My Presence Will Go With You

"And He said, 'My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.' " (1)

At to foot of Mount Sinai, the children of Israel, in the absence of Moses, had made for themselves "a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!' And the Lord said to Moses, 'I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people!' " (2) There was a tension in the camp over the unfaithfulness of Israel and Moses interceded with the Lord on behalf of His people. The Lord had chosen Moses to be the leader of His people and He had chosen well.

"The Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend... Then Moses said to the Lord, 'See, You say to me, "Bring up this people." But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, "I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight." Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people." '

"And He said, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.' Then he said to Him. 'If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.

"So the Lord said to Moses, 'I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.' " (3)

Jesus made similar promises to us when He said, "I am with you always" and "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (4) We also have been a "stiff-necked people" and have wandered far from the safety of His fold. Yet He is there for us when we recognize that we are lost and straying.

Moses said it well when he said, "Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight." (5)

1. Exodus 33:14.
2. Exodus 32:8, 9.
3. Exodus 33:11-17.
4. Matthew 28:20, & 11:30.
5. Exodus 33:13.