And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
After Israel's idolatry with the golden calf, God answered Moses' earnest, unselfish pleading by pledging to go with him Himself and give him rest on the way to Canaan. That pledge meant Moses would not be left alone but would be accompanied, guided and strengthened to succeed, with the cloud by day and fire by night as its visible token and with Christ Himself as the invisible Leader speaking in the cloud. It was the sign that Moses and Israel had found grace in His sight and were set apart from all other peoples, joined to a fuller revealing of His merciful, gracious and forgiving character. The same pledge belongs to God's workers still, going before them and guarding them behind, and it is worth more than all earthly power, skill or learning to give success and power to their words. Those who cast their burdens on Him as Moses did, walk in His way and keep His commandments, will find unfailing guidance, support and rest of heart instead of carrying their load in their own strength.
Context and Meaning
The promise was God's friendly, face-to-face answer as a friend to Moses' earnest, urgent, persistent and unselfish intercession for Israel after their sin in making the golden calf. Moses prayed because he felt deeply unworthy and unfit for the great work to which he was called, knew that to have influence with the people he must first have power with God, realized his only help was in God, and would not let their transgression cut them off, but took the people with him and held firmly and steadily to the point. He cast himself and all his burdens fully upon God and poured out his soul before Him, pleading not selfishly and with intense earnestness that the Lord would go with him, despite discouragement from their envy, jealousy, murmurings, disputings, complaints, perversity and stiff-necked resistance. God read the sincerity and unselfish purpose of his heart, did not rebuke him as presumptuous and showed no displeasure, but tested and proved the quality of his love and faith, communed with him without reproof, and favored his appeal with the assurance that the divine presence would go with him and give him rest.
The setting was God's forbearance after the idolatry at Sinai, when three thousand had fallen by the sword and plague had broken out in the camp. God withdrew His presence from Israel as a people and would no longer accompany them in their journeyings lest He consume them as a stiff-necked people, giving further evidence by having the temporary tent of worship removed afar off from the camp so that He would reveal Himself to Moses but not to such a people. Yet they were not left without hope, because Moses called the tent outside the camp the tabernacle of the congregation where all who were truly penitent and desired to return to the Lord could confess their sins and seek His mercy. When the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the entrance to meet with Moses, the people wept for joy and rose up and worshiped every man in his tent door, taking it as a token that his intercession was accepted and they would not be utterly consumed.
The promise of presence and rest was for the journey to Canaan, meaning God Himself would accompany, guide, strengthen and not leave Moses alone to face the work, assuring success in leading a difficult work where separation from God would mean no victories. That accompanying presence was made evident by the token of the cloud resting on the tabernacle and by the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night guiding Israel's journeys. These visible signs reminded Israel that the living God was near, assured them of His favor, helped Moses lead them and gave him evidence to urge them to do what is right. The presence showed Moses and Israel had found grace and favor in God's sight, and it set them apart and distinguished them from all other peoples, so Moses regarded it as essential and asked not to be led onward without it.
The assurance was joined to a revelation of God's character as merciful, gracious, patient, truthful and forgiving, keeping mercy for thousands while not clearing the guilty, enabling Moses to declare God's goodness and teach Israel about their invisible King. The promise was fulfilled by giving Christ as Israel's invisible Leader through the forty years in the wilderness, guiding their travels, showing where to encamp, communicating God's will and purpose through Moses and instructing them, and the One speaking with Moses in the cloud was the only begotten Son of God. Moses' intercession also serves as a type of Christ, the great Intercessor whom the Father always hears, since Moses prevailed by humble, earnest intercession with dependence on God's presence rather than human fidelity.
The assurance did not satisfy Moses but emboldened him to press nearer for stronger assurance of God's abiding presence and to ask to see God's glory, continuing to seek a closer knowledge of God and pleading for the people as well as himself. He could have that presence because his forty years in the wilderness had put away self and made room for God, and he knew he needed God's glory to help carry the great work, to meet Satan's opposition, and to meet the terrible results if God left Israel to hardness and impenitence. He had no confidence in himself, made the God of Israel his Strength and Leader, took no adoration for himself, told Israel to give God the honor for victories, and still waited unsatisfied knowing he did not yet have the presence in full measure. God did not rebuke that further plea as presumptuous but honored his faith by putting him in a cleft in the rock, passing by and revealing His glory, so that the reflection shone from Moses' face when he returned that the people could not look on him and he covered his face with a veil.
Promise for God's Workers
The same assurance given to Moses belongs to those called to serve, with divine presence accompanying workers and servants on their work, going before them and guarding them behind, enabling faithful service wherever they are sent. It belongs in particular to all who work in Christ's place for people who are afflicted and suffering, and to those who minister to a difficult people through the wilderness as Moses did. It belongs to those who go forth as workers together with God and co-laborers with Jesus Christ in the Southern field, who plead with God as Moses did for grace, to be shown His way, to know Him, and for Him to own His people, until the promise burns in the heart and is kindled on the lips and is presented with earnestness at the throne, bringing the outpouring of the Spirit upon the devoted, consecrated worker. It belongs also to God's people in 1896 when they honor Him as Moses did and serve Him with a perfect heart, for obedient servants are honored with His presence.
The rest means those who commit their burdens to the Lord as Moses did will find rest in Him, with unfailing guidance and support as they depend on His counsel and press onward in obedience. They are not required to carry their burdens in their own strength. That rest comes to those who walk in His way and keep His commandments, for divine love brings rest to the heart, and surrendering the will to God and serving others makes life's burden light.
That presence was of more value to Moses than the learning of Egypt or all attainments in military science, since no earthly power or skill or learning can supply the place of God's immediate presence, and it assures success in the work so the worker is not left to face it alone. It gives confidence, strengthens the fainting heart when heartsick and burdened and fearful of being left to human wisdom, and gives power to words spoken for God. It accompanies workers to make an impression on hearts, to walk in their midst with power, and to enable steady effort to bring souls hungering for truth into light, especially those partly blind to the importance of the time and work.
It calls believers to come with the same faith as Moses, to humble the heart, to seek God earnestly, to stand as on the borders of the eternal world, to grow in knowledge of God, to gather rays of divine glory and press back darkness, and to wake up to responsibilities and holy privileges. Strength must be taken directly from Christ the Fountain Head by becoming acquainted with Jesus, knowing His love, and taking hold of Him by faith, instead of reaching out to human agencies for strength to meet the opposition Satan devises in the world. Anyone sent to speak God's words must have that same presence in order to speak only what God gives, to urge God's people to seek the Lord while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near, for without being imbued with the Spirit no good can be done in the work. Coldness and lukewarmness are an offense to God, and unless people walk in Christ's light Satan blinds their eyes so they call light darkness and darkness light.
After Israel's idolatry with the golden calf, God answered Moses' earnest, unselfish pleading by pledging to go with him Himself and give him rest on the way to Canaan. That pledge meant Moses would not be left alone but would be accompanied, guided and strengthened to succeed, with the cloud by day and fire by night as its visible token and with Christ Himself as the invisible Leader speaking in the cloud. It was the sign that Moses and Israel had found grace in His sight and were set apart from all other peoples, joined to a fuller revealing of His merciful, gracious and forgiving character. The same pledge belongs to God's workers still, going before them and guarding them behind, and it is worth more than all earthly power, skill or learning to give success and power to their words. Those who cast their burdens on Him as Moses did, walk in His way and keep His commandments, will find unfailing guidance, support and rest of heart instead of carrying their load in their own strength.
Context and Meaning
The promise was God's friendly, face-to-face answer as a friend to Moses' earnest, urgent, persistent and unselfish intercession for Israel after their sin in making the golden calf. Moses prayed because he felt deeply unworthy and unfit for the great work to which he was called, knew that to have influence with the people he must first have power with God, realized his only help was in God, and would not let their transgression cut them off, but took the people with him and held firmly and steadily to the point. He cast himself and all his burdens fully upon God and poured out his soul before Him, pleading not selfishly and with intense earnestness that the Lord would go with him, despite discouragement from their envy, jealousy, murmurings, disputings, complaints, perversity and stiff-necked resistance. God read the sincerity and unselfish purpose of his heart, did not rebuke him as presumptuous and showed no displeasure, but tested and proved the quality of his love and faith, communed with him without reproof, and favored his appeal with the assurance that the divine presence would go with him and give him rest.
The setting was God's forbearance after the idolatry at Sinai, when three thousand had fallen by the sword and plague had broken out in the camp. God withdrew His presence from Israel as a people and would no longer accompany them in their journeyings lest He consume them as a stiff-necked people, giving further evidence by having the temporary tent of worship removed afar off from the camp so that He would reveal Himself to Moses but not to such a people. Yet they were not left without hope, because Moses called the tent outside the camp the tabernacle of the congregation where all who were truly penitent and desired to return to the Lord could confess their sins and seek His mercy. When the cloudy pillar descended and stood at the entrance to meet with Moses, the people wept for joy and rose up and worshiped every man in his tent door, taking it as a token that his intercession was accepted and they would not be utterly consumed.
The promise of presence and rest was for the journey to Canaan, meaning God Himself would accompany, guide, strengthen and not leave Moses alone to face the work, assuring success in leading a difficult work where separation from God would mean no victories. That accompanying presence was made evident by the token of the cloud resting on the tabernacle and by the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night guiding Israel's journeys. These visible signs reminded Israel that the living God was near, assured them of His favor, helped Moses lead them and gave him evidence to urge them to do what is right. The presence showed Moses and Israel had found grace and favor in God's sight, and it set them apart and distinguished them from all other peoples, so Moses regarded it as essential and asked not to be led onward without it.
The assurance was joined to a revelation of God's character as merciful, gracious, patient, truthful and forgiving, keeping mercy for thousands while not clearing the guilty, enabling Moses to declare God's goodness and teach Israel about their invisible King. The promise was fulfilled by giving Christ as Israel's invisible Leader through the forty years in the wilderness, guiding their travels, showing where to encamp, communicating God's will and purpose through Moses and instructing them, and the One speaking with Moses in the cloud was the only begotten Son of God. Moses' intercession also serves as a type of Christ, the great Intercessor whom the Father always hears, since Moses prevailed by humble, earnest intercession with dependence on God's presence rather than human fidelity.
The assurance did not satisfy Moses but emboldened him to press nearer for stronger assurance of God's abiding presence and to ask to see God's glory, continuing to seek a closer knowledge of God and pleading for the people as well as himself. He could have that presence because his forty years in the wilderness had put away self and made room for God, and he knew he needed God's glory to help carry the great work, to meet Satan's opposition, and to meet the terrible results if God left Israel to hardness and impenitence. He had no confidence in himself, made the God of Israel his Strength and Leader, took no adoration for himself, told Israel to give God the honor for victories, and still waited unsatisfied knowing he did not yet have the presence in full measure. God did not rebuke that further plea as presumptuous but honored his faith by putting him in a cleft in the rock, passing by and revealing His glory, so that the reflection shone from Moses' face when he returned that the people could not look on him and he covered his face with a veil.
Promise for God's Workers
The same assurance given to Moses belongs to those called to serve, with divine presence accompanying workers and servants on their work, going before them and guarding them behind, enabling faithful service wherever they are sent. It belongs in particular to all who work in Christ's place for people who are afflicted and suffering, and to those who minister to a difficult people through the wilderness as Moses did. It belongs to those who go forth as workers together with God and co-laborers with Jesus Christ in the Southern field, who plead with God as Moses did for grace, to be shown His way, to know Him, and for Him to own His people, until the promise burns in the heart and is kindled on the lips and is presented with earnestness at the throne, bringing the outpouring of the Spirit upon the devoted, consecrated worker. It belongs also to God's people in 1896 when they honor Him as Moses did and serve Him with a perfect heart, for obedient servants are honored with His presence.
The rest means those who commit their burdens to the Lord as Moses did will find rest in Him, with unfailing guidance and support as they depend on His counsel and press onward in obedience. They are not required to carry their burdens in their own strength. That rest comes to those who walk in His way and keep His commandments, for divine love brings rest to the heart, and surrendering the will to God and serving others makes life's burden light.
That presence was of more value to Moses than the learning of Egypt or all attainments in military science, since no earthly power or skill or learning can supply the place of God's immediate presence, and it assures success in the work so the worker is not left to face it alone. It gives confidence, strengthens the fainting heart when heartsick and burdened and fearful of being left to human wisdom, and gives power to words spoken for God. It accompanies workers to make an impression on hearts, to walk in their midst with power, and to enable steady effort to bring souls hungering for truth into light, especially those partly blind to the importance of the time and work.
It calls believers to come with the same faith as Moses, to humble the heart, to seek God earnestly, to stand as on the borders of the eternal world, to grow in knowledge of God, to gather rays of divine glory and press back darkness, and to wake up to responsibilities and holy privileges. Strength must be taken directly from Christ the Fountain Head by becoming acquainted with Jesus, knowing His love, and taking hold of Him by faith, instead of reaching out to human agencies for strength to meet the opposition Satan devises in the world. Anyone sent to speak God's words must have that same presence in order to speak only what God gives, to urge God's people to seek the Lord while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near, for without being imbued with the Spirit no good can be done in the work. Coldness and lukewarmness are an offense to God, and unless people walk in Christ's light Satan blinds their eyes so they call light darkness and darkness light.