Moses’ First Christmas

Did Moses look on that first Christmas night?

A man who knew what it was to live in the tension of the come-yet-stay-away God, he wandered the wilderness, beckoned by God from the bush, yet immediately warned, “do not come near“. He learned early to hide his face, afraid to look at the God he longed to see.

Even as he walked with God, growing in boldness in his presence, still there remained a distance. Compelled to draw near, yet terrified of his holiness; to behold his glory, but be hidden lest he die. Reminders about him swirled, as he anointed the priests to minister in the presence of this holy God, but immediately saw two struck down. That burning bush might have matched Moses’ burning desire to be with his God, but the heat of the blaze meant he could not be touched. Here was a man who lived in the great tension that is the holiness of God.

So what did he think when that baby was born? As Joseph reached out his arms to hold the crying infant, did Moses start forward, frantically wishing he could stop him? “Don’t do it! You cannot touch the living God!” Did he scratch his head, perplexed that this lowly carpenter was not struck down?

As Simeon welcomed the family into the temple precincts, the presence of Yahweh back in that holy space, did Moses cringe, expecting the worst, recalling how Nadab and Abihu fell in that first sacred tent in the wilderness? To assume that one could just approach Yahweh in that way…

Had Moses grown used to it by the time Christ was a man? When the unclean woman stretched out her hand toward the hem of his garment, was Moses shouting “Wait!”? Did he remember when his sister was herself made unclean, when she could not enter the camp, never mind the presence of God. How presumptuous of this woman to stretch out her hand to touch the Holy One. Yet how incredible that she did so and lived.

I’m sure his mind crashed, his heart staggered, and his eyes grew wide, when he watched the Roman soldiers manhandle the Lord. Did he try to scream out across the void? Did some angels have to console him for his sadness, or calm him because of his fear? That men should dare to lay hands on God, to beat him, to spit on him, to scourge him, strip him, crown him and drive cold nails through his hands and feet.

Did he wonder that these men were not devoured, that they remained just as they were? As he contemplated the holiness of the God with whom he had trod lightly, was he bewildered by the lack of destruction upon the earth? Was he awaiting Egypt’s plagues, or the punishment that befell Korah and his cronies?

Or did he remember the other side of that line that he walked, as he did draw near to Yahweh and behold his glory, and this is what was proclaimed: “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty.”

Was Moses watching that first Christmas night? Did he watch the Saviour grow? Was he bewildered as to how man could touch the holy God and not die?

Or maybe as he looked at the cross, he bowed his head, and thanked the LORD for the incarnation.