Summer Sunburn
My pale-skinned, strawberry blonde friend would then take me to the sun baking deck above the kiosk, where we would lay out for hours in the hope of a perfect tan.
Reference: v.30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. (TNIV Bible)
Explore: One of my favourite things to do in summer was to go to the local swimming pool with my friends. We would have races across the pool and pretend to be professional athletes as we tried to perform the best underwater handstand.
My pale-skinned, strawberry blonde friend would then take me to the sun baking deck above the kiosk, where we would lay out for hours in the hope of a perfect tan. This time may have seemed a little monotonous to me, however, vanity prevailed and we would bake for as long as our patience could handle.
Needless to say, the sunburn that followed would cause many sleepless nights and my poor friend would suffer from a completely blistered back. There was no excuse for our suffering as it was clear that we had spent way too much time out in the sun.
Application: When you have spent some time in the Australian sun it is evident for all to see. From a slight tan to a harsh red burn, the sun has an impact on anyone who stands before it for long enough.
When Moses was in the presence of God it seems that his skin reacted as well. It was said that Moses’ face was radiant after being so close to God.
I have experienced this radiance before. Not an actual visual glow, but after someone has been so close to God’s presence, it is like they are radiating joy and love.
This doesn’t surprise me so much, but what does surprise me is when people proclaim to have a close and personal relationship with God, and yet they don’t exude joy, love, grace and compassion. We all have the ability to be that close to our Lord. Sure, we can put up barriers to deflect God’s love for us – like a holy sonscreen – but our lives are always better when we radiate God’s impression on us to others.
Prayer: Lord, may I be willing to tear down the barriers so that I am vulnerable to stand in your presence. Amen.
Could people tell that you’ve been in the presence of God?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.