God + Moses... BFF's

There's something about my personality -- maybe my "Ideation" orientation (Gallup Strengthfinders) -- that pushes me to approach every situation with an out-of-the-box solution. We're starting an Easter series this week at Cape Naz. What's Easter about? Jesus, right? His death and resurrection? Sure it is. You really can't preach anything else on Easter.

That's why I've spent all week studying the relationship between Moses and God.

Even I find it a bit odd. I'm a few days away from needing to preach what should be a Triumphal Entry/Palm Sunday message, and I can't get out of Exodus. I just find the relationship that developed between Moses and God to be absolutely fascinating.

Moses built something called the Tent of Meeting. It was literally a tent that was separated away form the rest of the people of Israel. Moses and his young apprentice, Joshua, would go to the Tent and meet with God personally. They would talk. For long periods of time.

We really don't have any idea what all they talked about. Sure, we've got pages of instructions and laws that God rattles off to Moses to govern the people of Isreal. But, that list certainly didn't take multiple sessions of 40 days and 40 nights to recite. We've got the rest of the Pentateuch -- supposedly written by Moses -- that God might have told Moses about while they were together.

No, I believe that Moses and God talked about a lot more than just rules and creation history. And there's a couple subtle statements hidden in the text that captured my imagination and lead me to this belief. Moses is pleading with God to come with him and the Israelites as they go up to the Promised Land. Moses says to God, "if you don't go with us personally, don't let us move a step from this place."

God replies, "I will indeed do what you have asked, for you have found favor with me, and you are my friend."

That's a pretty amazing statement that God makes. Moses was his friend! They hung out together -- God and man -- in the Tent of Meeting. Moses' face shown with the radiant glory of being in God's presence -- being with his friend. God revealed all of his goodness and mercy to Moses, his friend, as he walked directly in front of him.

What does this have to do with Easter? What does this have to do with Jesus? So much.

Jesus tore down the veil. He ripped the Tent of Meeting apart, metaphorically. No other Isrealites were allowed to come near the Tent of Meeting. None were allowed up on Mount Sinai while Moses and God were talking. Jesus changed all that.

No longer was God's friendship reserved for a select view. No longer was his presence available to only one man. That veil was torn; the tent was torn down. God's glory became universally accessible. On the cross, Jesus made it possible for all of us to experience God the same way that Moses did.

We can ask God for his will -- "don't send me where you want me to go unless you come with me!" And Christ will respond, as God did with Moses, "because of the cross, I will come with you for you have found favor with me and you are my friend!"

Profound stuff. Easter isn't just a story of Jesus' death and resurrection. It's the story of God's love for humanity and desire for an intimate friend-like relationship with all of us! How awesome is that. You + God... BFF's. It's possible, folks. Seek it.