Now therefore, I pray you, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways so that I may know You, becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, recognizing and understanding Your ways more clearly and that I may find grace and favor in Your sight… And the Lord said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” And Moses said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with me, do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that Your people and I have found favor in Your sight? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we are distinguished, Your people and I, from all the other people on the face of the earth?” (Exodus 33:13-16)
Generation on fire, I greet you in the name of Christ the brightest Morning Star.
As I sit to write this word, I am consumed by images of God’s glory and stories of His presence throughout the bible. I am thinking of Moses in the cleft of the rock and the picture of God’s goodness passing by him. What would God’s back have looked like? What would His presence have felt like? I imaginatively travel to Solomon’s dedication of the temple where a cloud of smoke, representing the glory of the Lord, filled the temple, and the priests could not enter because of it. I recall the burnt sacrifices where fire from heaven consumed the offerings – oh what power and what glory!
The Holy Spirit has kindly interrupted my reflection to remind me that the glory of God has never been greater or more present than it is today. For the first time since the beginning, the great mysteries of God have been revealed to His children. We have the books from Genesis to Revelation, God’s word has never been more alive and kicking. It has also never been this accessible. It is not in an arc covered by a golden mercy seat. The Cherubims no longer spread their wings over God’s word, and the curtains do not conceal the presence and glory of God. The Almighty Yahweh is no longer confined to the Holy of Holies, upon the death of Christ the veil was ripped from the top to the bottom. By the resurrecting power of Christ, the Spirit of God spread and blanketed the earth for all who are willing and hungry to see it. Despite this remarkable occurrence, we fail to see God’s glory, much of our lives remain empty of His presence and like paper planes, we often float in whichever direction the wind blows. It follows that something is wrong, a blockade of sorts exits that prevents us from interacting with God’s immanent glory.
Hebrews 10:19-22 instructs us; “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” We know this call, we feel this strange push to draw close to God but still do not make tangible steps or record needed progress. A.W Tozer paints this picture when he says that we believers have consented to abide all our days just outside the Holy of Holies and never enter at all to look upon God. We stand close enough to claim proximity but too far for any real intimacy. This hindrance has been embroidered and blended into the fabric of our faith that we no longer recognize its presence. Call it a second veil if you will, it is not the veil that Christ’s death tore but one that now covers our heart and blocks the light, hiding the face of God from us. This veil is none other than the sin of self, it is self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-love, self-admiration and a multitude of other selves that covers our eyes from focusing on the most important thing which is God.
Self is the opaque veil that hides the face of God from us. It is what disqualifies us from interacting with the ever-present cloud of His witness that surrounds us at all times. However, there is hope as this veil can be removed. For the elect, this is a continuous process until we’ve run our earthly race, or Christ returns for us His Bride. To say this process is difficult is an understatement, we do not just wish it away, rather it can only be lifted through consistent spiritual exercise. In our experience, this veil is our entire being, it is living spiritual tissue that when touched with the scalpel yields blood and angst. To rip it out is to scream in agony but to do otherwise is to keep Christ on the cross in pain. There is no greater effort than that done to remove the veil of self, this is why we require special equipment. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). Only God and His word can do this work in us. Our part is to yield and trust that His knife will masterfully excise this self-veil as we look at Him and Him alone.
In this word, we see Moses who by every indication has spent his life on the operating table of God. Every challenge and every task forced him to lean on God more. With each step he took, another small but significant portion of his self-veil was excised by God. The pain was excruciating but the result was a laser focus on God. While the others heard thundering and loud noises from the mountain, Moses heard and saw God with perfect clarity that provided the ten commandments. He knew the torment of reducing himself so that God could increase but also grew the confidence to ask God to reveal himself. Christ did not enter the Holy of Holies by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12). His crucifixion tore the veil and ensured that anyone can access God. If we are to enter into fellowship with God, we must also crucify ourselves, not to deliver our own salvation as Christ has already done but as the way to see God’s glory in today’s day and age. “We must insist that the work be done, and it will be done. The cross is rough, and it is deadly, but it is effective. It does not keep its victims hanging there forever. There comes a moment when its work is finished, and the suffering victim dies. After that is resurrection, glory and power, and the pain is forgotten for the joy that the veil is taken away and we have entered in actual, spiritual experience the presence of the living God.” (A.W. Tozer, Pursuit of God).
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
I come before You with a heart that longs for deeper intimacy with You. Just as Moses sought Your presence, I too desire to know You more intimately, to walk in Your ways, and to experience the depth of Your love and grace. I acknowledge that without Your presence, I cannot move forward. Lord, if Your presence does not go with me, I do not want to take a single step.
I pray, Father, that You would remove every veil of self, every barrier within me that hinders true fellowship with You. Clear my mind and heart of anything that keeps me from fully encountering Your presence. Help me to recognize and understand Your ways more clearly, and to walk in the favor that only comes through a relationship with You. Let nothing in me stand in the way of Your will, and may I be fully surrendered to Your guidance.
Father, just as Moses prayed, I too ask for Your presence to go with me, that it may be evident to the world around me that I am distinguished as Your child. May Your presence be the mark of my life, and may I find rest in knowing that You are with me, leading and guiding me every step of the way.
Thank You, Lord, for Your grace, Your favor, and the privilege of knowing You. I long to be close to You, to draw near to You, and to experience the fullness of Your presence. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.