Exodus 29:42
"For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the LORD. There I will meet you and speak to you."
Exodus 33:11
"The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun DID NOT LEAVE THE TENT."
Oh, LORD, I could have missed You today! I could have missed what You wanted to speak to me today. Thank you, thank you, thank you for stopping my feet in my tracks, sitting me down at my table and opening up Your Word to me today.
Bible study had me looking at Joshua and how He learned about God from Moses. He was Moses' aid in the wilderness. He never left His side. The scripture above is smack dab in the middle of telling us that anyone who wanted to approach the Tent of Meeting -- God's temporary dwelling -- to inquire of the LORD could most certainly come. But the scriptures tell us that the people didn't approach, they didn't come near. They stayed away and waited for Moses to speak with the LORD as a friend and then come back and tell them all the things that God had said. But Joshua? Oh, Joshua came near alright! He went with Moses into the Tent of Meeting. Watched the dialogue going on between Moses and God. But when Moses left to tell the others what God had said, Joshua hung out!! He stayed. What happened in those moments? Who knows! But I do know that God would never invite anyone to come near and then not speak to those who were bold enough to do so!! Oh the things Joshua and His LORD must have talked about! Oh the things Joshua must have learned sitting in that Tent and listening for the Word of God!
Wouldn't you just love to know what God said to Joshua? I'm sure it was a very specific Word for his very specific inquiry. Just as surely as God invited anyone to come and inquire, we are even more personally beckoned to come -- and come boldly!!
"Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]." (Hebrews 4:16 AMPLIFIED)
I surely don't want to be with the one's who were hanging outside the Tent of Meeting at a distance, on the fringes, to hear what God had said to someone else. I don't want to be JUST like the Israelites who were told that they could approach the Tent of Meeting and inquire of God just like Moses. But they didn't. They hung back and waited for someone else to experience His glory and then hopefully they would have the pleasure of having him share what God said. The study I was doing this morning had this commentary:
"We are people of the new covenant -- people to whom God has offered a surpassing glory (2 Cor 3:10). Yet, like the children of Israel, much of the body of Christ still stands back and watches those they consider truly anointed draw near God's glory...Never settle for a secondhand relationship. Joshua wasn't satisfied with a distant glory. He wasn't satisfied to live his relationship with God secondhand through that of Moses. Joshua learned his lessons well...Joshua's great faith was born in the presence of God."
My, my, my! Is that good OR WHAT? Whatever I do in this life, wherever I go...I don't want to miss the specific Word God has for ME and opt just to hear what He has said to someone else! I don't ever want to leave the tent!!
"LORD, I want to hang out in Your presence long after those who minister to me have gone on to minister to someone else. I want to be there hearing You speak...to me AS A FRIEND, One Who deeply loves! LORD, help me APPROACH boldly, DRAW near, REMAIN in You....because You are most definitely in me, LORD and You are most certainly the hope of any glory I may see in this day and the days to come."
Blessings,
Dori
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