GETTING IN GOD'S FACE

“Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth” (Exodus 33:15-16).

Have you ever had someone “get in your face”?

I used this title, a play on words, to get your attention and if you’ve read this far, it worked. Let me explain.

In Exodus 33, God commands Moses to leave the desert of Sinai and head toward the Promised Land. There was a lot going on with the Jews at this point. Not long before, Moses had led the Jewish nation through the Red Sea and out of Egypt. And Moses had just been up on the mountain for an encounter with God that resulted in the Ten Commandments. Meanwhile, down in the camp, the people threw a wild party which ended up with their creating an idol, a golden calf. The Jews were partying by mimicking the lifestyle and behavior of the pagan tribes around them, not realizing that copying the unrestrained behavior and idolatry of the pagans brought them into open ridicule in the eyes of their enemies.

Moses came down off the mountain and heard and observed the wild behavior of the twelve tribes. What happened next is what some of my southern friends describe as a “come to Jesus meeting”—Moses was so ticked off by the foolish behavior that he smashed the tablets the Ten Commandments were written on.

Moses quickly brought order back to the encampment and then went before the Lord to make atonement for the sins of the people. This was not a happy revival meeting where singing, dancing and worship prevailed. At least 3000 died by the sword of judgment because of the foolishness of the people.

Moses interceded on behalf the nation and God accepted his appeal. God then told Moses to lead the children of Israel to the land where, according to His promise, His Presence would go with them (v. 14) and Moses countered with the appeal of Exodus 33:15-16. Simply put, Moses was saying, “If Your Presence does not go with us, then don’t let us move. We are the people of Your Presence. It is Your Presence that separates us from everyone else on earth.”

How do we understand this appeal of Moses? If God is everywhere, what was Moses asking for and why was he worried?

We know that God is omnipresent, that He is everywhere, and that is not what Moses was talking about. Moses was asking for God’s presence to be evident, tangible. He was asking that the blessing and favor of God rest upon Israel and be seen by those who opposed them.

It is interesting to note that the Hebrew word used in Exodus 33:15 for presence (paniym) is the same word used in Psalm 44:3 for face or countenance.

“It was not by their sword that they won the land,
nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
and the light of your face (paniym), for you loved them.”

Moses knew that without the blessing of the Lord upon the tribes of Israel, they could never possess the Promised Land. The Jews were not the best warriors, nor were they the most numerous, and left to their own devices they could never have taken and subdued Canaan. Moses knew that it was only when the favor and blessing of God rested on Israel that they were distinct, different from all the other peoples on earth, and only then could they be successful and walk in victory.

Today’s American church is a timid church, not ready to go to war! We have lost our boldness in God and have largely lost His favor. The church has been built on the business models of the world, the overdone concept that we need to be more culturally relevant; and, for some, on the misguided idea that God has destined the truly righteous to be successful according to earthly standards. The western church is not living in victory—we talk about it, we try to define it but we are not living in it—except in our dreams!

Am I just another “mad prophet” who is angry at the church, angry at anything that looks like success in the kingdom of God? No, I don’t think so! When I see the church and ministries consumed with strategy, money, success and numbers, and then observe that PRAYER is the least talked-about and least-done thing in the church, I get afraid. I get afraid because I know what is in store for the prayerless, partying, powerless and Presence-less church…disaster lies ahead! The prayerless church is open to plundering by the enemy; the prayerless church will make tragic mistakes; the prayerless church is open to false teaching; the prayerless church is impotent; the prayerless church is not a victorious church! The unrestrained and Presence-less church of today is being openly ridiculed by the secular community.

We need to be in God’s face; that is, we need to have His tangible blessing in our midst. What makes us different is God’s presence, His face shining on us. Only then will we see real victory.

“May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face (paniym) shine upon us,
that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.” (Psalm 67:1-2, NIV)

It’s time to get in God’s face. Your future depends on it!