The Hebrew Roots Movement’s often unstated belief (but seen in practice and focus) is that the greatest gift to man was the Torah itself. So much so, that for an HRM follower, Jesus Himself must be equated with it – as the living version of the stone tablets and scroll. This is how we justified in our minds, venerating a piece of wood with paper round around it, containing Hebrew writing. Regardless of how old it is, where it came from, or who owned it last – it’s nothing more than wood and paper that was sent out into the world to say, “Look for the One who is to come and hear Him!” It didn’t bleed and die on a cross, or come back to life, and it most certainly doesn’t forgive me. No amount of adoration ever helped my black wool turn to white. It just lies there on the table, or goes where it’s carried.
The main character in the story of Sinai isn’t a Law, but a living God who spoke and lived in a pillar of fire! God Himself was with them! In fact it was precisely when they begged God to stop speaking that Moses had to go up the mountain and get the message for them. The written Law was necessary in part, because the living relationship was too terrifying. Not that God didn’t have a purpose in how things transpired. I’m not one who believes God is surprised or has a plan B in His back pocket.
While Moses was gone to get further instructions, they immediately set out to do exactly the opposite of which they had just promised God they would do, which was chiefly to love and worship Him only. As a consequence of this bold and immediate disobedience, God threatened to not go with them anymore. He said He would send His angel ahead of them to fight their battles, but He wasn’t going to follow along or lead because, He explained, the result would be consumed people, not chosen people.
But Moses steps in. He intercedes, and he implores. And God listens. I have always loved this part of the story
For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.'” Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.
Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the LORD would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.
When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. 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 favor in my sight.’ Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.”
And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
Exodus 33:5-19 ESV
There are so many gems in this passage, it’s tempting to dig them all out. Firstly though, they now had the book of the Law, (as soon as Moses was sent to make another set of stone tablets) but it as not in this that they found their comfort and direction. No, they knew their Living God must be with them or they were nothing in this world. An angel wasn’t going to be enough for what they had waiting for them on this journey, or in the Promised Land. A book could not tell them in a moment to turn to the right or to the left, and it could not bring water from a rock or manna from the sky.
He made His presence known at various times throughout their history. The goal of the temple worship was to have the offering accepted and blessed by His presence. This factor alone is what precipitated the detailed instructions for the priests, and why Aaron lost two sons in a day for not realizing the magnitude of what His Presence meant. Without it, there would have been nothing to obey, nothing to fear, and certainly nothing to desire or love, as we see Moses here begging God – to really know Him and His ways, and see His Glory!
This was our desire in Torah Observance above all things. We believed that through this definition of obedience, we would finally know God as we desired. But in order to experience the Presence as Moses and ancient Israel did, you must have a temple and an Ark of the Covenant, and sacrifices. Oh, and a priesthood. Modern Judaism has none of these, and neither does any Torah Observant person. They have replaced the Presence with a document. The goal of the book was the Presence, and this goal was met most fully in Jesus. To go back to the Law and miss Jesus as the fullest way to know God, is tragic.
But what a bold a request Moses made! He wanted to KNOW God, and His ways. He wanted to see His Glory. And this AFTER he had heard the entire book of the Law the first time. What knowledge of God and His ways did he still lack after this experience of receiving the Torah? I think the answer might be somewhere in the word “mercy” there at the end. But Moses was already exhibiting the mercy and self-sacrifice of His Maker, because he was bathed in the light of His presence.
I have had the deep yearning for God’s presence and been saddened by those who didn’t even know there was something to miss in their churches, or felt they needed to manufacture the illusion of it instead. There is the emperor who doesn’t know he hasn’t any clothes, and one that clothes himself with falsehood, and remains naked still.
I can’t take credit for this post really because it was inspired by a sermon on the radio this week, and it’s been well over a year I think since I even turned on a preaching station. He didn’t make the same applications here as I have, but the implications began to grow in my mind as I listened.
The first thing that came to mind as I heard this sermon (will share an excerpt below) was not the Hebrew Roots Movement, but a young person who doesn’t see anything that portrays God as a reality rather than an idea. I faced the same struggle at that age. We as the Church have forgotten what makes us distinct among the peoples of the earth. His purifying Presence. There is so little evidence in most congregations of lives being transformed in repentance to God and His apage love for one another. (Let’s start here before we even move on to signs and wonders please!) These things can come only through His Spirit in us and with us. Without Him, we are a facade, a cheap imitation, and a wizard with nothing more than a microphone and a big screen.
The Hebrew Roots Movement cares little for the Presence. Many come from charismatic circles, and leave behind the excesses of that movement for something more concrete in this one. Soon the Trinity and the Spirit are relegated to heresy and little more than “wind”. Others come from churches where immorality and worldliness are rampant with no reverence for the things of God. Soon they believe they can start a Law-observing campaign to address this heathenism in the ranks. The church has abandoned His Law!! And yes, it has. But the Law of Christ. It cares not for His Presence or His words. This sermon brought in a parallel New Testament verse that I never saw in this way before. “
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. John 14:21-23
He can lead us by an angel, or we can ask for His Presence. We can seek to know Him and His ways. Jesus said, “my commandments”. (If you think He didn’t say anything Moses didn’t say, try reading Him again.) The really awesome thing here is that God gave Moses what he asked for! And I believe this is His heart for us also. The other verse that comes to mind is “By this will all men know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” The pillar of fire made the Israelites distinct among the nations. Love is supposed to be our identifying mark in the world. And that is where we must begin and never end.
Here are the words of the mighty preacher with a delightful accent (sorry couldn’t type that in), who is far more eloquent and educated than I… and a link if you would like to hear it all.
(quoting Moses) How will anyone know you are pleased with me and your people UNLESS YOU GO WITH US?
That’s the great question of the New Testament. That’s why the promise of Jesus is, “If a man loves me he will keep my commandments, and I and my father will come to him and make our home with him.”
How will anybody know unless Your presence is with us?
Is there anything remotely tangible about God in my life? That’s the question. Is there anything distinguishable about me? I fear lest the answer is, “no.”He (Moses) says the only way that people will know is if you are with us. If You’re not with us we’re on our own. And the same is true as you go to your office tomorrow and as we gather here to worship. This is the cry of our hearts, “God, show us that you’re with us.” Otherwise how will anyone be able to distinguish between this and any other event. The only thing that will make it a reality is if you show yourself to be here.
Oh we can get together and have a shindig. We can get together and sing songs. We can get together and have revelry. We can sing everything on a horizontal level, and make the bystanders walk in and say, “You know, that is a wonderful time.” But we will not see men and women turn from their sins. We will not see men and women broken-hearted before God, unless God comes by His Spirit among His people.
Do you pray for revival in church? Do you pray for the Spirit to be poured out on our congregation? Are you telling me you are content with things the way they are? Are you content to take your place while our neighbors and friends are lost without Christ? Or maybe you’d like another kind of leader, someone who would say simply kind things to you, and tell you, “Listen, it’s just fine.” Loved ones, it is NOT fine. The night comes when no one can work.
…. And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the thing that you ask because I am pleased with you, and I know you by name.” And Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” It is for this then loved ones, that we long, that God would honestly respond to the cries of our hearts and that He would show us his glory, the revelation of His goodness and his name, a glory that will be seen far more in his mercy than His majesty. A mercy that is fetched from within Himself, and not from any merit in His creatures. I can’t ask God to be merciful on the strength of who I am because who I am is a can of worms. The only way we can ask God to show His mercy is because He fetches His mercy from within Himself. Because He is mercy.
Alistair Begg
8thDay4Life 