Exodus 33:14: “And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.”
Last night was a warm, beautiful November evening. I went to the nearby park and took a walk alone with God. Together we sat under the stars and I just reflected on the many years God and I have walked together. It had been a trying week. I was worried about things I had not need to worry about, I was murmuring and complaining to God. Ministry was not going the way I had hoped, book sales were not going as I had hoped, and next week is Thanksgiving and then the Christmas season and it looks like it is going to be a blue Christmas for me. So I figured it was time that God and I sat down for one those talks. He reminded me of Exodus 33:14, that His presence was still there, I was just too focused on my problems to really see it and experience it. Yet it is His presence that brings rest as it did last night. As I stopped focusing on my problems, stopped complaining to God and just began to thank Him I was flooded with His presence and I felt rest for the first time in many days.
In looking at the phrase: My presence shall go with thee… I find a couple things that give me pause. The first is that the word shall go which is yeleku in Hebrew and is in a simple Qal imperfect form. I would have expected God to put this in a Piel form or add a Nun at the end and make the word a paragogic, in other words intensify this word where it would be rendered, “I will most certainly go.” The other question that comes to my mind is why the word for “presence” which oddly is in a plural form. Literally this reads: “My presence they shall go.”
Probably one solution to this is that we need to keep in mind that the plural in Hebrew is a little different that the plural in English. In Hebrew, when something is in a plural form it does not have to mean more than one. If something is in a plural form it could also be used to express the uniqueness of something or that something is in its ultimate state or is supreme to all others. This would explain why the words shall go is not in an intensive form. The plural more than makes up for this. Perhaps, what God is saying to Moses, is that he will be guided by the very unique presence of God. This will not be a feel good presence or a counterfeit presence that we drum up with fast music and wild dancing. You don’t need to beat the drums and clap your hands to experience this presence. You will not need to spend hours reciting praise God over and over until you feel that rush. This will be the genuine article. There is a picture drawn here. It is the presence of God coming softly and naturally. This is what He did for me last night, it was soft and gentle. It is like a husband stepping quietly into the bedroom and embracing his wife who is asleep. She then quietly awakes in his arms and returns his affection. The title of Jeanette Oakes’s first book could be Yeleku in Hebrew – Love Comes Softly.
In verse 11 we read: “And the Lord spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. The word for friend is ra’ah which in its Semitic root means a consuming passion. The picture is one of two lovers staring into each other’s eyes just consuming each other with their passion. It is like two lovers lying on the ground looking up at the stars and dreaming of their future, the house, white picket fence, dog, children, etc. One one say, “Well, we must go in the house.” The other will say: “Yes, surely we must.” Then they lay there together for another hour when they go through the same dialogue. Never are wanting to take their eyes off of each other. They may lay there for hours just talking and never realizing the hours are passing.
Moses and God are sharing a very intimate time on the mountain, just totally absorbed with each other’s presence. All of a sudden God says: “Well back to work getting these people to the promised land.” Moses responds: “Ok, but under one condition, that you continue to hold me, that we continue to be absorbed with each other.” God responds by saying: “Of course, but not only that, my eyes will never leave your eyes and when the job is done we will lie together on the mountain again like this and never leave.”
As God and I sit out under the stars talking of our journey together, He suddenly says: “Well, let’s get to work you have a book to write, people need to know about my love and how my Word speaks of that love.” I rebel and say: “No, I like it here with you. If we have to go, I will go under one condition that you just continue to hold me.” God responds and says: “Yes, I will continue to hold you as you write Our book, but not only that I will never take my eyes off your eyes. And one day the book will be done, all the books I want you to write will be written and then your journey will end and we can lay out under the stars together forever.”
Ah, and that word rest? You wonder where I get this under the stars stuff? In the Hebrew the word for rest is navch. This word implies a rest that comes from just laying down, or a repose. In ancient times this was often down outdoors under the sky or under the stars at night.
Here is something very curious. The word nathan which means to give is not there. The translators assume that the text meant God will give us rest. However, if God meant to put the word give in there He would have used the word , He did not. To use the favorite saying of the Prime Minister of Israel Netanyahu (which by the way his name means, Jehovah has given, “Who says?” Do we translate it God will give us rest? Do we stick the word in there even though it is not in there in the Hebrew text? I say, “no.” Let’s translate the text literally, “God is our rest.” Stop praying for rest, He will not give it, He is giving us something better, Himself. He is our rest. It has already been given to us. But like that proverbial Christmas present, don’t open before Christmas, there is a time to claim that gift. My time last night under the stars, was such a time. It is just like a husband and wife are not always enjoying each other’s presence. If they want to enjoy each other’s presence they must make the time. We are not always enjoying the presence of God, we get too wrapped up in the cares of this world. Yet, God promises that His presence is always with us, He is our rest, it is up to us to just make the time to enjoy His presence.
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