One of the questions we’re faced with more and more at the end of the 20th century, as we interact with other people, in this multi-faith, multicultural society of ours, is, ’how is our understanding of spiritual things different from that of others?’ More particularly how is our understanding of God different from theirs? If we think that Christianity is unique, that it’s different from the other religions of the world, then where does that difference lie? It’s one of the common questions that people will raise when you’re talking to them about your faith. Why should I believe in your God when there are all these other Gods out there? Why can’t I just find the good things in all the world’s religions and come up with my own way of worshipping God?
Well, in today’s reading from Exodus, we find something about the God of Israel, and the God of Christians, that I believe is unique. We find described here, a God who breaks down all the stereotypes of the vengeful God of the Old Testament and who at the same time shows himself to be so different from the gods of human imagining.
In fact the picture we get of God in this passage is no different from the picture given throughout the book of Exodus, but here it’s all brought together.
But first, lets look at the context in which the passage is brought to us. If you were here a couple of weeks ago you may remember the episode with the golden calf. Do you remember how in Moses’ absence the people convinced Aaron to make a god for them out of their gold jewellery: a golden calf that they could worship as though it were the god that had brought them out of Egypt? And do you remember how angry God was at what they had done? At the way they’d so quickly forgotten what he’d said to them about making images to worship?
Well, as a result of that act of disobedience, chapter 33 begins with God telling Moses to start off again for the promised land, but that God wouldn’t be going with them. Instead he’d send an angel to show them the way. This, he says in v4, wasn’t because he was trying to punish them. Rather, it was for their own good, because he’d seen how stiff-necked they were and if he went with them he might end up destroying them on the way because of some further act of disobedience. Do you remember how he was about to wipe them out in ch. 32 when Moses intervened and pleaded for mercy on their behalf? God could see that the same thing was likely to happen again, so it might be better if he wasn’t with them.
Well Moses isn’t put off by what’s really another test of his leadership. He tells the people to take off all their ornaments as a sign of repentance and perhaps also because their ornaments are a reminder of the golden calf, and he pleads with God to change his mind and go with them. But notice the basis on which he asks.
First he pleads that God will go with them on the basis of God’s call to him. He says "You called me to lead these people to a place that I will show you and you haven’t yet showed me where it is." In other words, you can’t go back on your promise now. You promised to lead us, so keep on leading us. Then he pleads on the basis of God’s assessment of Moses himself. He says (v12): "You have said "I’ve found favour with you", so keep on leading me and teaching me so I’ll keep on finding favour in your sight. Don’t leave me now, I’m only just getting the hang of it!" Thirdly he pleads, as he has before, on the basis of God’s choice of Israel: He says "Remember that this nation is your people." He says "If you’re not going to go with us, it’d be better for us to stay where we are." He seems to be thinking "At least here we can talk to God on his holy mountain."
Then we find the first thing that distinguishes God from all other Gods. He tells Moses he will do as he asks. Why? Because he’s pleased with him and, what? Because "I know you by name." God is a God who knows us by name. That is, who has a personal relationship with his people. Di and I went to a function at Di’s school the other day to farewell the outgoing head. And as I walked in I looked around and there was no-one there that I recognised. But then as I looked further I saw one or two people that we’d had dinner with some time ago and I could even remember their names. The rest were total strangers but there was something comforting about knowing that there were 2 or 3 people whose names I knew, because knowing their names indicated some sort of relationship. Now I don’t want to take that idea too far because there are obviously plenty of people in this day of world news reports, whose names I know but with whom I don’t have a personal relationship. But that’s the idea behind this expression of God about Moses. Moses is referred to elsewhere as the friend of God. And the fact that Israel as a nation was known as God’s special people was also a sign that God had chosen to form a personal relationship with them.
Well, having gained a reprieve for his people, Moses now does an amazing thing. He figures, if God is going to have a personal relationship with him, if he’s really pleased with him, then why not go the whole hog? Why not ask God to let him see his glory? Who can blame him? Who wouldn’t want to see God’s glory?
And here’s another amazing thing: God says yes! He’ll let all his goodness pass before him and he’ll proclaim his name in Moses presence. As if it wasn’t sufficient to know that God knew Moses by name, God agrees to make the relationship two way by telling Moses his name. It’s a bit like a formal introduction that he’s going to make. But notice that although God is going to reveal his glory to him, Moses still can’t look on God’s face. While it’s true that God forms a personal relationship with his people, he’s still God, and while we live in imperfect bodies in an imperfect world, it’s not possible to look on God’s face and live. God is a God of such purity that nothing impure can exist in his presence.
If you explore the other religions of the world and their concept of God, at least those that have a concept of God, this is one thing that you’ll find in common: that God is a God of awe; a God of power and majesty, who should be approached in fear. Often God is someone who needs to be placated by gifts and sacrifices. But you see, that’s only half the story. As we go on we discover a far different view of the nature of God, as he reveals himself to us through Moses. In fact the manner of his revelation tells us something about God straight away. He says, you can’t look on my face and live, so I’ll put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I’ve passed by and then you will be able to see my back. That’s all Moses could take, so that’s all God lets him see. He protects him with his own hand. There’s something very personal about that isn’t there?
But the real revelation of the nature of God comes about when Moses goes back up the mountain the next morning and God does what he’s said he’ll do. He comes down in the cloud and proclaims his name before Moses. In fact he proclaims far more than just a name doesn’t he? The name he proclaims is more a revelation of his nature. I wonder is this the picture of the God of the Old Testament that you’re used to: (Exo 34:6-7 NRSV) The LORD passed before him, and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by no means clearing the guilty, but visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation." Merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. The stereotype of the God of the OT is the bit about by no means clearing the guilty, but visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation. It’s a picture of a vengeful God who takes out his anger not only on those who have sinned, but on their children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. But we forget that that’s only when those people refuse to acknowledge their sin and ask for forgiveness. For those who do that he’s a merciful and gracious God; a God who is slow to anger, who keeps steadfast love until the thousandth generation. Why do people remember the judgement that passes to the 3rd and 4th generation but forget about the love that lasts until the 1000th generation. That might as well be forever, mightn’t it. Yet that’s how long God’s promises are good for. We mustn’t lose sight of this. God is angry with people’s sin. There’s no two ways about it. The wages of sin is death. As we’ve seen in this short history of the exodus, time and time again he pronounces his judgment on Israel’s sin. But at the same time God provides Moses as a mediator for the people, to plead God’s own mercy, on the basis of God’s former promises. He’s so far from being a vengeful God that you wonder where anyone could get the idea from. Rather he’s a God who is gracious, long-suffering, abounding in love. A God who desires not the death of a sinner but that they should repent and live. The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 6:23)
This is where our God is unique. Because he’s a God who appoints a mediator between him and his people to plead for mercy and forgiveness. More specifically of course he appoints his own Son, Jesus Christ to be the mediator between God and us. And in Jesus’ case he pleads not just on the basis of God’s mercy. He pleads on the basis of God’s mercy fleshed out. That is, he pleads on the basis of his completed work on the cross. God is compassionate and gracious to us in that he provides the way that the judgement that’s rightly ours can be removed, by Jesus taking our place.
Finally, here’s another way that our God is unique. God says to Moses, "Yes, I will go with you. I’ll lead you and I’ll drive out your enemies before you." God is a God who dwells with his people. The symbol of that is the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, that goes with them. The next few chapters are made up of instructions for constructing the tabernacle and the things that are to go into it and for regulating the religious life of the people to ensure that they remain faithful to God. But the book ends with this beautiful description of the cloud covering the tent of meeting and the glory of the Lord filling it. And whenever the cloud filled the tabernacle they’d stay put. When the cloud lifted they moved on and the cloud or the pillar of fire went before them. It’s a picture of God coming down to live among them, to be with them on a permanent basis. In Numbers 2 we’re told how the camp was set up with the tabernacle in the middle and the twelve tribes arranged in a circle around it. It’s a picture of God being at the centre of their life together, regulating when they move on and when they stay put. Some of the pagan mythologies had stories of gods coming down to earth, and occasionally even mating with human beings, but always the gods would return to heaven. But here God dwells with his people on a permanent basis.
Our gospel reading today gives the same picture: (John 1:14 NRSV) "And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth." It’s an image right out of the exodus isn’t it? Jesus comes to live among us and we behold his glory, just as Moses beheld God’s glory, full of grace and truth. Our God is a God who comes and dwells among his people. He appears in human form to reveal God’s glory to us in a way that we can handle. And he still dwells among us today. Jesus told his disciples (John 14:16-17 NRSV) "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor, to be with you forever. 17This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you." That is, God comes to dwell with his people permanently in the person of his Holy Spirit, guiding us, supporting us, comforting us, chastising us when we need it.
So how is the God of the Bible different from the gods of other religions? He’s different because he’s a God who forms a personal relationship with his people; he different because he’s not only a God of justice, an awesome God of power and might, but he’s also a merciful God, who in his love and mercy provides a mediator to plead for us on the basis of God’s own mercy and who in his mercy provides a way out for those who call on him for forgiveness; and he’s different because he’s a God who comes to dwell with his people on a permanent basis. Who gives us his own Spirit to indwell each one of us.
This is the message of the Exodus: God is a God who rescues his people, who continues to love them and forgive despite their repeated rebellion, and who chooses to come and dwell among them. This is in fact the message of the whole Bible, and the message of the gospel. God, in all his purity and majesty, is also a God of love and compassion who sends a mediator, Jesus Christ to provide a way for us to be forgiven and brought back into God’s presence and who sends his Spirit to dwell in our hearts until such time as he comes to take us to be with him forever.
So let’s not be confused by the multitude of gods beckoning for attention. Rather lets hold on to the God who has revealed himself to us in his Word, and let’s continue to thank him for his love and graciousness towards us.
