"VOICE OF GOD!"

Exodus 33:7-11                   (ESV)
"7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.
8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent.
9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the LORD would speak with Moses.
10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door.
11 Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent."


If you could have been any man in the Bible, who would you prefer?  King David and his heart for GOD!  Or maybe Abraham, the father of many nations?  Being Moses and being one spoke to GOD as his friend must have been special?  But one man that intrigues me is Joshua. Joshua was a "young man" who loved being in the presence of YHWH!  I especially love Exodus 33:11b where scripture records that Joshua "would not depart from the tent."

Now, being the critical person I am, I would have been complaining that Joshua wasn't pulling his share of the load!  Joshua was a "young man" and one would think he should be gathering fire wood, or some other menial task.  But Joshua seemed to know that hearing from The LORD was far more beneficial than satisfying the minds of man.

The criticism of man has ruined more than a few saints.  It has been said 'Everyone has an opinion, and most of them are wrong"!  Even though Joshua was a "young man", he was wise enough tune out the voices of man and listen to the "VOICE OF GOD"!  He seemed to learn this from Moses.  But once you have heard the "VOICE OF GOD", you crave hearing it even more.

Society has made tremendous technological advances in my lifetime.  When I was a child, we watched three major networks of television.  Now, we have cable and a minimum of 140+ channels to watch.  Cellphones now have everything imaginable on them.  Internet provides freedoms previously untold.  Yet, we have less time to listen to the "VOICE OF GOD".  I think I will "not depart from the tent" more and listen more to the "VOICE OF GOD"!!!