How much of a cloudgazer are you? Back in the day, even during my teenage years, I was fascinated by clouds. Not only could I see beauty in the shifting patterns, but I also felt that a sunburst behind a cloud offered a glimpse of God’s glory. For me, it was more than just a silver lining behind each cloud – it wasn’t always there – instead, I felt at times that the sunburst ushered me into the presence of the Almighty God.
Yet, I am confident that as profound as those moments were, they had nothing on being summoned into God’s presence after being convicted of sin. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Exodus 16:9-10 CEVDCI
[9] Moses turned to Aaron and said, “Bring the people together, because the Lord has heard their complaints.”
[10] Aaron was speaking to them, when everyone looked out toward the desert and saw the bright glory of the Lord in a cloud.
God’s Glory Visible to All
In the past, I’ve encouraged us to see ourselves in the world of the text. We could determine where we fit in the narrative, and draw our spiritual lessons from the experience. Here I come again –
If you had been there among the Children of Israel, how would you react to seeing God’s glory for the first time, and upon realising that the experience came as a response to individual and collective sins?
I suspect that’s a hard one to answer. On the one hand, I’m confident that I’d be awestruck by the radiance of God’s glory – just as I was when drawn in by the clouds as a child. On the other hand, I am even more confident that I’d have been nervous, knowing that I had offended YHWH. The sunburst was not accidental. It appeared immediately after Moses and Aaron spoke to the Children of Israel about their grumbling. Its significance would not have been a mystery to them.
Self-Check
How do we respond when in God’s presence, we’re convicted by the weight of our sin?
Application
In this instance, we are not privy to their reaction. However, Exodus 20 indicates that they experienced ‘Holy fear’ when God appeared at the presentation of the Law. Verses 18-20 tell us that the people
– trembled,
– stood afar, and
– insisted that they preferred to communicate with YHWH through Moses
That’s not just awestruck. They were fearful!
Their reaction isn’t restricted to the ‘wayward’ Children of Israel. In the Gospels, all accounts of Y’shua’s transfiguration – Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; and Luke 9:28-36 – record the three disciples’ utter fear when they beheld God’s glory. I can even imagine James and John telling Peter that he instigated God’s appearance. Further, post-Pentecost, we are told that Saul’s experience of God’s glory sent Saul and his companions to the ground. Some would even argue that the radiance of God’s glory blinded Saul for days.
What these additional encounters tell us, siblings, is that God isn’t to be taken lightly. Holy, reverent fear is quite appropriate in God’s presence. We are not equals, and never will be. So even when we approach the Throne of Grace ‘boldly’, we approach with the consciousness that we are in the presence of our Creator. That’s the message of Psalm 100:3, We are God’s creation, we’re not God’s creator.
When we are conscious that we have sinned, let’s choose to be worshipful and penitent before our Lord. Thus, we might behold God’s glory with joy, and not fear.
Point to Ponder
A sunburst can be a reminder for us to confess our known sins before God. Let’s use those opportunities when they arise.
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May all we seek be found in Christ
