Exodus 34: 29-35
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the
covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because
he had spoken with the Lord. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses,
his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses
called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him,
and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he
gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. 33 When Moses
finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he
entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he
came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been
commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil
back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.
Title: Serve Humbly
and Shine
Message: Our
regular communion with God and obedience to Him make us shine. There’s no
amount of accomplishments can be considered greater than serving God our
Father. Moses communed with God for 40 days and he came out of the clouds
shining that people got stunned. Others even set distance from him. Moses did
realize that but instead of making self-declarations, he covered himself with a
veil, an act which according to Matthew Henry is a manifestation of meekness. He
served God and the people. He has been favored by God. He was chosen to lead.
He remained humble nonetheless.
Promise to Claim: God’s
provisions sustain His people and it’s our meekness and obedience that enable
us to avail of those. Our radiance manifests as we serve God and practice
humility.
Command to Obey: Obey God
and do what He wants us to. Just like Moses, let ourselves remain humble
despite all that we have achieved. Let us neither boast about the favor
extended to us nor on the good we have done but let people themselves realize those
for at the end of day, it’s God who determines our deeds and rewards.
Warning to Heed: Guilt of
sin set us apart from God and the anointed ones. Aaron and the people could not
stand Moses’ radiance because they were guilty of sin, hence their running away
from the former.
Application: I will
keep in mind Moses’ example – to remain humble no matter what. Yes, to keep my
feet on the ground and stay approachable despite my accomplishments because those are nothing in the eyes and standards of God.
