Exodus 24:12-18 (NRSV)
Read Exodus 24:12-18 on biblegateway.com
Verse 12The Lord said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction." Verse 13So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. Verse 14To the elders he had said, "Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them." Verse 15Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. Verse 16The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Verse 17Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Verse 18Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
Devotion
“Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there.”
When God calls we are never quite sure what to expect. “Come up ... and wait.” And we come--to worship, to our devotional time, to a small group--eagerly, but often disappointed if nothing extraordinary happens. Waiting in the presence of God, however, cannot be considered “ordinary.” If waiting seems to awaken our impatience, maybe that is exactly why we need to be quiet. Watchful, expectant waiting will always be part of the life of a disciple. God will speak when God is good and ready, and when we are ready to hear what God has to say.
“The cloud covered the mountain for six days.” The Day of Transfiguration is still six days off. Perhaps we see nothing and feel nothing, but on the mountain where we are waiting, we are already in the presence of the Lord.
Prayer
O God, I am waiting. Help me to be restful and quiet in your presence. In Jesus’ name. Amen.