Truth Speakers for Truth Seekers: Manifesting the Glory (Par
Truth Speakers for Truth Seekers: Manifesting the Glory (Part 2)
Although Nagaland still has a lot of true Christianity going on, Satan has been hard at work to do a lot of damage to that true Christianity that is still there
Although Nagaland still has a lot of true Christianity going
on, Satan has been hard at work to do a lot of damage to that true Christianity
that is still there. I thank God for those who truly show the real God. A God
who listens to His people, who sees the people’s needs, who is aware of His
people’s needs and who has come down Himself amongst the people (Read the life
story of Moses and Abraham and Old Testament saints), who sent His Son in human
form to experience what it is like to be a human being and after Jesus went up
He sent the Holy Spirit to live IN us. The goal? To show Himself to those not
knowing this real God.
What has that to do with the Glory?
Let’s start with Moses. Did God just put it on Moses’ face
or did Moses beg for it, or was it because Moses was such a “Holy man?”
None of that. Moses prayed for his people. Exodus 33
certainly seems to relate to our dear Nagaland today. (with some footnotes of
David Guzik)
Question 1: Are we just complaining, condemning, criticising
left and right, how corrupt, backslidden and compromised some of our people
are? Or are we praying for our people instead and standing in the gap like
Moses did? Can He count on you to start interceding for our people? First of
all, Moses prayed for His people; and second of all, He drew near to God. He had
already separated Himself for His people, the Hebrews and left all the luxuries
of Pharaoh’s palace to be with his people and suffer with them. (Hebrews 11:23
tells about him: “It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be
called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter (which he had enjoyed from a very young
age, having been adopted by the Pharaoh’s daughter till he was a full grown
adult). Seeing the oppression and being aware that He too was born as a Hebrew,
he then chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the
fleeting pleasures of sin (in the palace).
What did he pray for the people?
Then Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up
this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have
said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ Now
therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way,
that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that
this nation is Your people.”
By now some of us might have given up hope on their own
people. Moses did not. Neither should we.
Moses prayed: But You have not let me know whom You will
send with me: For Moses, it wasn’t enough to know that he and Israel would make
it to the Promised Land. In his estimation, the Promised Land was nothing
special without the special presence of the LORD. God previously promised to
send an angel with Israel (Exo_33:2). Moses pressed God on this point, wanting
to know exactly whom God would send.
Question 3: Do we just want God’s blessings and use Him when
we are in desperate need or do we want His presence at all times?
“Moses is now concerned to obtain both a guarantee of that
presence for his people, and also the enjoyment of a closer experience of it
for himself.” This was bold - almost rude - drawing near to God. Moses was
determined to have God’s presence with Israel as close as possible. This was
the next step towards revival and restoration of Israel’s relationship with
God.
Then Moses prayed: “If I have found grace in Your sight”.
Moses was bold in drawing near to God, but he based the boldness on the grace
God had already shown to him. This was a good ground for drawing near.
Today, are we abusing God’s grace shown to us and assume He
will wink at the sinful lifestyles some of us seem to live, claiming to be a
Christian, yet some non believers seem to live like better examples then some
of us. Making all Naga Christians a laughing stock.
Moses continues: “Your sight… Your way, that I may know You…
grace in Your sight… Your people”. Moses was almost obsessed with God. He was
still on earth, but he connected everything to God in heaven.
Another strong theme in this section is to know. In some
form, the word is used repeatedly in these verses. In the sense of
relationship, God knew Israel and Moses, and Moses wanted to know God.
How beautiful to see how God answers: (14-17) God answers
Moses’ prayer, giving the promise of His Presence.
Exodus 33: 14-17 And He (God)said, “My Presence will go with you, and I
will give you rest.” Then he (Moses) 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.” So the LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have
spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”
My Presence will go with you: God seemed to answer Moses’
prayer, but Moses did not rest. He continued to press God for affirmation of
the promise. This shows how boldly Moses sought after God for the sake of his
own relationship with God and for the benefit of the nation.
Question 4: Moses did not ask for His own benefit – Do we
ask God’s presence for our own benefit?
My Presence will go with you is literally “My Face will go
with you.” This helps us to understand what it means when it says Moses met
with God face to face (Exodus 32:11). It has the sense of “in the immediate
presence of God.”
a) And I will give you rest: The Presence of God means rest
and peace in life. This was an important and necessary gift from God to Moses
and Israel. And from Him to us, dear Nagas.
b) If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us:
Moses continued his bold way of speaking with God. God had just promised His
presence; Moses responded by warning or cautioning God of the consequences of
not keeping His promise.
c) For how then will it be known that Your people and I have
found grace in Your sight, except You go with us: Moses knew that nothing the
LORD could give them would make them truly different from the nations. Only the
strong presence of the LORD Himself could do that. And the same will it be
today: What is it that will make us different?
Moses wanted something for Israel that would show that they
were not just like all the other nations, and that could only be the unique, powerful
presence of their God. Israel’s relationship with Yahweh – a unique example of
ethical monotheism in the ancient world – did make them different from all
other ancient peoples. God among them made them different. It was important for
Israel to know this for themselves; it was also important for the other nations
to know this.
“‘Now,’ said Moses to God, ‘I am asking for this something
extra, because I am concerned. Here we are thy people. How are all the other
nations to know that we really are your people? They are looking on at us, they
are laughing at us, mocking us and jeering at us, they are ready to overwhelm
us. Now, I am asking for something,’ said Moses, ‘that will make it absolutely
clear that we are not just one of the nations of the world, but that we are thy
people, that we are separate, unique, altogether apart.’” (Lloyd-Jones)
This sounds so much like others are speaking about our
people. We got two choices. We can agree with them and say: “Yeah, you are
right (sigh)” or we can be like Moses and turn to God and start interceding and
longing for His presence with us like Moses was longing for. So our own people
and those around us will clearly see, “God IS still with the Naga nation"
There is still Hope.
Who will rise up? Some have already risen. May many join
them!
