The Moses Princple–Wanting more of God

As I do a Google search for “Moses Principle,” I find mostly articles on the leadership style of Moses. This model is sometimes called the Moses-Aaron leadership style. However, when my pastor did his sermon the past weekend, he talked about a different Moses principle. It really got me thinking. What is this particular principle? It’s centered around Exodus 33.

Exodus 33

This chapter comes at a point in history when Moses had been up on Mount Sinai with God. God gave Moses lots of information and guidelines. He also instructed Moses on a lot of the Jewish laws. In fact, it was this trip where Moses came down with the tablets with the Ten Commandments engraved on them. Unfortunately, Moses was met with the whole “golden calf” incident–the people basically got impatient waiting on Moses to come down from the mountain, that they decided to go ahead and make their own “god.”

After this incident comes Exodus 33. About halfway through the chapter, the “Tent of Meeting” is described. This was a place where Moses would actually go and talk to God face to face! No one else could go there but Moses. My pastor brought up the image of yellow police tape surrounding the tent so that no one could enter. In this particular meeting, Moses was given the command to vacate the land they were occupying. Moses trusted in God’s protection so much that he requested that God goes with them. In fact, what he said was:

¹⁵ Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. ¹⁶ How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

Moses trusted God. God actually replied in the next verse:

“I will do the very thing you have asked,because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

I’d love to hear God say that to me! Not only did He say that He would do as Moses requested, He also said, “I know you by name.” We hear this throughout the Bible, especially in the Psalms, that God knows everything about us. We learn that God knows the very hairs on our head and knew us before we were “knitted in our mother’s womb.” But, to hear Him say that directly to me would be absolutely incredible. I would be on the top of the world!

Are you getting enough of God?

As I read this passage, I wonder how it will get any better. In a society where goals are prevalent, I would say to myself that I have reached the end of my growth. I didn’t need anything else. This was the top, most pivotal point of my life with God. I see it all the time when people stop attending church because they “are pretty good with God.” I’ve seen people stop going to Bible study because “they could teach the class themselves.” Others speak almost as if they have put in their church ours for their lives and can get no more out of seeking God. How many of us reading this right now are in that spot?

Here’s the thing. You’re not finished. There is always more to God than we can even fathom! There’s a depth of wisdom that we can only see the surface of while we’re on this earth web link. So, what makes us think that we can be done? Moses himself, who spent all this time face to face with God, was not done! God literally spoke to him and told him that God, the creator of the universe, knew him by name! God entrusted Moses with the tablets of the law that are still known to this day as the Ten Commandments. But…he didn’t have enough of God. Let’s look at the next verse:

¹⁸ Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

My social media response to this:  “!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”  I could never be so bold as to ask God that and expect Him to display it. I couldn’t handle it! Can you even imagine what it would be like to see God in all his glory? To be surrounded by it? After having more time with God than I can ever dream of, he asked for more.

How my dog teaches me to want more

I have a red bone coon hound that is a rescue. When we first got him, he was in very poor health. He had been beaten and neglected, so when I even reached out to pet him, he would run away. He would sit in a corner and shiver and drool before he said hi to me. But, then I started providing for him. He started to relax when he knew he could count on me for food, shelter, and even affection. When he hears my car pull into the driveway, or hears my voice, he perks up in a way that really brightens my day. He has come a long way and now trusts me. He doesn’t worry about where the food will come from; he just knows that I will provide it.

In fact, now, it seems that he can’t get enough attention from me. He will follow me around until I look at him. Once I look his direction, he will happily wag his entire body (not just his tail) and come close to me so that I can pet him. Once I start petting him, he leans with his entire body on my arms and legs–almost as if he was trying to get absolutely as close to me as he can. And then he leans even more and almost wraps his body around me. He wants more and more contact with me.

Do you treat God with that much trust and anticipation? Do you long for him to look your direction so you can see his face? Do you lean on his everlasting arms and try to connect your entire being to him? Do you want more?

Know that God pursues you. He will show His glory (what you’re allowed to see of it) if you seek it. Ask Him to show you the way. Know that God is not finished with you, yet, and that we are never, ever done learning about God.