At this juncture the Bible recognizes that Moses was a companion of God. Exodus 33:11 says, “And Jehovah would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his companion.” The Hebrew word rendered “companion” here is different from the word for “friend” used with respect to Abraham in 2 Chronicles 20:7 and Isaiah 41:8. As a friend of God, Abraham had been separated from idolatrous people (Josh. 24:2-3), and he interceded for Lot (Gen. 18:16-33). The apostle James also tells us that Abraham was God’s friend (James 2:23). Not only was Abraham justified by God, but he also became a friend of God. God regarded Abraham as a beloved one, a person held in affection. However, Moses was not only a friend of God like Abraham; he was also a companion of God.
Between two people there is first friendship and then companionship. For example, before a couple get married, the two may be friends. Then their friendship develops into companionship. After they are married, they no longer regard each other as friends, but they continue to be companions.
The word “companion” includes the elements of friendship, but it goes much further to include the thought of intimate association. One meaning of the Hebrew word for companion is associate. A companion is an associate. If you and someone else are associates, you have a common interest, a common enterprise, in a common career. I do not wish to imply that there was no common interest between Abraham and God. They did share a common interest, but it was not of the same degree as that between Moses and God. To the uttermost, God and Moses were partners in a great enterprise. They were both involved in the same “career.” Moses and the Lord were not only intimate friends; they were associates, partners, companions.
In Genesis 18 Abraham behaved himself as a friend of God. God came to visit Abraham, and Abraham welcomed Him and served Him a feast. Not wanting to leave immediately, God lingered with Abraham for a while. Because God regarded Abraham as His friend, He knew that He could not conceal from him what He was about to do. Instead, He wanted to reveal to His dear friend what was on His heart. Therefore, He told Abraham that Sodom was soon to be destroyed. The Lord’s intention in making that disclosure was that Abraham would remember Lot and intercede for him. This means that God’s purpose here according to what was on His heart was to burden Abraham to pray for Lot. God’s intention was to save Lot. However, in keeping with His principle, God knew that He could not do anything for Lot without someone to intercede for him. In that occasion also God needed a middleman.
We have seen that God and Abraham were intimate friends. Sometimes when we want an intimate friend to do something for us, we do not tell him about it clearly. Instead, we may give hints and let the other party infer what we want or need. When God spoke to Abraham in Genesis 18, He did not say anything explicit concerning Lot. Nevertheless, Abraham came to realize what was on the heart of his divine Friend. Therefore, Abraham prayed for Lot. But in his intercession, he did not mention Lot by name. Instead, he prayed for him in a rather indirect way. Eventually, God saved Lot in answer to Abraham’s prayer.
In Genesis 18, both parties, the Lord and Abraham, were friends. They both had the desire to do something for Lot. I believe that in Genesis 18 we have the basis for God to say that Abraham was His friend. If you read this chapter again, you will see that it is the record of a conversation between friends.
The point we are making here is that with the Lord and Moses there was something more than friendship. The conversation between them was not only that between friends but that between companions, partners. God and Moses were both concerned with their “corporation,” with their “enterprise” and “career.” Both parties had the wisdom not to speak about the situation in an altogether direct and detailed way. First the Lord spoke to Moses concerning the people and the golden calf. Then He left it up to Moses to deal with the situation. The Lord seemed to be saying to him, “Moses, I give this matter to you. Go down to the foot of the mountain and see what can be worked out.” Contrary to what we would expect, the Lord did not give Moses detailed requirements about grinding the calf to powder, scattering the powder on water, and forcing the idolaters to drink this water. Neither did the Lord tell Moses to call for the overcomers to slay the idolaters and, after that, to speak to the people in behalf of the Lord and then to return to the Lord again on the mountaintop. The Lord simply pointed out to Moses what the people were doing. But because Moses knew what was on God’s heart, everything he did concerning the worship of the golden calf was pleasing to God. For example, it was a very serious matter to cast away the tablets on which were engraved the commandments carved by God’s hand. But not even that act offended God, for it was done according to God’s heart. Moses realized that it was according to God’s heart to break those tablets. As a companion of God, Moses had an intimate relationship with Him and knew what was on His heart. Therefore, everything Moses did was according to the heart of God.