Dear Friends

Moses was one of those unique individuals in the history of the Church - and of all of mankind, for that matter. He was chosen by God to do the most amazing things. Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt and away from slavery while the man who was arguably most powerful man on earth in his day stood by helplessly. Pharaoh had done everything he knew to do and had been brought to submission by a preacher who didn't even do most of his own talking. He spoke to his brother, and Aaron spoke the words of Moses to the Pharaoh. Even when Pharaoh repented of his submission and sent his army out after Moses and the slave people, his army was crushed and destroyed by God, seemingly at the hands of Moses, at the Red Sea.

Then Moses brought down to the children of Israel the most comprehensive set of instructions for religion, for justice, and for health and hygiene. He single-handedly led the tribe of several Lakh of people through the desert, and encamped in the Sinai peninsula for forty years.

And Moses spoke with God as, as the verse before our text describes it, "Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend." Although Moses may not have known it, the Bible tells us in the New Testament, that Moses and the children of Israel were acting out the story of salvation which came to reality and its full meaning in Jesus.

In our text, Moses is at Mt. Sinai. He is conversing with God. God has explained how Moses has found favor - the Old Testament word for 'grace' - and Moses is trying to bargain with God. He is trying to spend the capital of his grace with God for blessings for himself and the people of Israel - bargaining with God in prayer.

Much of what Moses is asking is God pleasing. He asks God to be with His people Israel as they journey to the promised land -"the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'To your descendants I will give it.'" God graciously promises to go with His people, even though He warns Moses that they are a stiff-necked people and that His presence with them will be hard for the people to bear. For the sake of His servant Moses, God will go with the people, and He promises Moses rest.

He has also given us rest. Jesus said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." It is not rest from this world or its troubles. We have those around us. We have plenty of work to do. We have mission field outside this place where we worship, filled with people who have no idea of the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus. They think they have to earn heaven, or, worse yet, that they have no need of heaven. Some of them still expect a triumphant savior who will give them worldly glory and riches and power. We have to tell them. We have to show them. We have to reflect the glory of God by lives of holiness and by confessing Christ and the glory of God in forgiveness and love.

Amen