The Need for Christian Mentoring

The Need for Christian Mentoring

“Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent.” –Exodus 33:8

 A wise pastor once told me that one mark of a good sermon is that there is a lot of material on the cutting room floor at the end of the week. In other words, what is left out of a sermon is just as important as what is put in. A sermon ought to be about one thing, not many things, and so a great deal of material must be left out in order to accomplish this goal.

That being said, I often come across things in my sermon preparation that I believe are worth reflecting on, even if those things don’t make it into my sermon for Sunday. I’d like to share one such thing with you today.

In Exodus 33, we are told about the tent of meeting. The tent of meeting was set up outside the camp in order for Moses to meet with God. God could not come into the camp because the people were so sinful that his presence would have destroyed them. Verse 8 tells us that when Moses went out to the tent, “all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent.

”Why? Undoubtedly the people had some level of respect for Moses as their leader, although not enough to prevent them from frequently rebelling against him. But I believe more than that is going on here. I believe the people knew that it was important to watch a godly man like Moses interact with God.

The Israelites seem to have realized that. But have we? Are we seeking out godly mentors in the Christian faith and watching how they walk with God? Are we allowing younger Christians an inside glimpse into our own walk with God so that they can learn? If not, I believe Exodus 33 is calling us to start.

Your Pastor and Friend,
John Knox Foster