Out From Egypt: Freedom In The WildernessSample

Out from Egypt: Freedom in the Wilderness

A Light-Bearer

You would think that after all the mind-blowing, miraculous things the Hebrews witnessed during and after the Exodus from Egypt, Moses' face shining would not be such a frightening idea. And yet, just like when he spoke directly to them, just like when Moses took too long to come down from the mountain, the people again were afraid.

Moses is forced to cover up the glorious radiance that now emanates from his skin as a result of being so close to the presence of the Light. One of my favorite lines from one of my favorite hymns is “When we’ve been there, ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun…” In the Kingdom, when we are in the presence of Yahweh, we too will shine like Moses (Dan. 12:3)!—but in the meantime, we get the privilege of being Light-bearers into this dark, dark world.

Just as the Hebrews were given the honor of having the shekinah glory reside at the center of their camps in the wilderness, we are given the honor of carrying the shekinah glory within us as we traverse this foreign land (2 Cor. 3:18, 4:6).

What a high calling this is, to carry Yahweh’s glory within us and yet we, like the Hebrews did, tend to take this responsibility all too lightly. We breeze though our days too busy to even consider it, we use our bodies and mouths in ways that bring dishonor to His Holy Name, we hide the Light within us out of embarrassment or fear.

We have a choice, just as the Hebrews did, to either revel in the Light, to bring honor and glory to the shekinah glory that dwelt among them and shone on the face of their leader, or to desire to cover it up. Yahweh gave the Hebrews the Ten Commandments after he redeemed them from Egypt, not before. He freed them from slavery, called them His chosen people, and then showed them the way he desired them to live—by obeying guidelines that would protect them, and show the world just how holy our God is.

We are supposed to be living holy lives that “demand an answer for the hope that is within us” (1 Pet. 3:5) and the only way others will ask those questions is if we are shining that Light for all to see. Even if we don’t say a word about being a Christ-follower, people should be drawn to the Light shining from our every pore.

Questions to Consider:

As you consider the fact that you, as a follower of Yeshua, have a new identity as a carrier of the Light, how does this encourage you? How does it challenge you to be a better reflection of the Light to this dark world?

What time in your life have you been afraid or embarrassed to “shine your light”? What was your ultimate decision during that test? If you chose to hide, what was the fallout? If you chose to obey in spite of your fear, what blessings did you see come from that experience?

Do you feel that your life could be characterized as one that demands an answer for the hope within you? If not, what steps do you need to take to change this? Ask the Lord to reveal ways that you can be bolder in your witness to the Truth.