Thursday, April 23, 2009
Moses, A friend of God
What is a friend?Friendship is a term used to denote
(1) co-operative and supportive behavior between two or more people. In this sense, the term connotes a relationship which involves mutual knowledge,
(3) esteem and
(2)affection and respect along with a degree of rendering service to friends in times of need or crisis.
Friends will
(5)welcome each other's company and exhibit loyalty towards each other, often to the point of altruism. Their taste will usually be similar and may converge, and they will share enjoyable activities. They will also engage in
(7)mutually helping behaviour, such as exchange of advice and the sharing of hardship. A friend is someone who may often demonstrate reciprocating and reflective behaviours. Yet for many, friendship is nothing more than the
(4)trust that someone or something will not harm them.
Value that is found in friendships is often the result of a friend demonstrating the following on a consistent basis: the tendency to desire what is best for the other, sympathy and empathy,
(6)honesty, perhaps in situations where it may be difficult for others to speak the truth, especially in terms of pointing out the perceived faults of one's counterpart, mutual understanding.
Extracted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendship7 characteristics of Moses's Friendship with God1. Moses learnt from God as God taught him how to lead personallySo the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? Now therefore, go, and
I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.” -Exo 4:11-12
2. God chose and believe in him when he doubt in himselfSo the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and He said: "Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. So he shall be your spokesman to the people. -Exo 4: 14-15
3. God still chose Moses to represent HimAnd he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and
you shall be to him as God.-Exo 4:16
4. Moses learnt to trust GodAnd Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”
So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was. -Exo 20:20-21
5. God and Moses had close relationshipSo Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain
forty days and forty nights. -Exo 24:18
6. Moses was straightforward as a friend to GodThen Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, and said: “LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’” So the LORD relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people. -Exo 32:11-13
7. God and Moses communicated personally (at least 104 times from Exo to Deu)And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the
LORD talked with Moses. -Exo 33:9
So the LORD spoke to Moses
face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. -Exo 33:11
Ref: http://www.biblegateway.com/keyword/index.php?search=%22LORD+spoke+to+Moses%22&searchtype=all&version1=50&spanbegin=1&spanend=73&startnumber=26&startnumber=51&startnumber=76&startnumber=101&startnumber=1God's promise to Moses: His presence and gloryThen 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.” And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” -Exo 33: 12-14
Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. -Exo 34: 29
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.- Js 4:8
Although Aaron has the talent, I would rather be Moses.As he was able to see God, and receive first hand information:)
A friend of God.
You are sufficient...
You've lead, so I could lead.
