Then Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people!’ But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’ “Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.” And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. “For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?” Ex 33:12-16 

Interesting, Moses cries out to the Lord for help and reveals his innermost desire. Like Paul who said his goal for his life was simply to “Know Him.” Philippians 3:10, Moses before him said in essence the same thing nearly 1500 years earlier!

In addition Moses seems to want to remind the Lord that the nation of Israel is actually the Lord’s people and not Moses’ responsibility. Sounds a bit like a mother who says to her husband “Please talk to your son about his behavior.” It’s good to remind the Lord (and obviously ourselves) that our kids are His kids, our spouses are actually His kids, and those we minister to are indeed His kids and not primarily ours! I think the Lord enjoys us realizing this. The battle belongs to the Lord and so do all the troops!

Finally, Moses says if you don’t go with us personally, let’s not even try to do this thing. It’s with you or nothing at all! God, your presence is what distinguishes my life and your people’s lives from those of all the other people on the planet. I love that! Lord may your glory rest on us so that it is undeniable that you are with us. Like Paul would write later of an unbeliever who visits a spirit-filled church meeting. He said when they hear God speak through the message, they will fall on their face and declare “God is certainly among them!” 1 Cor 14:25