The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.
Exodus 33:11a (NIV)
The art of face to face communication is something we have been perfecting since the beginning of time. With this age of social media, the amount of face to face conversations have gone down but they are no less important. When you see someone’s face you can better read their emotions, body language, and intent. I love this verse about how God spoke to Moses. God was faithful to meet with Moses face to face when he needed him to hear his words for the Israelites. I think it is interesting that the second half of the verse is included, showing how one would speak to a friend. The author wanted us to know that God was meeting with Moses at a relatable level. When he met him in the tent of meeting he didn’t speak through a rock or a cloud, he was there speaking to him as a friend.
The idea of God being our friend is not only in the old testament. Jesus also spoke about being our friend in John.
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because servants do not know their master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
John 15:13-15 (NIV)
Jesus called his disciples, and us, his friends! He shared everything he learned with his followers. His Spirit and word still speak to us today. Talk about a best friend! The one who created you and knows everything about you wants to be your friend! You don’t have to go through the “get to know you” routine, because he already knows everything. What a comfort, as it can sometimes be tiring getting to know new people. Jesus also wants us to think of him as our friend. Friends spend time talking, or in this case, praying. Spend some time getting to know this faithful friend and see where the relationship goes. I happen to know you will not be disappointed.
(Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay)