February 25, 2019
For full passage click: Exodus 34:29-35 …“Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.” vs. 29
As the Israelites sorted through the traditions of their ancestors, they were particularly drawn to the Moses narratives, the stories told about the great leader who had liberated them from their captivity in Egypt and who had given them the law. Moses had a particularly strong relationship with the Lord that had developed during his sheepherding days in the wilderness. He regularly engaged in what we might call meditation, time spent in deep reflection, a kind of conversation with God. At this particular time he had gone up Mt. Sinai, a rugged inhospitable part of the desert, and the Lord had given him a set of commandments that would be the core of Israel’s faith. The vision had been so powerful that his appearance was altered and the people could see that something had happened! Moses had seen the shining face of God and now his own face was shining. It’s a powerful story, one that reminds us that God-encounters have an effect on us. When we draw close to God in prayer and meditation we will be changed, maybe not in the spectacular fashion recounted in the Exodus text, but there will be a difference. The Divine Presence shines forth in our words and actions and people will take note.
Thought for the Day: What do people notice when my face shines?
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