Letter for February 1987

Dear Friends,

The history of the Jews when they were travelling through the wilderness on their way from Egypt to the promised Land of Canaan is fascinating and so full of spiritual instruction. We read this history in Exodus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

In Exodus 34 we are told how Moses went up Mount Sinai with two stone tablets to receive the commandments God was giving for his people. Verse 28 tells us Moses spent 40 days and nights with God on the mountain. When Moses came down from the Mountain his face was radiant (V29). The reason given for this radiance is that he had been speaking with the Lord. It is interesting to note that Moses was not aware of the radiance of his face; it was the people who noticed it.

This radiance was some small reflection of the glory of God. Moses had spent all this time in the presence of God and something of God’s glory had become attached to him. We read in chapter 33 v 12-23 that Moses had prayed that God presence should go with him and that he would see God’s glory, and God had answered this prayer which had come from his heart.

I have one thought I want to leave with you from this history of Moses. It is that spending time in the presence of God means that something of the glory of God rubs off upon us. Being in God’s presence reveals to us our sins and shortcomings, so that like Moses we are not aware that something of God’s glory shines from our lives, but other people see it.

We don’t climb Mount Sinai, but we can come into the presence of God through Christ when we pray and seek God in his Word, the Bible; and worship him in his house in church services. The desire which Moses had must be ours also - the desire to see God’s glory; then to the measure we do this and spend time with God that he may reveal his glory to us, will be the measure which God’s glory will in some small way shine from us.

This reflecting of God’s glory will not like Moses be a radiant face perhaps, but it will be seen in our lives and speech; in our actions arid conversation, for being in God’s presence and desiring to walk in his ways, will mean that we shall more progressively conform to his image and character.

Moses spent 40 days with God. We live very busy lives, and often when we seek God we do it in a hurry. Let us capture a desire for God, and then in our daily living this desire will draw us to find time for him. The more time we spend with him, the more of his glory will be reflected from us to others.

Your servant for Christ’s sake.