God-centered

DEVOTION

EXODUS

GOD CENTERED

Ex 32:7-14

7 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.' 9 "I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation." 11 But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. "O LORD," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.'" 14 Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

NIV

The first thing we notice is that all what the Israelites did regarding the golden calf, the LORD was watching them. He knew exactly what they had done even though he was having a very personal time with Moses. If nothing else, this should give us a reason to pause for a moment and reflect on this concept of God being able to watch, to see all that we do. In fact, because the Spirit dwells within us, he actually knows our thoughts, our attitudes as well as our behavior.

Ps 139:1-4

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

NIV

We should really include the whole of this Psalm to get the fullness of the knowledge of God regarding our whole being. There is no place or nothing we can do to hide from the knowledge of God of us. Yes, even in our grievous sin, he is there with us, but due to the fact that Jesus paid the price for our sin, God’s anger does not burn against us and plans to destroy us. Here stands Moses as that type of Christ, making intercession for the people of Israel. But Moses does not make the case that the people are that bad, or they can become better. Moses makes the case that the reputation of God among the other nations is the reason he should not destroy them. Here is one more lesson for us. Although Christ is forever before the Father making intercession for us, showing the Father his nail scarred hands and that he took into account all our sin on that cross, it really is not about us. We are never truly going to be better. Sure we have changed when we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior. We did give up certain things, a certain lifestyle, a way of life. Before we did not even contemplate God or regarding him as having any authority over our lives. Now we accept his authority, although we still rebel against it. Every time we attempt to please ourselves in some way, it may well be a form of rebellion. Whenever we trust in our own judgement, or our own abilities it is a form of rebellion against his authority. The point is that we will never be perfect enough that we will not need Jesus making intercession for us. But that intercession is really not about us but rather about God. If Jesus had not died on that cross, had God not justified himself to us through that event, his anger would be burning against us and he would desire to destroy us. Then the unbelieving world would think God is a mean and viscous God who kills anyone who sins against him. But because of Jesus, his grace and mercy are shown to us, so that his reputation among the nations is a Holy, just, loving and merciful God who forgives our sin and does not punish us for our disobedience, as we so deserve. What we must never forget is that Christianity is not about us, but about God. Even the word Christianity has Christ in it rather than man. Humanity has the word man in it. That is about man, but Christianity is about Christ, about God. Although it is true that he said he would be many things to us. He would be our God, our refuge, our strength, our provider, our portion, our redeemer, our defender, our strong tower, our Savior to name just a few, all that is still about him, not us. When we make Christianity about us, we are then self-centered and more about humanity. But our faith is not in flesh, but in God. Everything we do does not reflect on us, but on God. The world that knows we are believers watch us and look to see how we reflect our profession of faith in God. How we behave reflects on God, his reputation among the nations. We see because of the intercession of Moses, with his reminding God it is about him, not the people, God relented. It is always about him. Our life should not be self-centered, but God-centered.