The problem was that the people became restless. They’ve been weary of all their desert wanderings. They needed to feel at home. They needed a spiritual fix. Something to fire them up and to make them feel good minus the responsibility and the cost of obedience.

But Moses’ God was so terrifying. The whole time they were in the desert, the Israelites felt like they were always tiptoeing around the name of Yahweh. What’s there to fear? Why can’t they be just like the people around them, with all their comfortable religion and easy spiritualism? Why can’t Yahweh be just like any other god?

And so they made the golden calf. Just like the calf god of Egypt which they decidedly left behind. Isn’t it sad that they were going back to the idolatry that they already renounced? That the god they fled from now ensnared them again? All because they were looking for a relevant god.

A god that would keep up with the times and adapt to social changes. A god that will not hold them accountable. A god they can worship with no strings attached. A god they can put aside when they don’t feel like worshiping. A god who will let them live any way they want. In other words, a very convenient god.

This is one of the most heart-breaking scenarios in the Old Testament. God was fed up with His people and He wanted them to just go and claim the land He promised to Abraham. But they were to go alone by themselves with just an angel to lead the way.

Just an angel.

At least they would get the promise. They would look successful. They would be fine. In the eyes of the Canaanites and the whole Middle Eastern world, they would look like a promising fledgling nation. But the price would be that they would go without God’s presence.

Honestly speaking, that was an enticing offer for the Israelites who dreaded the presence of God whenever He came down to talk to Moses. For some reasons, these people were not exactly excited about God being with them. Just a chapter later, they would have Moses cover his face because they could not bear to look at the glory of God in it.

But Moses knew the difference between having the presence of God or an angel’s. He knew that the picture of success wouldn’t really be that good if God is taken out of the picture. He was quick to point out that the only distinguishing mark between God’s chosen people and the rest of the world is ONLY HIS presence. Take that away and Israel will be reduced to just one of the many struggling tribes in ancient Middle East.

As I stared at my computer today looking at the verse I quoted above, I was hit with a sudden realization that made perfect sense to me however I look it. We can choose to be successful on our own. With hard work and cleverness, we can make it big out there. We can map out success, build a name, create an empire, be somebody or do anything humanly possible under the sun. But at the very heart of that is the choice whether we will take that next step with or without God’s presence.

Moses was given that choice. Joshua had the same choice. You and I have that choice. Moses refused to move his feet unless God led the way. Joshua chose to serve God with his household. You and I… Now that’s the million dollar question.

As we come out from our seven-day prayer and fasting today, let us not cover our faces. Not anymore. The world needs to see that light, that radiance that could only come from God. Let them see that the light of your life does not come from your being smart or cool but it comes as a direct result of your exposure to the glory of God.

Don’t be afraid if people think you are “deep” or spiritual or different. God’s glory is not something to be ashamed of. People may say it with a slight jeer in their voice but they only take notice because the glory of God stands out from all the blackness of the world. People need that light, show it to them. Don’t hide it under your usual pretensions. Don’t try to cover it with your usual sarcasm and biting remarks. Let it out. Let it shine bright.