Four Circles of Intimacy
Yesterday I wrote of hurdles to intimacy, but let me quote from Oswald Sanders’ book, Enjoying Intimacy with God. He said there are four circles of intimacy.
The Outer Circle (Ex. 19:10-12). “…the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death.”
Why couldn’t the people go up? The following chapters show that they were neither qualified nor willing. There are some people content to see salvation as “fire insurance” and they are unwilling to go deeper in intimacy and are not qualified because of particular sin pattern or habit.
The Second Circle (Ex. 24:9-11) “Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.”
What an incredible passage! They were willing to move toward God and saw and experienced things we can’t imagine.
The Third Circle (Ex 24:12-13) “The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God.”
The path grows steeper as it moves toward God and the numbers dwindle. Joshua follows hard after God throughout Exodus. Moses would leave the Tent of Meeting and go back to the camp, but Joshua would not leave the tent. Is it any wonder that he was chosen to lead the people into the Promised Land?
The Inner Circle (Ex 24:15-18). “Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now 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. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.”
Moses entered into the consuming fire and lived in the glory of God for 40 days! On this side of the Cross, Resurrection, Ascension, and Pentecost we can enter into the glory of God and stay there. We do not have to leave.
Look at the circles, read the Scripture, and ask yourself where you are currently, but also ask, where you want to be and then make the necessary adjustments.
The Outer Circle (Ex. 19:10-12). “…the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death.”
Why couldn’t the people go up? The following chapters show that they were neither qualified nor willing. There are some people content to see salvation as “fire insurance” and they are unwilling to go deeper in intimacy and are not qualified because of particular sin pattern or habit.
The Second Circle (Ex. 24:9-11) “Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.”
What an incredible passage! They were willing to move toward God and saw and experienced things we can’t imagine.
The Third Circle (Ex 24:12-13) “The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God.”
The path grows steeper as it moves toward God and the numbers dwindle. Joshua follows hard after God throughout Exodus. Moses would leave the Tent of Meeting and go back to the camp, but Joshua would not leave the tent. Is it any wonder that he was chosen to lead the people into the Promised Land?
The Inner Circle (Ex 24:15-18). “Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now 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. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.”
Moses entered into the consuming fire and lived in the glory of God for 40 days! On this side of the Cross, Resurrection, Ascension, and Pentecost we can enter into the glory of God and stay there. We do not have to leave.
Look at the circles, read the Scripture, and ask yourself where you are currently, but also ask, where you want to be and then make the necessary adjustments.
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