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glorious contrast to the obscene worship of the golden calf! Here is no visible image, just
a small tent, and the cloudy pillar to indicate the presence of the Lord.
This peculiar prerogative of Moses is mentioned more than once, to show how
specially favoured and honoured he was:--
"If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make Myself known unto him in a
vision, and I will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful
in all Mine house. With him I will speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in
dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold" (Numb. 12: 6-8).
It is among the last things said of Moses, at his death, that "there arose not a prophet
since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face" (Deut. 34: 10).
Moses now faces the altered conditions, and seeks of the Lord guidance and renewed
assurance: "See Thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people, and Thou hast not let me
know whom Thou wilt send with me. Yet Thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou
hast also found grace in My sight" (Exod. 33: 12). Here we are permitted to hear the
communion of Moses with his God. How blessedly simple, intimate and direct it is!
Moses neither overrated his own abilities, nor under-estimated the task before him. How
was it possible, he argued, to reconcile such a task with the favour in which he stood with
the Lord? So he continues: "Now, therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found grace in Thy
sight, show me now Thy way, that I may know Thee, that I may find grace in Thy sight:
and consider that this nation is Thy people" (verse 13).
Let us observe that Moses does not tell the Lord what to do, nor does he even voice
his own conscious need of the Lord's presence, but just asks, "Show me now Thy way",
adding, as an additional plea, "Consider that this nation is Thy people".
There is no reference in the Lord's first answer to the "way" or the "people", but He
met Moses' initial fear and need by saying: "My presence shall go with thee, and I will
give thee rest" (verse 14). Moses had before him, perhaps a task more gigantic than has
ever since fallen to man to perform, but here, at the outset, he is assured of rest. From
now onward he may enjoy a continual sabbath, for the word for rest here is used by the
Lord in Exod. 20: 11. So, when Moses responded to this gracious word of God, he did
not speak of "bringing" up the people of Israel himself, but of the Lord "carrying" them:
"If Thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence" (verse 15).
"I will give you rest."
Here service takes on a new form--a more blessed form--it becomes fellowship. We
cannot do better than turn to Matt. 11: to obtain an illustration of the principle set forth
here. The whole setting of this chapter is one of doubt, disappointment and triumphant
trust, John the Baptist had sent from prison saying: "Art thou He that should come, or do
we look for another?" The generation that had seen the Lord's miracles and heard His
words is next compared to fractious children who will neither mourn at funerals nor
rejoice at weddings. The cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida are rebuked for their unbelief,