I sat reading. There was alot to cover in these three chapters. Moses and Joshua go up Mt. Sinai in a cloud of smoke for 40 days and 40 nights. The people think he's dead, so they turn to Aaron and request him to make "new gods to lead us". Aaron crafts a golden calf from the gold that the Israelites had received from the Egyptians on their way out of town. Moses and Joshua come down the mountain with Moses busting everyone and throwing down the tablets with the commandments on them. Moses then melts the golden calf and makes everyone drink it. Then, Moses draws a line in the sand of those that are for God and those against God, leading him to send those for God on a killing spree against those against God killing 3,000 people! After all of this, things start to calm down with the Israelites on the move again. I found two things that stuck out to me in the passages following this series of events.
The first is that Joshua (Moses' assistant and understudy) hung out in the tent where God's presence was all day. It says in Chapter 33 that even after Moses would be done speaking with God, Joshua would stay in the tent!
Second, is that Moses pleads for the people to God and then asks to see God's presence, and here is God's response to Moses in v.17 of chapter 33. "I will indeed do what you have asked, for you have found favor with me, and you are my friend." WOW! What an incredible two statements: "You have found favor with me" and "You are my friend"! This isn't your best friend talking, this is God Almighty! So what was so special about Moses that he could find favor with God? I believe it was a few things.
1) Moses feared God. He talked with God, which we're going to get to in a second, but with a tone of respect and reverance.
2) Moses listened to God. He not only did what God said, but he took what God was saying to heart. It wasn't just instructions to Moses. It was a conversation.
3) Moses spent time with God often. This was to talk, to listen, to complain, to be with God.
4) Moses obeyed God. Even if he didn't understand or even agree at times, he trusted God and obeyed, leaving the results and details up to God.
Just some thoughts to think about. Have a good one guys.
Ron Foster
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