At this point in the story of God’s people, the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, and their trust in God was fading. In Exodus 32, we read about their fall into idol worship by crafting a golden calf. This led to God and Moses’ anger at what the people had done. The Israelites had replaced God’s glory with the glory of something they created.
God could have consumed and punished the people in His justice, but He chose not to. Instead, He took His presence away from them and would no longer “go among” them. While this was a consequence of the people turning away, there was also still great grace on display.
God still revealed His presence through a pillar of cloud, which gave the Israelites hope that He had not left them. He continued to meet with Moses “face to face” in the tent as Moses led the people. God would have been right to abandon them because of their disobedience, but instead He continued to be available to the Israelites, the people whom He had chosen.
The people were in a wilderness that, I would imagine, made them feel farther from the Lord than they had ever been before. But instead, God shows them that He will not leave them or forsake them.
You may be in a similar season. You may be walking through a season of life where it seems as if God has (or maybe even should) abandon you. I want to remind you that God is faithful and near, even when it doesn’t feel that way. He has promised in His Word to be with us. We can trust He will keep that promise, no matter what we may do.
Following and Trusting God in the Wilderness
Another thing that we see in this passage is Moses and Joshua’s devotion to the Lord. Moses went to speak to the Lord, and Joshua stayed near the tent where the Almighty was dwelling. These are two men who knew the Lord, trusted Him, and were steadfast in their faith. Through their lives and the stories of these great men, we see God’s blessing and favor on them.
Even in the midst of the wilderness, they were committed to following and trusting His ways. This is an example to us when we are walking through dry, or even full, seasons of life. Being devoted to Christ will bring great reward and blessing, not in a prosperity gospel sense but in the abundance that comes from knowing Christ intimately and being near to Him!.
God is with You in the Wilderness
When you walk through a wilderness season, you can take assurance from these verses that God has not forgotten you. He is near to you and wants to know you. What we know now, thousands of years after Exodus 33, is that Christ came so that we can have direct access to God. Jesus died and rose again, which means that we are not standing outside a tent hoping to get a glimpse of God’s presence. Through the Holy Spirit, we can come to God any day and any time. This should spur us on to a life devoted to Him!
When we walk through the wilderness, we can often think we have to go looking for the Lord, but He is with us. Whether we are sitting in solitude with His Word, driving to work, changing a diaper, or walking the dog, we have a relationship with the God of the universe who loves us and cares for us. Praise the Lord!
