In God's Presence

BSF resumed for me and the last lesson had it's impact because of what we had been studying during camp. The BSF lesson we have this week is on Exodus 33:7 - 34:35.

This is the time just after the Golden Calf incident and so the tent of meeting had been pitched a distance away from camp (33:7), signifying the gap that separates sin and God. Whenever Moses entered the tent of meeting, a pillar of cloud would appear at its entrance and the people stood and worship.

Moses actively seeks God's presence. In Exodus 33:15 Moses told God that the Israelite community will not go and conquer the promised land without the presence of God. It is the presence of God that makes the Israelite community different from their pagan enemies for "What else will distinguish [them] and [the] people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" (Exodus 33:16)

How many of us actually go about our daily lives with the presence of God? Do we actively seek the presence of God to be with us each day just as how Moses resolved only to move on with God's presence? What makes us different from our society?

We had a question that had me thinking. How close are we to God? When we desire someone, we spend time with that perseon, we think of this person a lot, we talk to this person a lot, we try and get to know this person, we talk to other people to find out about this person, we share the same interests, probably even have a similar lifestyle and may even eat the same food as this person. The list just goes on. If we desire God, we have to actively seek after Him, just like how we seek after people that we like.

Skipping forward to the end of Exodus 34, Moses emerged after seeing God's glory with a radiant glow on his face. He was oblivious to it. But people around him kept their distance because of his radiance. Maybe real spiritual people won't know that they're very spiritual. Anyway, being in the presence of God will result in us radiating his glory, which is the sum of his character and attributes. Each time we enter in His presence, we reflect Christlikeness and we behave in a Christlike manner.

The study of these 2 chapters gave a new meaning to the phrase 'in God's presence'. In the light of Moses and the studies at camp, I'm sure God is asking me to seek his presence.