“If you are pleased with me, teach me Your ways so I may know You and continue to find favor with You. Remember this nation is Your people.” (Exodus 33:13 NIV)
There are a couple of incredible things to note about this passage.
First off, Moses was speaking to God as a friend speaks to a friend. Yet there is such humility in his approach. Moses understands the majesty, power and sovereignty of God – maybe more accurately than any other human before or since.
Second, we realize that Moses was about 81 at the time of this exchange. This was after his upbringing in Egypt, his murder of the slave master, his flight to and new life forged in Midian. It’s after the burning bush and God’s instruction to go rescue His people. It’s after he fought Pharaoh for freedom and watched the Egyptian army wash away in the reconvening Red Sea. It’s after full months of manna and quail and wilderness leadership. It’s after he’s already been up and down Mount Sinai more than once. Moses was wearied and weathered, yet he essentially told God, ‘I’m not done, I want more.’ We tend to think you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but Moses is proof positive that we can learn and grow at any stage of life. Moses spent an additional forty years to follow God after this conversation because he wasn’t satisfied with his current level of divine friendship. He inherently knew there was more of God to be had and he was going after it.
And lastly, we recall that this conversation happened after a terrific failure. God’s people had given themselves over to gross idolatry while Moses was on the mountain gathering the new governance. If Moses was like any other minister, he probably wore his people’s shortcomings personally. But still, he went forward in deep humility to repair their place with God. He wasn’t held back by the sins of his congregation, he was further ignited for authentic connection and knew he needed additional leadership training. He went right to the Source when he went to God.
In this scripture, Moses demonstrates that we are never too old or too far gone to become better friends with God. All divine intimacy requires is humility. It may have taken Moses eight years to gain that posture, but when he did, his relationship with God transformed entirely. So will ours. We are not too old, too damaged or too sinful to draw near to God. We may only be too proud. Pride can be admitted and corrected in a matter of moments when we have a change of heart.
“Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up.” (James 4:8 NIV)
Moses went on to experience his best days with God. I believe we can, too.
Lord, forgive us for the complacency that comes with middle age. We are tiered and we are well adjusted in our routines. We look at Moses today and realize that what we enjoy with You is not enough, that You that You have far more to share with us and we are the singular limiting factor on fellowship with You. Forgive us. Light a fire under us. Get us up off the couch and into conversation with our Creator. May we be convinced that our best days with You are yet ahead. Amen.