One moment in time

Moment – A turning effect produced by an acting force

There are just certain moments that change timelines and trajectories of lives.

Whitney Houston recorded that classic song that recounts just such moments.

“I want one moment in time when I’m more than I thought I could be…Give me one moment in time when I’m racing with destiny then in that one moment of time I will feel I will feel eternity.”

That song defines the life of Moses, the great Man of God. He had many such moments beginning with his birth, then there was his encounter with God at the burning bush. Moses had so many moments that changed the direction of his life. He was a shepherd who just wanted to hide on the backside of the desert. ”BUT GOD,” created Moses for more and He created moments that would change Moses.

We come to Exodus chapter 34. Moses has led the children of Israel out of Egypt with dramatic scenes like the parting of the Red Sea and the crashing of the waters down on Pharaoh and his armies. With God leading them, Moses and the children of Israel followed God’s pillars of cloud and fire to Mount Sinai. Here on Mount Sinai Moses had already spent 40 days and 40 nights alone with God. There Moses received the first set of stone tablets.

“When he had finished speaking with Moshe on Mount Sinai, Adonai gave him the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.”
‭‭Sh’mot (Exo)‬ ‭31:18‬ ‭CJB‬‬
Now that’s a moment, but Moses and the idolatry of Israel shattered that moment.

Now we follow Moses as he makes a second trip up Mount Sinai.

“(v) Adonai said to Moshe, “Cut yourself two tablets of stone like the first ones; and I will inscribe on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Be ready by morning; in the morning you are to ascend Mount Sinai and present yourself to me on the top of the mountain. No one is to come up with you, and no one is to be seen anywhere on the mountain; don’t even let the flocks or herds feed in front of this mountain.” Moshe cut two stone tablets like the first. Then he got up early in the morning and, with the two stone tablets in his hands, ascended Mount Sinai, as Adonai had ordered him to do.”
‭‭Sh’mot (Exo)‬ ‭34:1-4‬ ‭CJB‬‬

And in the hours that ensued, Moses was changed once again by the power and the majesty YAHWEH, THE I AM THAT I AM, THE SELF EXISTENT ONE.

“The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected— even children in the third and fourth generations.””
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭34:6-7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

And we have another moment in time that changed Moses. He felt eternity.

“Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped. Moses remained there on the mountain with the Lord forty days and forty nights. In all that time he ate no bread and drank no water. And the Lord wrote the terms of the covenant—the Ten Commandments—on the stone tablets. When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭34:8, 28-29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Moments that change us! Moments that are full of potential! Like grasping onto the fact that OUR GOD IS COMPASSIONATE, MERCIFUL, SLOW TO ANGER, FILLED WITH UNFAILING LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS, FORGIVING, BUT ALSO HOLY. HE WON’T EXCUSE OUR GUILT, BUT GAVE US A WAY OUT OF OUR REBELLION – THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

It was a physical moment that changed Moses’ position from standing to prostrating himself in worship before YAHWEH!

Grasp that moment today.