Having Bargaining Power with God
Exodus 33:12–23
A man went to the market to buy a goat. Upon arrival, he walked around the market, examining the different breeds of goats available. Eventually, he chose a breed that suited him and stopped to talk to the seller. He carefully inspected the goat, including its teeth, before beginning to negotiate the price. Just as when bargaining for anything else, it’s important to evaluate its quality before making a deal. This principle also applies when bargaining with God — what do you base your bargaining on when dealing with God?
What is bargaining power?
Bargaining power refers to the relative ability of parties to influence each other and achieve favourable terms in a negotiation or agreement. This power depends on factors such as the alternatives of each party, the value of the negotiations, and the urgency of reaching an agreement. A party’s bargaining power can greatly affect the outcome of negotiations, leading to more advantageous positions for those with greater leverage. (Source: Wikipedia)
There are several factors people consider when bargaining for a deal. Moses sought a companion to accompany him while leading the children of Israel to the promised land — Canaan. He spoke to God, saying, “You say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me….” (Vs.12a) Then he began his bargaining campaign, “Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’” (vs 12b) Here, Moses is using what God told him as his basis for bargaining. He is using the word of God to negotiate for a companion to accompany him on this journey. The companion he wanted was God. The only way to negotiate and strike a deal with God is to use His own word, and Moses did so.
What do you use for bargaining?
Moses began to bargain for a deal for a companion. He said, “Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and find grace in Your sight. Also, consider that this nation is Your people” (vs. 13). In verse 12, Moses told God what he had. But in verse 13, he is seeking confirmation of the word God said in verse 12. The only sign that Moses has found grace in God’s eyes is for Him (God) to show Moses His way. Once Moses knows God’s way, he will know Him. The more Moses knows God, the more he finds grace with God.
How do you find grace with God?
In order to receive grace from God, it’s essential to understand His ways. The more you grasp God’s ways, the better you understand Him, and the more grace you find in His eyes. So, what are God’s ways? In Exodus 33:14, God tells Moses, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” This shows that God’s ways are synonymous with His presence. It’s worth noting that Moses secured God’s promise to accompany him on his journey. This companion is none other than the presence of God. The presence of God that God gives has benefits. God told Moses, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’ Thus, God’s rest is only found in His presence, or God’s rest is found where His presence manifests. Did you know that the rest of God is found in His presence? This was only revealed due to the bargaining power of Moses with God. When you go before God on the basis of His word, there is a revelation you will get.” A person who has learned the secret of taking God at His word has true bargaining power with God. Moses, due to his bargaining power, struck a deal for the presence of God. Here, Moses understands the importance of God’s presence. In Exodus 33:15, Moses told God, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.” It means that God can sustain you without His presence. You can move forward without resting in God. God can allow you to go alone. How many times have you gone without His presence? It is possible to go alone. It is possible to accomplish things without God. It is possible to work without God’s rest. Do you really experience God’s rest?
Conclusion
Moses presents his case once more: “For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So, we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth” (vs.16). This request is rooted in the word of God. To ask God to accompany him, Moses draws upon the word of God as the basis of his bargaining power.
When you bargain with God, what do you base your requests on? In Exodus 33:17, we see the bargaining power of Moses in action once again. He struck another deal with God, with God saying to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”
Moses was able to strike two deals with God simply by taking Him at His word, in essence, making Him accountable to His word.
Moses learned that he could take God at His word and then used this newfound bargaining power to make what might seem like an impossible request in human eyes, as seen in Exodus 33:18. This was the climax of his negotiation when he asked, “Please, show me Your glory.” God’s response in Exodus 33:19–20 is significant: “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” However, God also made it clear: “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me and live.”
Did you know that the glory of God is the face of God? In essence, the glory of God is who God is.
Due to believing in God’s word, Moses had asked for something to be accomplished, and God had to make provision for it. Look how God worked it out. “And the LORD said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.” (Verses 21–23).”
Do you have bargaining power with God? Moses had.
Let’s take a lesson from Moses. His strong faith and trust in God allowed him to make a deal with Him. Moses made a deal by holding God to His word. Exodus 33:12 says, “Then Moses said to the LORD, ‘See, You say to me, “Bring up this people,’ but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, “I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.” God told Moses, “I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.” This is the word that Moses brought to God to make a deal with Him, and God honoured it. Exodus 33:17 says, “The LORD said to Moses, ‘I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” The will of God is reflected in the word of God, and He always honours His word. The key to having influence with God is to hold Him to His word, making Him accountable to it. The word of God is a law to God; therefore, He cannot break His own law. As it says in Joshua 24:26, “Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. You can have a powerful connection with God by holding Him to His word. Go to Him with His word and see Him work. Trust His word and present it to Him.
Contributor
By Gilbert Magomere Ayieko
Minister