Having Power with God

What is it that allows us to labour with God in ministering to people? What makes the Christians different from the lost world? What evidence is there that God is with us? All of these questions should cause the faithful minister of Christ to contemplate the title of this post, "Having Power with God." In Exodus chapter 33 we are given some insight to this very subject. In this chapter we find this great leader, Moses, who was certainly called by God and is seen here in the most fascinating and enlightening discourse one can find in the Old Testament. This passage gives rise to our understanding as to how we can have power with God to minister to others. Oftentimes it is that we minister to others in the strength of our flesh rather than the strength of the Lord. This is done not purposely or even maliciously, but takes place  because we have failed in the first things that Moses exemplifies in this passage. 

Take note of the following passage and in particular the phrases that are highlighted.
Exodus 33: 7-17

"And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people. And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth. And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name."


Please make note of a few items with me:

1. Moses' entering into the tabernacle.
​Verse 8 tells us ​"the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle." Then in verse 9 the Bible continues "And it came to pass as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended."

There is something very rich and vital we see here in these two verses. Something that is oftentimes overlooked but notice repeatedly it is said 'Moses went and entered into the tabernacle."  What was the tabernacle? What was this place? It was the prescribed place where Moses was to meet with God. This tabernacle though temporary and outside the camp because of the people's disobedience was the meeting place with God. 

Notice Moses went there. (v7)
Notice it was a place set aside. (v7)
Notice it was separated from everything else. (v7)
Notice that the people saw his actions. (v8)

This is the first great characteristic of someone who has power with God, they go to the place set aside to meet with God. They go to the place set apart from everything else. The quiet place, the place where it is just them and God. They come away with a glow on thier faces because they have seen the glory of God. Moses purposed to go there. the Bible says ​"everyone which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp." 

We are only told in this passage of two particular folks that went out to the tabernacle. No doubt there were many others that went there seeking the LORD. Moses and Joshua are certainly shown to have spent much time there!  Do you understand that Moses had to purpose in himself to enter into this place? He had a desire to meet with God and actually set apart to do so! God help us to be with him apart, in the separated place.

Well to have power with God we must 'go to the tabernacle." Secondly please note:

2. Moses' communion with God

We see first of all ​the interaction that took place. 

v9 "​And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses."

In verse 9 we are told that God spoke to Moses. "...and the LORD talked with Moses." But then also in verse 12 we are told the Moses spoke to God. "And Moses said unto the LORD..."  There was true communion and fellowship taking place. God was speaking to man and man was speaking to God. The passage goes on to explain that this was no cold, empty, heartless time but rather it was a sweet communion that took place. Notice the language of the Bible in verse 11, "​And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend...." What a marvelous statement this is! Think about it for a minute, God speaking to Moses in such familiarity. By the way this phrase 'as a man speaketh unto his friend...' in no way is meant to bring down the Holiness of God to the level of man, but rather denotes an intimate fellowship between God and Moses. Oh how God loves us so much to stoop down to converse with us!
How true it is that we must go to the tabernacle to meet with God and also we must commune with God! These things are required to have power with God. There is no way around it, if we are going to minister in the power of the Spirit of God, we must be with Him!

So far we have Moses' entering into the tabernacle, Moses' communion with God, and thirdly we see:

3. Moses' search to know God
​Moses' relationship as a child of God is explicit in this passage. As Moses talks with God he mentions a vital phrase that we should take note of, "​And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight."  This particular phrase that Moses repeats as being God's Word concerning him tells us his relationship to God had already been established. In Galatians 4: 8,9 we find these similar words, "Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?" Those Galatian believers could say they were "known of God..." How? They were known as His children. Much the same, Moses could not have power with God without being a child of God, but God knew him by name! Praise the Lord for that! Because of this Moses' response to know God is manifested. In verse 13 we find these words Moses speaking, "​Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people." At the top of the list, in this sweet communion time was a desire to know God! Oh how fruitless our time is reading God's Word if we are not endeavoring and desiring to know Him! Paul expressed this similar life goal in Philippians 3:10, "​That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" In this glorious verse in Philippians Paul emphatically says he desires to intimately know our Lord Jesus Christ is every possible way. Moses requests from God the same, "shew me now thy way, that I may know thee..."

​Well lastly we find this great truth concerning having power with God:

4. Moses' labor depended upon God's presence
God's response to Moses' request is very telling. God states, ​"My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." Notice particularly the last phrase 'I will give thee rest'. As we think upon what transpired after this moment, it seems there was anything but rest! This really was the beginning of a long journey for the children of Israel. What is meant by rest here was conquering the promised land. As it was then, so it is today, that the victorious Christian life is a life of conquest. But the rest is found in God's abiding presence and power to be victorious. One commentator put it this way, "not ease, and peace and tranquility of mind, or a freedom from the fear of enemies and all dangers by them, much less rest in the grace...but rather the promised land itself..." This speaks to the verse much quoted from the book of Philippians which states, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians4 4:13) The real emphasis of this verse is not on the doing of all things, but rather on the "through Christ which strengthenth me." You cannot have the all things without the victorious Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! 

As we close Moses' response should be written on the epitaph of our hearts, "And he [Moses] said unto him, "If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence." What a powerful statement! Moses here is not signaling a lack faith but rather confirming God's promise. He states "its not even worth doing without you!" Oh that we would have such a heart and tell our Lord these very words.

We must be with Him, commune with Him, and be transformed by Him before we can do anything for Him. This is especially true of the greatest labour that God has for us, that of personal evangelism!

- Pastor James Grandinetti, Community Outreach Pastor, Sharon Baptist Church