Face of God!

For Saturday, March 1, 2025:

Exodus 33:3 NLT: The Lord said to Moses: “Go up to this land that flows with milk and honey. But I will not travel among you, for you are a stubborn and rebellious people. If I did, I would surely destroy you along the way.”

God forgave the Israelites for the golden calf incident, but he did not forget. In his mind, he has put these people in the “stubborn and rebellious” category. Their decision to follow the Lord doesn’t seem to be a “forever decision.” Their minds could change as the wind blows! Nonetheless, God will honor his half of the agreement. God’s word can always be trusted.

As they traveled, Moses would set up the Tent of Meeting some distance from the main encampment. There God would meet with Moses and his helper Joshua. At that time, the people would pray in front of their own tents.

Now Moses was a human, just like all of us. He had seen a burning bush, fire on the mountain and a pillar of cloud leading their journey, but he had never actually seen the Lord. Curiosity gets the best of him, so he asks, “Show me your glorious presence.”

God offers Moses a solution. “Look, stand near me on this rock. As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.”

Christians still battle this dilemma as we evangelize, asking newcomers to believe in a God they can’t see. Oh, there’s plenty of evidence of intelligent design. Consider the vast universe, our four seasons growing crops to feed us, and the complexity of the human body, to name a few things. Like Moses, we’ll never see God’s face, but it’s easy to know he exists.

We are saved by grace through faith. Grace is the goodness of our merciful God. Faith is belief and trusting in a God that we can not see. He’s there for each of us!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship