A widow living alone lays a white cloth on the table, brings out the silver and the engraved glasses, though her guest keeps saying it is only the two of them, and her short reply uncovers something we rarely say out loud. That scene opens a reflection on three fundamental human needs voiced by Moses in his conversation with God after the golden calf (Exodus 33). The sermon moves from Eden through Sinai and the tent of meeting to the words about the Word that pitched its tent among us (John 1). Listen and consider where heaven meets earth today.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In Exodus 33:12-23 Moses refuses to be led by an angel alone and says: if your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. Why did God's presence matter more to him than the Promised Land itself?
- God puts Moses in a cleft of the rock, covers him with His hand and lets him see only His back. What does this scene reveal about God's holiness and His desire to be close to people?
- The sermon describes God as dangerous but good, like Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia, and the golden calf as a more predictable god on our own terms. In what ways do you try to make God more comfortable today?
- Moses expresses three needs: to know God, to find meaning in life through His presence, and to experience His glory. Which of these feels most alive for you right now, and why?
- John writes that the Word dwelt among us, literally pitched His tent. How does the truth that heaven meets earth in Jesus, and today through the Holy Spirit in believers, change how you think about God's nearness?
- The sermon mentions a little boy prying open his dad's fingers to get the coins, when he could simply hold his hand. How can you seek God Himself more than His gifts in your prayers this week?
