Moses, Lover of God – The Great Commandment

Moses, Lover of God

Matthew 22:37, 38

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”

Exodus 19:12

“And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death.”

Love obeys to the point of danger.

Moses knew that God had called him to lead the people of Israel out of captivity. He reluctantly acquiesced in God’s plan and, not without trials and tribulations, led them to the foot of Mt. Sinai, where they were to receive the commandments of the Lord. God solemnly warned Moses that anyone who touched the mountain would die; then He commanded Moses to come up the mountain to meet with Him. Was Moses willing to obey this command of God, to go beyond where anyone else in Israel would be allowed to go, in order to bring the blessings of God to His people? Of course he was. While others feared to approach the sacred mountain, Moses had learned to be, if not at ease, at least, secure in the presence of God. He loved God not from a distance, but, as it were, face to face, in His presence, where no one else ever dared to go. Do you love God enough to go before Him in His Word and prayer, and to wait upon Him to bring you into His glory – even though no one you know practices the presence of God in this way? If we love God we will long for His presence, even though it can be fearful, and we will go before Him faithfully, to be bathed in His glory as we linger over His Word and wait on Him in prayer. It matters not whether anyone else dares such boldness. God has called us, so, loving Him, we come.

What about your time with the Lord each day? Does it indicate that you sincerely love the Lord? Are you entering into the glory of the Lord in your time with Him?

—

“In the Gates” is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001,2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.