Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.” (Exodus 20:19 NAS95)
Intimacy with God can be scary. Intimacy in general can ferret out fears hidden deep within us. This passage made profound marks on the tapestry of revelation, and its memory in the book of Hebrews encourages us to not neglect, to not refuse the voice of God (Heb. 12:18-25). The people had heard God speak. They did not die. God offered them access to intimacy with Him, but they preferred a mediator. Moses pursues rather than refuses and enters the cloud to seek intimacy with God. Moses repeatedly heard God and continued to live. No harm done. He played the role of mediator, but God’s desire hungered for all Israel to have a similar role in making His goodness known (Ex. 19:6).
Jesus lived in the reality of intimacy with the Father, and He invites us to do the same (Matt. 11:25-30). To be sure, deep in our souls lie hidden fears, even fears that prevent us from coming to our Father at times, but God still desires that we come. He longs that we could distinguish His voice from the many that clamor for our attention both from inside our hearts and our external circumstances. He longs that we would hear the voice of His love toward us in Christ and that in that love we’d remain and live. Experiencing intimacy with God works healing in our souls. Growing in intimacy with God assures we will grow in the experience of His love. Like Moses, let us enter the cloud. Jesus showed us the way.
For Reflection:
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” (1 John 4:18 NAS95)
- When you think of intimacy with God, where does your imagination take you?
- What things show up in your heart that encourage you to approach God and what things are you afraid to share with Him?
