23/2/18 – Exodus 33:7-23, Exodus 34 Mark 7:1-30 Psalm 25:8-15

Ex 33:9-10

When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the LORDa would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door.

Can you imagine what this must have been like? Whenever Moses would go to speak with God, people would stand at their tent doors and watch Moses go into the tent of meeting.

When He went in the pillar of cloud appeared and everyone would fall down and worship.

Amazing!

One thing that really struck me, people knew when Moses was speaking to God. It was obvious – there were great signs taking place.

People can’t see that about you. There is no procession to your quiet time – no pillar of cloud. But your access to God is no less than Moses.

We are not like the people outside the tent of meeting – because of Jesus the veil has been torn, the Holy Spirit lives in each of us.

That was a powerful time, when Moses was speaking to God. It’s a powerful time when you do too.

Mark 7:5-8

And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;

in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

I’ve covered this same event in the book of Matthew and I don’t want to repeat what I said there – but there is something about the way Mark records this which is very interesting.

He quotes Isaiah and says that He was speaking about the Pharisees and the scribes. That they honour God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him.

That their worship was in vain – and that they were teaching man’s rules as commands of God.

This is a question we should all ask ourselves. Does our heart match what our lips say? Is our devotion to God more than lip service?

Its your worship in vain or is it in Spirit and in truth.

Are you more concerned with man’s rules and not Gods?

I’d hope we know the answers to these questions and that the answer would encourage us. But still, it’s good to the pause and ask them honestly.

And if we don’t like the answer… then at least we’ve confessed it and we can set about changing it.

Ps 25:14

The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

Friendship and fear. It seems like these two thing should not go together. But they do.

Those who fear the Lord are those who understand who He is. For He is almighty, all powerful and Lord of all. When you get a revelation of how big He is, fear is the correct response. Not a negative fear, but a healthy fear.

He makes known to those who fear Him His covenant – or the secret of the Lord – He shares His plans with those who fear Him because those who do, treat those plans with the respect they deserve.

God shares what he’s doing with His friends and those are those who fear Him.

It’s like been friends with the Queen. You could be a close confidant – she will only share things with those that she’s close to. But those thats’ she’s close to are those who never forget, that despite the friendship she is still the Queen. Without that respect – the friendship isn’t real.