God’s Timing – Exodus 24:16

The glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud.

Based on this simple detail in the book of Exodus, it strikes me that God’s timing is quite different than ours. Moses and Joshua are on the mountain for six days simply waiting in the presence of God before YHWH even speaks. The cloud is there. Moses is there. Joshua is there; yet, there is only the silence of the mountaintop. God has called them up and now they simply wait in the Holy cloud. What are Moses and Joshua thinking? What is God thinking?

I don’t mean to make too much of this seemingly insignificant detail; however, at the very least, it illustrates that God’s timing is not always, if ever, our timing. Often, it seems, we see Father God acting more slowly than we would have expected or preferred. All throughout Scripture we see God encouraging His people to wait on Him. For Father God a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. In effect, His perception of time is high and above ours. He is not experiencing time as we are. He is outside of it. It does not limit Him as it limits us. Honestly, at this point, I’m talking about stuff I simply cannot understand. It is beyond the human mind to comprehend and thus we must tread lightly on such subjects.

Suffice it to say that often God’s speaking, acting, and interacting may appear slow to us; yet, He is not slow. His timing is perfect. In this fact we can rest assured. Even the Son of God Himself waited patiently for three days in the tomb for the resurrection. God’s ways are not our ways and neither is His timing. Or maybe, just maybe, time passes differently when in the Presence of the Creator. Honestly, it seems fair to conclude that time flies when surrounded by the glory of God. Being in His presence seems to erase the passage of time. A deeper revelation of this truth just might make this journey on earth more bearable, productive, and glorious.