No-Go Territory
The moment when God says ‘No’ or seems to thwart something which all along we had assumed was what he wanted is very much a Focal Point of Faith. Can he be serous? Or are we misunderstanding him? Perhaps the experience of Moses can help us.
Here is a man with a great record of service to Yahweh. Despite all the problems and adversities he has maintained his determination and his faithfulness. He knows that the incident with the Golden Calf was his nadir but he has repented, wants to continue and needs a massive vote of reassurance from Yahweh, which apparently he cannot get. The promised land is just over the hill and the people will enter it, but not under Moses (Deut 31:1-3). Yahweh will go himself (v14 REB) and with a changed leadership — an angel (33:2).
Moses must have been shattered. Having led his team successfully through every round of the competition he is now to be denied a chance to play in the final. Surely not. He desperately needs reassurance and his plea takes two forms: a special relationship with Yahweh, certainty, and to see God’s face. Without this he cannot go on. Failing that, how will his people have confidence in him any longer? But this is No-Go territory (v20). Moses still has one more lesson to learn and Yahweh has his own way of teaching him. He is to stand on a rock. Yahweh will be there. But Moses will only ever see his back. Only afterwards can there be an assurance of his presence.
This is the Focal Point where faith is tested. Not in our hopes, dreams and ambitions that set us off on the quest. Not in our plans and preparations, not even in our commitment and determination, crucial though they are. All that is by faith, not by sight. But then comes a moment when out of the blue we suddenly find ourselves saying ‘Yes, he was there all the time’, and on the strength of that we can continue in faith. Looking back at their history and looking forward to a new community the compilers of Exodus knew exactly what that meant.