I have a friend. We started
off good, giving each other great respect. She refers to me as Sir and I sometimes
include ‘ma’ or ‘aunty’ when conversing with her. At the start, I did most of
the asking about personal welfare. We really got along and apart from mere
talking, we prayed and advised each other-advises were usually taken; and we
sought each other’s views sometimes. There were also times one party would
scold the other for wrong doing or attempted wrongs. I did more of this at the
start, but right now, the she does that more. Currently, the friend does most
of the asking, I think or better still we do it…so there’s some kind of balance
now. Ordinarily one may wonder this rising balance…kind of shocking but great
to think about… This brought my mind to how God relates with His close children
and going back to look at Moses and Abraham, I understand better and appreciate
how God walks and how He expects us to relate with Him.
Friends
Say It As It Is
Exodus
33:11
And the LORD spake unto Moses face to
face, as a man speaketh unto his friend…
God spoke to Moses as friend:
freely, familiarly, not in parables or stories or dreams but in a walking
conversation kind-of way. A man speaking to a friend, speaks without fear and
without over bearing regard to authority and procedure. Little wonder Moses
could speak boldly before God. He even scolded God when there was the thought
of doing some evil.
Exodus
32:11-14
And
Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot
against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with
great power, and with a mighty hand?
Wherefore
should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to
slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth?
Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
Remember
Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own
self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven,
and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they
shall inherit it for ever.
And
the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.
Friends listen to friends. You
may be shocked to find that people will refuse advise from anyone but not from
a close friend. It is only then they come to see the light of the advice. God
listened and followed Abraham’s advice.
Also as Friendship develops,
there comes to be a balance in power and authority. Both parties know where the
superior power lies, but there is this balance which gives them that freedom to
advise each other rightly and timely. This freedom enables both sides to ask
questions where they are not clear even if such question would seem foolish or
an encroachment of authority or space. See Abraham’s discourse with God concerning
Sodom and Gomorrah. Genesis 18: 17 to end. That story painted a friend
negotiating for a loved one with his fellow friend.
Friends do not also hide
things from each other. They would feel very uncomfortable doing it. God could
have as well gone ahead to kill the Israelites and not confide in Moses before
doing it. Exodus
32: 9-10. Genesis 18: 17 to end. John 15: 15. Amos 3: 7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he
revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Friends
report issues to friends. They are usually the first to know,
whether good or bad. God reported the evil acts of the Israelites to Moses at
the mountain. He did not have to show him. He told him mouth to ear. Exodus 32: 7-8.
Genesis 18: 17-21.
Friends
seek advice from each other, sometime indirectly by revealing their
plans, knowing that it is only such friends that can stop them. In other words,
they recognize that such friends hold the lever to stop their actions. God in
his anger would have destroyed the Israelites, but he knew their mediator Moses
better, that he would refrain him.
Friends
do not see boldness on the part of the other as abuse of privilege. Many
of us would wonder if Moses was not stepping over his bounds by asking God to
repent of the evil plans. Rather, such boldness arouses a lovely friendship in
the mind of the greater…it is akin to children who are bold before their
parents. Every normal loving parent would love such move and encourage it,
creating a situation where the child is like the parents brother or sister.
There are cases where a girl and her mother are like sisters, where they walk
together and the daughter is free to air her view and advise her mom.
Last observation. What seems
to fuel such love is not self love, but love for others. God promised to raise
another line from Moses if he was allowed to destroy the Israelites. Moses
rather, because he loved the people of Israel appealed for their behalf, for
their sakes. Also, Moses knows that God loves the Israelites so well that he
planned a rescue mission for them. He reminded God of his swearing to Abraham
and Isaac and Jacob. In other words, there should be no self-centeredness in
love.
When two parties love themselves,
not built on self-centredness but on love for others, such love is bound to
flourish.
Conclusion
Between myself and this
friend, we are now able to talk things out, share things, advise each other,
restrain each other, convince each other, give suggestions and ask questions.
How is our relationship with
our heavenly Father like?
How do we relate with Jesus and the Holy Spirit?
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