BE READY IN THE MORNING

The phrase, “Be ready in the morning” is found in Exodus 34:2. Moses is told to be ready in the morning to come to the top of Mount Sinai with the tables of stone. The first 9 verses of Exodus 34 contain some good principles for our quiet time with God.
In verse one Moses is told to hew two tables of stone so God can write His commands on them. Today God writes, not in tables of stone, but tables of the heart. We come with open hearts and minds on which God can write His commands. In verse two Moses is told to be ready in the morning. The morning is, for most people the best time to be alone with God. The mind is less cluttered than during the day.
In verse three Moses is told to bring no man with him and also to leave the flocks and herds behind. God wants a personal fellowship with us. We are to come alone. Also, we must not come with a lot of other business on our minds. The “flocks and herds” must be left outside.
In verse four we read that Moses goes to the top of the mountain and in verse five we see that God comes down to Moses. It is a meeting between the Infinite God and finite man. Also, in verse five God tells Moses Who He is. “He proclaims the Name of the LORD”. This is Who He is. It is His Person. Verse six explains what He is; or His character. He is “The LORD GOD, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth”. In verse seven He tells what He does: He keeps mercy for thousands, forgives sin and punishes iniquity. He warns against the long range consequence of sin. These and many other things God can teach the one alone with Him.
In verses eight and nine we see the contrast between a holy God and sinful man. Moses acknowledges that he is one of a “stiff necked people” and in need of pardon. Moses went to the top of Mount Sinai, the mountain of law and judgment. According to Hebrews 12, we are already in Mount Zion, the city of the Living God. This is the mount where we meet God.
In First John we read that our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son. The really staggering thing is that God is more anxious for the meeting than we are. God is inviting us to come. We are the ones dragging our feet.