As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:
12And
Moses said to the LORD, “Look, You [are] saying to me, ‘Bring up this
people,’ and You have not declared whom You will send with me, and You
have said, ‘I know you in name and also you have found grace in My eyes.’ 13And
now, if (na) I have found grace in Your eyes, cause me (na) to know Your ways, and I
will know You, so that I will find grace in Your eyes; and see (impv.) that
this nation is Your people. 14And He said, “My faces will walk [with
you] and I will give you (sing.) rest.”
15And
he said to Him, “If not Your faces [are] walking [with us], do not send us up
from here, 16and in what then will it be known that I have found
grace in Your eyes, I and Your people, [if] not in Your walking with us, and we
are distinguished, I and Your people, from the all of the people which [are]
upon the earth?”
17And
the LORD said to Moses, “Also this word which you say I will do because you
have found grace in My eyes and I know you in name.”
Some more thoughts I wanted to record about this passage: As
I have often noted, in ancient Hebrew it was not necessary to actually express pronominal
substantives (he, she, you, I) as they were actually included in the sense of
the verb. When the substantives are used, it is always good to pause and
consider why – since it wasn’t necessary. My observation over the years is that
I think it was usually a matter of emphasis. What is interesting here is that Moses
specifically includes “You” three times. I underlined those occurrences in my
literal translation above. The appearance of the word “You” without underlining
means in that case it was simply included with the verb as usual.
One wonders why the three substantives? It definitely could
be emphasis. Remember that the context is very charged emotionally. This is not
a relaxed conversation. The Israelites are coming off perhaps the greatest
failure of their earthly existence. God has threatened to leave them (after
first threatening to kill them all!). Also, back in 33:1, The Lord had said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt,…”
Notice the “the people you brought up out of Egypt.” It seems to me in
the heat of all the emotions, there is perhaps a need to establish who is
responsible for what. Without being disrespectful, I wonder if Moses is wanting
to leave no doubt what the Lord Himself has done and said. Someone else
suggested Moses says the “you” three times somehow in the sense of addressing
the Trinity. Bottom-line is that, at this point, I really don’t know. But it is
worth noting, then keeping one’s eyes and ears attentive as we learn more.
There may simply be matters here beyond our current ability to understand.
Also, for whatever it is worth, I specifically went ahead
and included in my literal translation the occurrence of the Hebrew particle
“na.” I don’t know what Hebrew scholarship says about “na” but, as I have
observed it in various texts and settings over the years, it seems to me it
always occurs when a subordinate is speaking to a superior. I believe it is an
expression of humility. In our culture, when we’re commanded by an authority,
we might dip our head just a little as we say, “Yes, sir” or “Yes, ma’am.” I
think the ancient Hebrews said “na” in the same way we dip our heads. There is
no English translation for it, which is why I included them as their
transliterated “na.” Why that is important, I think, is that we need to know
the person speaking is expressing their subordination. There is an element of
respect in the text which simply cannot be expressed in English. And so is the
case here.
For some practical thoughts, I love Moses’ question, “How will anyone know that
You are pleased with me and with Your people unless You go with us? What else
will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people on the face of
the earth?” Stop for a second and ponder the
implication of Moses’ question – “If Your presence is not with us, how will
anyone know we are Your people?” Gads! What a bombshell! How will other
people know I’m a Christ-follower? How will they? That is a good question, yes?
What if I put that question to a thousand different churches? What answers
would I get? What shows the world I am a believer?
There is nothing wrong with wearing a cross
necklace or putting a fish symbol on my car. I suppose if people want to dress
weirdly that is certainly their prerogative. Perhaps someone else lays a Bible
on their desk at work. Others might propose somehow I need to make statements
at work to be sure people know I am a Christian. I remember a fellow who had
printed on his hardhat in big letters, “Jesus is Lord.” There is nothing
inherently wrong with any of these things. But what does Moses assert in his
very question? What is it that distinguishes us “… from all the other people on
the face of the earth?” He says it is “Your presence.”
Wow. What a bombshell. His presence.
His presence.
What does that imply? I think it implies that, rather than
worrying about all those other external expressions, I should be concerning
myself with how much I am maintaining His
presence in my life. I need to be sincerely, genuinely seeking Him. I need
to be sincerely, genuinely inviting Him into my heart, including Him in my thoughts,
allowing His Spirit to help me live love and joy and peace. And if I do, and to
whatever extent I do, somehow other people will
see that presence.
Wow. What a bombshell. The problem with all those external
symbols (and again, there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of them) is that
anyone can do it. Anyone can wear a cross necklace. As others see that person,
I know the next thing they look at is the person’s life. “Is it real?,” they
ask themselves. What Moses is saying is that it either is or it isn’t, and if
it is, somehow they’ll know it.
Here is someone else saying basically the same thing:
The reality of Christ in us. I think Schultz is right.
Very early in my walk with Christ, I ran across John 17:3, “For this is eternal life, that they might
know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” It
really made sense to me then that the very essence of life itself is simply knowing God. That is what it’s all
about. And so I resolved to know Him and seek constantly to know Him better.
Now over 30 years later, I never cease to be amazed by Him and I see more and
more that it really is all about knowing Him. II Cor 3:18 says, “But we all, with unveiled
face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed
into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
To see Him is to be loved by Him and being loved by
Him moves me to love Him in return and then sharing that love relationship with
Him makes me want to love people around me, makes me want to be “better,” makes
me want to be different than I was, want to be like Him! To know His grace and
mercy and kindness to me changes me, not because I resolved to change but
because I can’t help but change. As Paul said, beholding the glory of the Lord,
we are being transformed into that same image, from glory to glory. It just
happens.
And I think that is the “Presence” that
people will see. And I think that “Presence” is the difference that makes people “ask
a reason of the hope that is in us.” Once again, there’s nothing wrong with any
of those external symbols to try to tell people I am a Christ-follower, but,
the real difference that my heart should long for is His presence.
He really is everything.
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