Calling Upon the Name of the Lord (Exodus 34:5)

Purpose: Our dullness toward the Lord is contrasted with Moses' zeal to know and love God, as shown by his calling out to the Lord. The study of theology without this drive to know God has destroyed our great seminaries and Bible Colleges.

One key incident follows the former communication where God further reveals His true nature to Moses. Please note that God is revealing this to him so that it can be revealed to us. The Lord reveals it to us so that we can through faith deeply trust Him and more deeply know and respond to Him.

“And the LORD descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he (Moses) called upon the name of the LORD” (Exodus 34:5).

Proper theology

Let’s remember this about theology. A person can master the wonderful things about God from these few verses but not know God any more intimately. This is the crisis with theology. Knowledge about God is not the same as truly knowing God.

Knowing God is always life transforming. We can be satisfied with knowing about God but not knowing Him. Do you remember the place that made Chinese dumplings partly out of cardboard cartons just to make them go further? But why are so many people content with the superficial rather than stepping up and getting to know God?

You might feel that after this study on knowing God that you know more about God. You might be right, but remember this is different than knowing Him.

Instead you want this study to touch your heart in such a way that you, like Moses, cry out to know Him! “And the LORD descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he (Moses) called upon the name of the LORD” (Exodus 34:5).

The transformation of knowing God

Moses wrote these things down, but something else was happening when God was speaking these words to Moses. Moses was experiencing God through these words. Each word rung out revealing more about God’s holy and awesome person.

When God spoke, the trees, bushes and grasses were created. In the same way God’s divine Word inspires life, hope, joy, cleansing into His servants when He speaks to them.

With each word, further conviction, understanding and faith quickened Moses’ grasp of who the Lord Yahweh God was. Intimacy with God cannot be conveniently communicated by theology books. We need the Spirit of God to stir our hearts and minds to know the eternal One.

Intellect verses Experience

The battle between intellect and experience still goes on today. With the touch of the world’s educational methods and standards, it is hard for Christian Bible colleges and seminaries not to be affected.

This is proved by a constant tendency of what were once great Christian schools like Harvard, Princeton and Yale to become void of spiritual mission and life.

We can assert God is merciful because the scripture says it so. We are right, but deep inside us we must insist on meeting up with this merciful God.

If the mere knowledge of this knowledge satisfies our enquiry, then we will not go for the greater experience the God of mercy. We want the genuine fount of Mercy spring forth and touch our lives. May the Living God be alive in our lives today!

God Personally Reveals Himself

I love the Book of Genesis because it, time after time, recounts how God reveals Himself through personal encounters. Abraham heard God speak to him, and he actually responded to what God said (Genesis 12:4). Jacob got a bum hip when he wrestled with God (Genesis 32:24-32).

Knowledge about God is merely an appetizer. There is more to come, if indeed, we seek for it. God is using this to test us if we really want to know Him. If we are content in just knowing about Him, then we will discover no more. When however, like Moses, we take that step to know more of God and His ways, then the Lord God will creatively reveal Himself more to us.

=> Abraham’s Journey of Faith

Next page => God’s Self-Revelation (Exodus 34:6-7)

info@foundationsforfreedom.net

Scriptures typically quoted from the New American Standard Bible unless noted: (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1988

Looking for Revival?