Email from Abiding Place Daily Bread – February 19, 2025 (The Fourth Day – Genesis 1:14-19) Exodus 3:5 – And He said, “Do not come any closer: take off your shoes from off your feet, for the place whereon you stand is holy ground.” Ascension to Holiness: Being Endued With God’s Presence God revealed the fire of His Presence and drew Moses into his first encounter with holiness. Never before had the descendants of Adam beheld such glory. As Moses turned aside to see the flame that had already been burning in his heart, he heard the affectionate words of God saying “Moses, Moses,” which is to say, “Dear Moses.” Although God loved him and addressed him with endearment, still Moses had to learn he was only allowed to get just so close to the holiness of God. Therefore, as Moses was approaching the Presence of the Lord, God set the boundaries of limitation and said, “Do not come any closer to Me” (Exodus 3:5). Whatever encounters the holiness of God becomes holy, but God limited how close Moses could come. God graced Moses with enough holiness to come as close as he did, but no further. Proximity to His Presence is based upon the degree of holiness given by God to men. Moses was the first man to be allowed to interact with God’s holiness like this. Never before had a man stood before the fire of God’s glory and approached unto His holiness. Although Abraham had many encounters with God, he was not allowed to see God in the midst of the fire as Moses did. He only saw God in the midst of the fire in a vision (Genesis 15:12-17). Moses was allowed to look upon God in the midst of the fire with his natural eyes. What began as a revelation of God’s glory in a vision to Abraham had grown into a flame of fire seen by the eyes of mortal flesh. He heard the sound of God’s voice, and experienced the glory of His holiness like no other one had before. As Moses stood there, he received a capacity to speak with authority that no man had ever partaken of. He was endued with a glory no man had ever experienced. His encounter with God would result in the exploits of God being manifested through him in Egypt in a way that had never been seen before in the world of men. Moses was endued with God’s Presence as he stood before His fiery flame. He would go from that place of the encounter and be accompanied by God in a way that was hitherto never expressed, as God said, “Surely, I will be with you.” (Exodus 3:12) Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
Daily Bread 2/19/2025
