Show notes
It is interesting in how many parts of Scripture we find the words “blot” and “blotting” used – to indicate that God is so angry he is wiping out someone or some people, the worst case was in the time of Noah (Gen. 6 v.7 & 7 v.23) We encounter them today in Exodus.
Our chapters today portray the fickleness of human nature; Moses is away – up in the mountain (Joshua is with him) for 40 days. That is a relatively long time when you are camped – with very little to do. The same applies to today – but worse – year after year with no thought of their being a God, no long term future, people say/think, ‘let us experience all we can now’. The ‘gods’ of pleasure and leisure now dominate human minds.
But we ourselves have no excuse, we have God’s word to feed on, chew over, as much as we may desire – and his word provides a great variety of mind nourishing – and mind and heart challenging material for our prayerful meditation. Are we really doing this?
In the time Moses is with him on the mount the LORD is aware of the attitude that is developing down in the Camp; he says to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them …” [32 v.9,10]
Can we compare the absence of Moses with the absence of Christ? There was keen anticipation of Christ’s return and the ‘promised land’ of the kingdom in the brotherhood some 150 years ago, this reached its peak with the deliverance of Jerusalem from the Turks over 100 years ago.
Then, the brotherhood was full of anticipation of the immanence of Armageddon and the advent of the kingdom when Israel became a nation.
But, as with Moses seeming ‘delay’ in the mountain, how many of us feel, at least subconsciously, that our Lord seems to be delayed in his return? Our world offers an increasing number of distractions – they are not necessarily evil! How interesting travel can be, many up until 2020 “ran to and fro” and what fascinating ‘mind consuming’ inventions now exist; ‘knowledge’ has incredibly increased. We know well these words in Daniel 12 v.4 – but is v.10 so readily in our minds? “And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.” How full and convicted of mind are we in our understanding?
In all the crisis that occurred when Moses came down from the mountain, v.33 stands out! ‘the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.” If we, having left ‘Egypt’, are now letting our minds wander and become absorbed in the ways that surround us, and in a sense, ‘worship’ the fascinating things and experiences our world thrusts before us, then are we not most likely to be among those of whom God says, “I will blot (them) out of my book.”? This is food for the deepest meditation.
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