The above-mentioned Scripture passage is taken out from a long conversation that took place between God and Moses a long time ago. The context of this conversation is that God created the human race and He made them in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27) so that He can have fellowship with them forever and ever. However, with the fall of humanity (Genesis 3:1-24), all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Since then, God had been planning to separate a people for Himself and sanctify them to be holy so that He can have fellowship with them. Abraham was chosen for this purpose and God revealed His plan and purpose to Abraham, which is noted in Genesis 12:1-3. For Abraham this blessing did not come overnight (we all wish that the promise of blessing is fulfill all at once in our life), rather, it took several years to see/experience the first gleams of blessings. God Called Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3; God blessed Abraham immensely in Genesis 13:2-4; God reveals His plan to Abraham and how He is going to execute the plan in Genesis 15:12-16; God re-affirmed His call of Abraham and made a covenant with him in Genesis 17:1-27; God blessed Abraham with Isaac in Genesis 21:1-5; God tested Abraham in Genesis 22:1-19; God renewed the covenant He made with Abraham with Isaac (Genesis 26:1-6); God renewed the covenant He made with Abraham and Isaac again with Jacob (Genesis 28:10-22); and the list goes on and on. In all these, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob proved themselves faithful before God that they were trustworthy to carry out the purpose of God in and through their life.

The Israelites lived in Egypt for about 430 years (Exodus 12:40-42). During their stay in Egypt, God blessed them and multiplied their number (Exodus 1:7), and the Israelites had grown to become a nation with millions of people. According to Exodus 12:37, there were about six hundred thousand men who were twenty years of age and older at the time of their deliverance. When the time God appointed had come to pass, according to the Word of God mentioned in Genesis 15:12-16; that is, after four hundred years of slavery in a foreign land and the fourth generation of descendants; God called Moses to be His servant to deliver the people out of Egypt (Exodus 3:7-10). The Lord God delivered His people from bondage in Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders (Deuteronomy 26:8).

God kept His promise and delivered them from bondage and led them into the land He promised to their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as mentioned in Exodus 6:6-8,

Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.

They were jubilant when they were delivered from the bondage in Egypt and they praised God wholeheartedly as it is recorded throughout the Scripture, particularly in Psalm 136. The Lord God Himself went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light (Exodus 13:21). Despite all that God did for the Israelites, the Israelites sinned against God and rebelled against His servant Moses in the wilderness each time they faced a challenge during their journey in the wilderness. Due to people’s rebellion and sin (Exodus 32:1-35), the Lord was angry with them and hesitated to go with them for the rest of their journey:

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way. (Exodus 33:1-3)

However, when the people of Israel repented of their sins (Exodus 33:4), and for the sake of His servant Moses, who found favor with God (Exodus 33:12-13), God promised that His presence will go with them (Exodus 33:14). The Lord God who is compassionate and gracious does not harbor His anger forever. The Psalmist put it in a right way, saying (Psalm 103:7-13):

7 He [God] made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: 8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him

Moses, who was faithful in leading and guiding these people as per God commands him, was also upset and tired of the people’s disrespect and rebellion towards him. Moses understood that people are ungrateful and rebellious towards God and towards him, and it would be hard for him to lead them in such a situation. He earnestly sought after God for help to lead such a rebellious people. Now, when God promised His presence would go with them, Moses’ heart’s desire was granted – he asked for some help for as he leads the people during the journey and the Mighty Helper Himself joined with him in leading the Israelites in their journey. Moses would have been so happy when he heard that God is going to go with him in leading the people across the wilderness! Moses knew who God is and how powerful He is. Also, he witnessed several miracles that either God performed or he performed with power of God. Below mentioned are just a few of those miracles for our information:

• • He witnessed the miracle of God’s appearance on the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-15)
  • He witnessed God’s mighty works that brought disaster upon the powerful kingdom Egypt (Exodus 7:14-11:10)
  • He saw how God brought judgment upon all the gods of Egypt (Exodus 12:12)
  • He performed the miracle of turning a staff into a snake with the power of God (Exodus 4:2; 7:8-13)
  • He witnessed God’s power and miracles at the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:1-31)
  • He performed the miracle of bitter water turning into sweet water with the tree branches (Exodus 15:22-27)
  • He witnessed the cloud leading the people by day and the Pillar of fire leading them by night (Exodus 13:21)
  • He witnessed God’s provision of Manna (heavenly grain) falling from heaven each morning (Exodus 16:1-36)
  • He witnessed the defeat of the most powerful kings east of the Jordan: Sihon king of the Amorites (Numbers 21:21-26) and Og king of Bashan (Numbers 21:33-35)

Moses witnessed and experienced God’s power and miracles starting from the moment God called him for the task of delivering the children of Israel from their bondage in Egypt.  On Mount Horeb God performed miracles at the time of his calling [Exodus 3:1-5; 17:6; 33:6], in Egypt before Pharaoh and his officials [Exodus 7:11-11:10], and throughout the journey in the wilderness.  And because of these experiences, Moses longed for God’s presence more than ever before since he realized that:

• • God’s presence will help him during the journey
  • God’s presence will assure him rest during and after the journey ends
  • God’s presence with him will make him different from others
  • God’s presence with him will draw him closer to God more than ever

Moses found favor in the sight of the Lord. As a result, the Lord was pleased with him and would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend (Exodus 33:11a, 13, 16; Hebrews 3:5). God very specifically talked about Moses, Numbers 12:7-8a states that But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Deuteronomy 34:10-12 states that

Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

In our spiritual journey, we might also face challenges and problems that hinder our spiritual journey and righteous living. All believers may not face such challenges and problems but at least a few go through some kind of troublesome situation that threatens their faith-life. When we study the Scripture, we can understand that an untold number of the Old Testament and New Testament saints have gone through severe persecutions in their life because of their faith in God. For instance, Hebrews 11:35b-38 states:

There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

In such situations, we also need the presence of God to go with us to strengthen us in our weakness. Moses earnestly longed for God’s presence to go with him as he faced hardship while he led the children of Israel because he faced hardships from within and outside. Similarly, when we go through difficult situations in our faith-life, just like Moses did, we need to trust Him who can help us and go with us. God promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you:

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5b).