I've been thinking a lot about Moses lately. The guy had an interesting life, to say the least.
The funny thing is that if you read about Moses' adventures in the Bible, he wasn't always such a pleasant or willing chap. I get the feeling that he was a bit of a short-tempered grouch, and prone to go off on his own little tangents.
When raised up as one of the most powerful men in Egypt, He got mad with someone and killed an Egyptian.
When God instructed him to simply touch the rock in the desert with his staff, he got mad with someone and hit the rock.
When he came off the mountain from a meeting with God, he got mad with someone and smashed God's freshly-inscribed commandments onto the ground.
He was always getting mad with someone and then doing something stupid in his anger.
Anyways, it's an absolute wonder that God managed to reign in this wild man, and do something useful with him. Clearly it wasn't Moses' own eloquence and bravado that made him the great man that we know in history......?
No. I believe it was one thing.
Relationship.
I am fascinated by the relational encounters that Moses had with God, in a time where relationship with the Great Yahweh was not something someone sought after. In fact, the Israelites feared God,which is why they chose to have a mediator, instead of hearing God's voice themselves...... Moses was that mediator. (Exodus 20 vs 18-19)
And I think to myself, why on earth would a person choose to put anything or anyone between themselves and God...? Remember, this was before the Ark of the Covenant, and before the Tabernacle, which are two concepts that only resulted after Moses' ascent up Mount Sinai. They still had the choice of hearing that Almighty Voice for themselves.
Moses must have had a terrifying time of things. Burning bushes. Blinding light while being wedged into a rock. Storms on a mountaintop. And yet, because of his relationship with God, Moses knew His Gentleness enough to be able to encourage the Israelites, "Do not be afraid...." (Ex. 20 vs 20)
I'm just rambling really, I just love the trusting relationship that this simple human being had with a Big, Almighty, Booming-voice, Glorious God.... I was listening to a special song this morning, and what I was really pondering over was the fact that Moses was instructed to remove his sandals at the burning bush, because he was standing on holy ground. And I know that it's generally accepted that removing one's shoes on supposedly holy ground is meant to be a sign of reverence or respect, even fear. But what if....... what if.........
What if God just wanted Moses to take his sandals off, and... connect. To be intimate with God Almighty. To touch the ground that Yahweh Himself is touching. What if it had nothing to do with reverence, and everything to do with relationship.......?
Oh, I'd like to think so. I really would. In fact, I think I do.......
Jonathan David Helser sings......
"I've seen I Am,
And now I know I am loved......"
Listen to the rest of these powerful words HERE. And while you do, I hope you will allow yourself to dream, Fellow Inhabitant of this Planet: Dream that despite yourself, there is a Big, Almighty, Booming-voice, Glorious God who wants to meet...... with you.
Why don't you turn around....... Take your shoes off. Say hello.
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