God’s holiness rubs off
Series: Holy – Holy – Holy | Bible text: Exodus 33–34
After the encounter at the thorn bush, Moses lived with a longing desire to see the glory of God again and again. There were extraordinary experiences in his life, such as at Mount Sinai. More importantly for Moses, however, he organised his daily life in such a way that shared times with God became a regular habit. These encounters with the very Other changed Moses in his being and doing. A holy life arises from intimacy with God, which we must, however, choose and seek.
Moses was captivated by God’s holiness at the thorn bush. From then on, he wanted nothing more than to see God’s glory. He realised that he was existentially dependent on God in all his being and doing. Today we take a look into Moses» everyday life and discover how he refuelled daily on God’s holiness until it rubbed off into his life.
Exceptional experiences
About 50 days after the Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites reached the foot of Mount Sinai. On Mount Sinai, Moses had several impressive experiences with God. On these occasions, Moses was gifted by God with a covenant constitution and instructions for all life situations. The accompanying phenomena at Mount Sinai underline God’s majesty, His unavailability and majesty: thunder, lightning, flames of fire, smoke and the sound of trumpets. (Ex 19:16ff). The God of Israel is anything but harmless, namely holy, exalted and mysterious.
Moses had to draw a line around the mountain so that the people would keep the life-sustaining distance to God’s holiness (Ex 19:12). In addition, the whole people had to prepare themselves with purification rituals for the encounter with God. Again Yahweh expresses that his holiness does not bear with human inadequacy. Moses then heard the voice of Yahweh, but he was not allowed to see Him. At Moses» request, the Lord made an exception and gave the following instruction: «Stand here on this rock beside me. Then when I pass by in my glory, I will place you in the cleft of the rock and hold my hand protectively over you until I have passed by. Then I will take my hand away and you will look after me. But no one can see my face» (Exodus33:21–23 NLB).
It is important for me to point out at this point that Moses experienced an impressive, inspiring encounter with God here that almost knocked his socks off. Such almost mind-blowing experiences happen occasionally, but they are not part of everyday life. The Jews celebrate the events of Sinai with the festival of Shavuot. Of all things, Pentecost happened during the celebration of such a festival. There, too, phenomena with fire and wind appeared. Pentecost is an encounter with the holiness of God. The Holy Spirit takes up residence in a human being. A human being becomes the temple of the Spirit of God. This is precisely the experience a person may have at the moment he entrusts his life to Jesus Christ.
It is significant that the delivery of God’s instructions to the people was accompanied by this impressive revelation of His holiness. In following Jesus, these two things absolutely belong together: the amazement at God’s holiness and taking God’s instructions seriously. If our hearts and thought patterns are not shaped by the holiness of God, God’s Word loses authority and is subject to arbitrariness. Man then always trims it down so that it is right for him and it helps him in his idea of happiness.
The instructions Moses received from God on Mount Sinai concerned not only cultic life, but also political, economic and family life. At Sinai, a nation was born. The holiness of God should also radiate into and shape all areas of our lives. Those who have been given the Spirit of God can no longer distinguish between spiritual and worldly areas. Everything we do and are should be marked by His holiness.
When Moses returned from Sinai to his people, they had cast a golden calf from their jewellery, which they worshipped. The consequence of this idolatry and trampling on God’s holiness was fatal.: The destruction of the entire nation was threatened. In the end, 3000 men lost their lives. Only thanks to Moses» pleading and asking for forgiveness did the holy God relent and decide to continue to go with Moses and the people (Ex 33:14). The holiness of God demands respect. Turning away from God’s instructions has disastrous consequences.
Everyday encounters
Apart from the extraordinary, it is above all the everyday encounters that are decisive in following Jesus. For this purpose, there was the institution of the Meeting tent. «Every time the Israelites set up camp, Moses erected a tent some distance outside the camp, which he called the «Tent of Meeting». […] Whenever Moses went out to the Tent of Meeting, all the Israelites rose and stood at the entrance to their tents. They looked behind Moses until he had entered the tent. As soon as Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud settled down and camped in front of the entrance while the Lord spoke to Moses. […] The Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as one who speaks to his friend. After that, Moses returned to the camp […].» (Exodus 33:7–11 NLB).
Moses encountered the very Other again and again. His stay in the Meeting tent made all the difference! There Moses received his strength, his endurance, his patience, the will to persevere and the much needed encouragement for his challenging everyday life. We can learn from Moses» experience in the Meeting tent draw important conclusions for our personal relationships with the very Other.
Moses pitched a tent «every time» outside the camp, it says here. I imagine how the setting up of his tent would be Meeting tent became a good ritual for Moses at each new campsite. So if I don’t want these encounters to be neglected, it’s best to make them a fixed part of my everyday life, a ritual that goes without saying. Why did Moses regularly find the time for such encounters? He experienced – similar to us today – that the demands of the people and the huge task almost consumed him. Moses countered this excessive demand and busyness by seeking out a coach with a good outside perspective. It was his father-in-law Jitro who helped him to achieve a much improved work-life balance (Ex 18:13ff). The advice of a coach can also be important for us in shaping our spiritual life. It helps with reflection and the development of new habits.
It is also helpful to have a fixed time and place. A proverb says: «Those who do not pray at specific times also do not pray at indeterminate times.«Long after Moses, when the Israelites had long since settled in the land of Canaan, King David lived. His day was filled to the brim with government business. In several places we read in his poems that he had his Meeting tent in the early morning. «Hear my voice in the morning, O LORD»(Psalm 5:4 NLB). In the stillness of the morning it is easier to walk in sync with God than once we have revved up our «engine».
Unfortunately, the Bible text does not tell us how Moses arranged the times in the holiness of God. At least it is explicitly described that Moses set up a tent outside the camp each time. Clearly, this ensured that Moses took distance from the daily life of the camp when he met with God. Taking a break from daily business helps to break the daily routine. The big chance of my timeout next summer in Canada is that I will set up my tent of encounter outside the camp and I will be accompanied by a coach.
Gradual change
«When Aaron and the Israelites saw the glow on Moses» face, they were afraid to approach him»(Ex 34:30 NLB). After the encounters with the glory of Yahweh, Moses» face lit up without him even noticing. The LORD’s reflection was so strong that Moses covered his face with a cloth to protect the people. This reminds me of fluorescent stars in a child’s room that shine brightest in the darkness after being illuminated by a lamp.
Again and again God calls us to become holy and to live a holy life. In total, we find these words as a direct call in the Holy Scriptures, five times in the Old Testament and three times in the New. The picture for our annual theme says: «You shall be holy, because I, the LORD your God, am holy.»(Exodus 19:2 NLB). But how is that supposed to work? So do I have to make an effort to become like God after all? No, because God’s holiness rubs off. To become holy means first of all to acknowledge and appreciate God’s holiness. In order to then be able to live as holy – i.e. «wholesome» – a life as possible, I should spend as much time as possible in his presence. I can choose what should shape me: TV series, a book, Instagram – or HE. No one takes this part away from me. If I consciously choose time in His presence, His holiness and His light shine into me. We cannot be holy on our own, we need the touch of the holy. All self-attempts to live a holy life will fail, only turning to the Holy One of God Himself can help us. Those who want to become saints by their own efforts make it right into hypocrisy. It is not worth the effort, because hypocrisy is repulsive. Being holy, on the other hand, means being whole, pure, complete and holy. Whoever as a Christian is searching for a fulfilled life cannot avoid the holiness of God, for in it is hidden the highest quality of life.
Paul picks up on Moses» experience when he says: «The veil has been taken away from all of us so that we can see the glory of the Lord as in a mirror. And the Spirit of the Lord works in us so that we become more and more like him and reflect his glory more and more.»(2 Corinthians 3:18 NLB). The path to Christlikeness – the goal of a life of following Christ – leads through an encounter with the Lord. His holiness may frighten us at first, but it is what makes us whole.
The blessing that the Lord taught Aaron, the first priest, vividly expresses the idea of God’s holiness rubbing off on us: «The LORD bless thee and keep thee; the LORD make his face to shine upon thee. glow upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: let the LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.» (Exodus 6:24–26 NLB). In beholding his glory, we become holy, that is, whole and complete. The call to holiness is the call to fullness.
Possible questions for the small group
Reading the Bible text: Exodus 33–34
- Have you had any extraordinary experiences with the holiness of God? What was your personal Pentecost experience like?
- What does it mean that God’s holiness wants to shine into all areas of life?
- How do you handle the thing with the Meeting tent? When do you seek it out? Where is it in your life?
- Is there a person who coaches you or to whom you are accountable?
- How do you get distance from your daily business? What has become important to you? What decision do you want to make today?
- What does it mean to be holy? What is the way to get there?
