The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. (Exodus 33:11 NIV11)
I love hearing a verse like this in the Old Testament. Moses spoke face to face with God — He experienced a deep and relaxing comfort in his relationship with God. Acceptance. Moses found not only insight to lead Israel from these times, but he also discovered God’s loving embrace and encouragement characterized their times together. This engendered courage in Moses so that he had the strength to handle the difficulties that inevitably came his way.
Face to face may well express heart to heart. Moses not only revealed his deepest concerns, he understood God’s greatest desires and acted upon them. As such God called Moses faithful in all His household (Num. 12:7). This level of relationship Moses enjoyed with God resulted from regular practices in which he intentionally engaged. The context in which we find this verse speaks of Moses pitching a tent outside the camp so he could focus on meeting with God, away from the crowds and demands. Face-to-face, one-on-one, heart-to-heart. Moses so habitually used this place for conversing with God that it became known as the “tent of meeting” throughout the camp. Moses’s habit built a life that lived-out being loved by God and loving others out of God’s resources.
God recognizes that getting to know Him takes time so He desires regular time with you!
For Reflection:
“Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually.” (Psalms 105:4 NAS95)
- How easily do you reveal your deeper longings or concerns to God? What is it like for you to be fully authentic before God? How does God interact with you in those moments?
- When you think of conversing “face to face” with someone, what images do your carry of those kinds of conversation? How do you experience God in those same ways?
