioning either God’s righteousness or His presence in our lives. Reading about people like Abraham and Moses, with whom we know God was pleased, gives us a basis for comparison with our own lives and a direction for how to make the necessary changes in them should we need to bring our lives closer to conformity with the example these men set for us.
DT 4: 37 is the repetition of a message which brings great comfort not only to Jews but to all believers. “Because He loved your ancestors, He chose you, and by His great power He Himself brought you out of Egypt.” While the ancestors of Gentile believers weren’t slaves in Egypt, this slavery can be a type for any kind of slavery to sin. That is why it is often said that the work of Christ on the cross was the price paid to buy us out of slavery to the marketplace of sin. Jehovah Shammah in his second person was there for us all! When we are faithful, we are truly a blessed people!
PRAYER: O Lord, the path you take us on is designed to help us recognize and appreciate Your presence in our lives. These citations are like a great treasure chest loaded with spiritual wealth to which You have given us the key. Each time we read about people like Abraham and Moses, You reveal more about what pleases You, so that we can use these lessons to improve our own lives. You would have never stood by mankind in the face of all the disobedience and disrespect they have shown, if You didn’t have patience, compassion, and love. If we personally have tested those traits in You, then we openly confess our sin today before You. We dedicate ourselves to being more trusting, faithful, and obedient beginning right now. The people You esteem are ones that know You give us just what we need to know to be victorious over sin; they do not let what they don’t understand ruin their relationship with You. Instead, we will learn from the examples of men like Abraham and Moses what changes we need to make in our own lives to please You. We humbly decree, Dearest Jehovah Shammah, that You and Your agenda will become our first priority in life. To that end, we offer You our adoration, worship, loyalty, trust, obedience, honor, glory, praise, and thanksgiving. In Christ’s holy name, amen.
Tomorrow, I am led to continue looking at the citations to which Jehovah Shammah is leading us. This is a path that is full of His light and the warmth of His love for each of us. Follow it with me and know that it is my prayer that You will always feel His light and love in your lives. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn