Skip to main content

Don't Wanna Go!

“Don’t wanna go!”  You hear that from kids.  If they don’t want to go somewhere, they can make that abundantly clear.

Adults often share that feeling but they might couch their reluctance in a more diplomatic term such as:  “I would prefer not to”.  Sometimes they even choose to hide how they really feel by using phrases like:  “I’m too busy” or “I already have a commitment”.

Moses was not a kid but an adult.  He didn’t wanna go and he didn’t even try to hide his reluctance!  In fact, he clearly expressed it in very direct terms:  Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.  (Ex 33:15)

Ok, to be fair, it wasn’t an issue of Moses not wanting to go; he just didn’t want to go if God’s presence wasn’t going with him.  Moses was astute enough to know that if the Lord’s presence was not with him (and with the people of Israel), things could go sideways very quickly. 

One commentator put it this way in interpreting the passage:

“Let us (Moses and the people of Israel*) rather live and die in the wilderness, with thy presence and favour, than go into Canaan without it; for even that promise of rest I regard not unless thou be with us, and accept us. Thus he shows how highly he valued the special presence of God. He dreaded the very thought of going forward without it.”  (Benson Commentary)

Julie Holmquist used some more contemporary words when she wrote this from her study of the passage:

“God’s presence provided direction and comfort. He was valiant in their midst to fight off their enemies. He provided safety, strength and joy. It was His presence that set them apart from all the other peoples of the earth. His presence solidified their identity as His chosen people.” 

 

To put it all in KISS** type wording that usually resonates with me:

            “I don’t wanna go if the Lord ain’t with me because nothin’ good can ever come of it”.

 

*I inserted this for clarity, at least clarity for my sake!

**Keep It Simple Steve

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Not Just Idle Words

I own a 25 year old car.  The body might be falling apart but the engine runs great and it idles smoothly.  Such idling is good. Idling can also have to do with spending too much time doing nothing or being without purpose or being engaged in that which is pointless.  Such idling is not good. What if I were to tell you that I know of something that is the about as far as being without purpose as you can get?  Would you want it? Here is that something:  “They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”  ( Deut 32:47) Other versions of the Bible use some different words for that first phrase in the verse and such can be helpful in assessing how important the words really are: “Not meaningless words…”   “These are not just useless words…”   “No empty word for you…”   “Not unimportant words…”   “Not useless words…”   ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Very Present

I love words that have multiple meanings but the same spelling.  Take the word “present” for example.  You may be thinking of “present”, as in a gift.  Gotta love those! But I’m thinking of “present”, as in existing now or occurring now. I’m also thinking of “present”, as in being at hand. Why those two latter ones, you might ask, why not just go with the gift! Well, I recently read Psalm 46, and here is the first verse:   “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Some theologians suggest the word “present” in this Psalm has the meaning of “well proven”.  I certainly can appreciate that. But I’ve been wondering if “present” could include the meaning of “now existing or now occurring”.  That is, God is exists now and is occurring in our lives. Furthermore, I’ve been wondering if “present” could also include “being at hand”.  That is, God is here, right now, with us.   And with even further wondering, the wo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Be Amazed!

Be amazed… Jesus welcomed sinners …The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners… (Luke 15:2) Jesus hung out with sinners …And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” (Luke 19:7) Jesus ate with sinners …And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Matt 9:11) Jesus was a friend of sinners …The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ (Matt 11:19) With Jesus being so welcoming, what did people do? People came to see Him …They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” (John 12:21) People came to hear Him …Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. (Luke 15:1) People followed Him …While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many ta...
Post a Comment
Read more