Episode 2518 - Lesson 12 - Monday Sep. 15: That I May Know You

That I May Know YouRead Exodus 33:12-17. What did Moses ask the Lord to teach him? Why did he demand God’s presence to guide them?Moses’ growth in the Lord was steady. He drew closer and closer to the Lord and sought to model himself after God’s image. One day when he was conversing with God in the tent of meeting, Moses suddenly realized that he did not know Him, and he uttered a specific prayer: "Show me now Your way, that I may know You" (Exod. 33:13, NKJV). Moses was aware of his deep need to understand God on a new level. He discovered that the more he knew the Lord, the more he did not know Him. He recognized his need and wholeheartedly desired to know Him better. God willingly granted Moses’ wish.By looking at the experiences of Moses so far, we can observe how Moses was drawn into a deeper, intimate relationship with the Lord and how he grew spiritually.First, Moses climbed the mountain and "went up to God" (Exod. 19:3, NKJV). Then he went "to the top of the mountain" (Exod. 19:20, NKJV) and afterward approached the cloud, "the thick darkness" in which God resided (Exod. 20:21, NKJV).On another occasion, "Moses entered the cloud" where God was, and he stayed with the Lord 40 days and 40 nights (Exod. 24:18, NIV). During these 40 days, God gave Moses two precious gifts: (1) the gift of the Decalogue written by God Himself on the two tablets, also chiseled by Him (Exod. 24:12), and (2) the instructions on how to build and furnish the tabernacle (see Exodus 25-31).Then he spent another 40 days and nights with the Lord, interceding for sinners (Exod. 32:30-32, Deut. 9:18).Yet, even after all this, Moses desired to know God’s character more concretely, and God soon gave him special insights to understand who He is. This knowledge Moses desired was not a mere intellectual understanding of God but an experiential knowledge of His person.No wonder centuries later Jesus would say: "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3, NKJV). What better way for God to make Himself known to humans than by becoming a human Himself?Do you know God, or do you just know about Him? What is the crucial difference between the two?