Have you ever had to wear one of those blue name tags? You know, the kind they hand out at conferences or conventions that say in big, capitalized letters: "HELLO, MY NAME IS," with a big white space for you to scrawl your name underneath? I've always thought those name tags seemed a bit impersonal, awkward, and (truth time) slightly nerdy, even for me.
However, for people like myself who are terrible at remembering names, those little blue stickers can prove very helpful! It's nice to have a visual reminder of who someone is until I've had the time to get to know them, until their name sticks in my memory. Name tags serve as good reminders, but it is through experience that we learn who somebody really is.
The Israelites had many experiences of God during their time in the desert, but none so vivid or impressive as the day the Lord descended in fire and dark clouds on the mountain of Sinai to declare His covenant to the nation. Moses described their encounter saying, "You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice" (Deut. 4:11-12).
God came to reveal Himself to His people. He delivered His laws intended to aid them in righteous living, in witnessing to other nations, and in learning to revere Him. Israel was given the unique privilege of knowing God personally, a privilege that carried with it a unique calling as God's chosen people. These laws were more than a dry list of do's and don't's--they were the foundation of Israel's identity as the people of the Lord's inheritance (v. 20).
Listen to Moses' impassioned words: "What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to Him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?" (v. 7-8). Our God is near, and He wants to be known!
So how do we know God? How does He reveal Himself to us? What insight can we gain from Israel's experience? The first thing we see is the Lord reveals Himself through His word. Moses commanded the Israelites not to add or subtract from God's commands, but to keep them, remember them, and teach them (v. 2, 9). He said, "Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations" (v. 6).
Israel's purity served as an example to the nations around them, attracting them to the one true God. We also become more effective witnesses as we hold fast to God's word--not polluting it by adding on the traditions and wisdom of men, nor degrading it by ignoring or explaining away the parts we don't like or understand. We can know God by learning and following His Word.
Secondly, we see the Lord reveals Himself as the only God. He appeared to the people without form in order to discourage them from worshipping the created rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:25). Moses warned Israel against the corruption of idolatry--of making for themselves images in the likeness of a man or woman, animal, or any created thing, or being enticed to worship the sun, moon, and stars (Deut. 4:15-19). Moses described the Lord as "a consuming fire, a jealous God" (v. 24).
Israel's worship displayed their devotion to the Lord and kept them from straying into sin. As we worship the Lord rightly, our devotion deepens and our hearts are kept pure (v. 29-30). We can know God by seeking and worshipping Him wholeheartedly.
Finally, we see the Lord reveals Himself through our experiences. "Has any God ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?" (v. 34). The Lord showed the Israelites His Presence as He called them out of Egypt, as He tested and disciplined them in the desert, and as He delivered them from their enemies.
Israel's experiences increased their knowledge of who God was, strengthening their faith and instilling proper reverence. Our own experiences grow us in faith, reveal God's love and care, and cultivate a sense of holy awe. We can know God by acknowledging and experiencing His presence.
Unlike the Israelites, we no longer hear God's voice booming from dark clouds or see His glory on fiery mountain tops. Scripture says, "...in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son... The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being..." (Heb. 1:2,3). Jesus is the Word made flesh (Jn. 1:14). He alone is worthy to be worshipped (Rev. 4:11). And He is the fullness of the presence of God (Jn. 14:9-10).
I once heard a pastor say, "Jesus was God's mic drop." Everything God has ever wanted to say to us about Himself was manifest in Christ! God sent His Son to earth so that we might get to know Him, grow to love Him, and come to Him for salvation. So let's pursue passionately our relationship with Jesus--listening to His words, worshipping Him rightly in our hearts, and experiencing His presence in our lives!
Lord, help us to know You better! I pray our knowledge of You would be deeper than just factual head knowledge, that it would be experiential heart knowledge. Guide us in studying the ways You reveal Yourself in Scripture so that we might recognize how You are revealing Yourself to us even today. May we worship You rightly--as the one true God! Keep us from giving our hearts over to created things. And as we walk through life, with all its joys and sorrows, open our eyes to see Your hand at work in our circumstances. Draw us ever nearer as we seek Your presence and desire to know You more! In Jesus' name, amen.
Reflection Questions
2. In turning from experiences of God to the study of His Word, we may be tempted to find the doctrines and commands of Scripture "less real" and "less exciting," but that does not mean they are less important! In his book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis illustrated the study of God this way:
"...if a man has once looked at the Atlantic from the beach, and then goes and looks at a map of the Atlantic, he also will be turning from something real to something less real: turning from real waves to a bit of coloured paper. But here comes the point. The map is admittedly only coloured paper, but there are two things you have to remember about it. In the first place, it is based on what hundreds and thousands of people have found out by sailing the real Atlantic. In that way it has behind it masses of experience just as real as the one you could have from the beach; only, while your's would be a single glimpse, the map fits all those different experiences together. In the second place, if you want to go anywhere, the map is absolutely necessary. As long as you are content with walks on the beach, your own glimpses are far more fun than looking at a map. But the map is going to be more use than walks on the beach if you want to get to America."
Have you allowed complacency or a craving for "experiences" to discourage your study of the Bible? How can you refresh and reignite your passion for God's word?
3. In its most basic form, idolatry is simply esteeming anything--even our own opinions and ideas--as more important than God's. Is there any area of your heart that has been compromised by idolatry?