Exodus 32 (Part 2) & 33 (Part 1) Bible Study (Command to Leave Sinai/Tent) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Exodus thirty two thirty. The next day Moses said to the people, you have sinned a great sin, and now I will go up to the Lord. Perhaps I can make atonement for your sin. So Moses returned to the Lord and said, Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold.

But now if you will forgive their sin, but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written. But the Lord said to Moses, Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you. Behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.

And the Lord sent a plague on the people because they made the calf the one that Aaron made. Let's pray together. Father, as we continue our journey through the book of Exodus, we are so grateful that you have been with us and that you have revealed so much to us, but, Lord, we ask that you would increase the spirit of wisdom and revelation in this place. Lord, we are all in agreement that we are not here just for information. We're not here for new insights, but we are here to meet with the living God.

And, Lord, we pray with hungry hearts that you would minister to us as we come to give you not just our ears, but every part of who we are as a response to this word. Lord, guide us. Keep us from confusion. Keep us, Lord, from anything that would be outside of your will. And may every person that has come from far or near leave here different.

This is our desire. This is our request, and we believe that you will meet it. In your name we pray. Amen. You may be seated.

If you're joining us for the first time, we've, together as a church, been exploring the book of Exodus, and we are attempting to take it chapter by chapter, verse by verse. And not just a matter of looking at it as a historical text. We wanna see what God Almighty has to say to us as new covenant believers. And so sometimes it's more discussion. Sometimes it's a little bit more preachy, but hopefully all of us will receive something from the Lord as we have come to meet with hunger.

And last week, we discussed Exodus chapter 32, the the infamous chapter, the famous chapter of the golden calf scene. And we stopped when Moses came to the gate and said, Whoever is on the Lord's side, come to me. And who came out of all the tribes? The tribe of Levi. One out of 12.

One out of 12 responded to the call of consecration. And as they came to the gate, we remember that whenever there is that cry that God has for His people to be consecrated, there is always a cost to consecration. And so He commanded every single one of those Levites to take a sword in their hand and to run to and fro to kill their own brethren. Deuteronomy 33 tells us that these people, as a response to this cause, says about their own family, they said, I regard them not. They so revered the Word of God.

They so treasured God's standard that they were willing to cut off, symbolically speaking, cut off any relation to anybody for the sake of obedience to God. So there was the cry. There was what else? There was the cost. But finally, because of those two things, there was the call.

The Levites now were called out by God to minister unto him, to be in the tabernacle, to have close access to God because that is the direct result of the people who respond to the call and the cry of consecration. But it it didn't end there. It continues here in verse 30 to the next day. What happens after this gruesome scene, this intense scene? We see that it's not over yet.

Though the 3,000 were slain, that day, there was still God's wrath to be poured out upon the people. It wasn't just 3,000. Who did we see that was one person that did not compromise while Moses was on top of the mountain? All we have early on in verse sixteen and seventeen is Joshua in chapter 32. Joshua was the only one found that was not amongst the compromisers.

And so God saw us to deal with the other people that are here in in the camp that have compromised. And so what happens? The next day, Moses said to the people, you have sinned a great sin, and now I will go up to the Lord. And now he's he's looking to make atonement. He's trying to now step in as a mediator to somehow perhaps ask God to waive this punishment and to somehow direct it elsewhere.

And so we read these verses, but I'm curious to know what comes to mind because we learned a lot about Moses last week. We learned a lot about Joshua, and we still have yet to learn about these men of God. What sticks out in the verses that we read that perhaps should floor us? Because remember, we're talking about a man here. We're not talking about Jesus, the perfect one, fully god, fully man.

We're talking about Moses. We're talking about a person that has flaws, yet there's something so admirable about him here. Don't be shy. Yes. Marvel.

He, like Paul, was willing to risk his relationship with God, like Paul in Romans said he would be accursed for the sake of his people.

Sound familiar? Romans. Right? Where Paul himself says, I'm willing to be accursed for my brethren. That's a dangerous prayer.

That is a scary prayer. And this is Moses before God saying such a thing. He's not being clumsy with his language here. He's not just uttering foolishness. This is something that's truly in the depths of his heart.

But before we even get into that detail, which is a vital detail, there's something about this man Moses that we have to learn from to some degree. Even when Moses came and confronted the people about their sin in a very confrontational way, in a very holy way, He even comes up to his own brother, and he says, what did you do? And his brother gave this lame excuse. But we learned something about Aaron, why Aaron was not destroyed, and some of you here were not here last week. Why was Aaron not destroyed?

He was the main culprit here. He was the main one. He was the one in charge of this compromising group, and God does not smite him. God does not deal with him. And we wonder, lord, why?

Do you do you are you a respecter of persons? Is it because Aaron has the position as priest? What's going on? But we learned that that's not the case. I wonder if anybody remember the reference in the scriptures.

Moses had prayed for Aaron. Moses had prayed for Aaron, but we don't see that in Exodus 32. Deuteronomy chapter nine verse 20. Deuteronomy nine twenty as another account to this story tells us that God was so furious with Aaron that he was ready to destroy him. But what did Moses say?

And I prayed for Aaron also at the same time. It was Moses who stepped into that place of intercession for his own brother and says, lord, please don't destroy him. This tells me something about the man Moses and tells us something about those who long to live holy and uphold that standard of godliness. That Moses, though he was so bold, and though he was so firm, and though he was so living up to this standard, did so with compassion, grace, and mercy. You understand that.

Right? This makes all the difference for a person who wants to live a holy life. Somebody had asked me the other day, what what makes the what's the differentiating factor between a preacher who preaches truth and another preacher who preaches the same truth, but when you hear it from one person, you can feel the hate. You can feel the condemnation. You can feel the self righteousness, whereas another person can come up, preach from the same text, preach the same truths of holiness, of godliness, yet when you hear it, you know that this person is broken.

And you know that this person loves the people of God. He loves the glory of God, and he wants his people to worship him as he deserves. What's the difference? I believe this is the difference. Prayer life.

What's gonna soften your heart, what's gonna what's gonna humble you in your pursuit, whether you're a full time minister or not, is that you know how to get into the presence of God. You know how to meet with God. You are constantly reminded of your own fallenness. And Moses here, although he was so sharp, although he was so bold, he still at the same time interceded for the ones that sinned. And if you wanna pursue a holy life, you must always remember that you should never look down on those who fail, on those who don't see what you see necessarily, on those who are not as victorious as you might be over sin.

And even those that you disciple, even those that you love so much, listen, if you want your voice to be heard in love, if you want your life to be something that is to be inspired by others, come to the place in which you know how to pray for those that that you long to come to a greater knowledge of God and a greater knowledge of holiness. He comes as a true man of God, stands before not just his brother, but for the entire nation now. And as he comes up, look what he says to the Lord. He says, alas, this people has sinned a great sin. He doesn't downplay the sin.

He didn't say he didn't say what Aaron said. Aaron was like, come on, Moses. Just chill out for a little bit. What does he say early on? He says, you you know the people, in verse 22 of 32, you know the people.

They are set on evil. You know their nature, Moses. Come on, man. Lay back. Moses like, no.

No. No. This is a great sin. You didn't you couldn't even wait for the 10 commandments to come down the mountain before you broke the first three of them. No.

This is a great sin, but he still comes. And look what he says. Verse 32 is so interesting the way the scriptures describe this sentence. Look at how it writes it out, and this is true of all translations. But now if you will forgive their sin.

Do you see that dash there? You guys see that dash in your in your Bibles? His sentence is cut off by another thought. He was going in a certain direction, but all for a sudden this other thought comes to mind. And he says, but if not so as though he just cuts himself off, but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.

So what is he doing here? What's happening here? I believe Moses has such a revelation of this great sin. I believe he realizes that it will it will come at a great price. And so instead of coming to the place in which he's gonna negotiate with God and present different possibilities, he immediately, out of a great love for his people, gives himself.

He says, just take my life. Do you see that? Try to almost visualize it. He's saying, but now if you will forgive the peep and he goes, but if not, just take my life. Just take me out of your book if that's the case.

Now what book are we talking about here? Because Revelation 21 tells us that when it comes down to the great white throne, Revelation 20 rather, it tells us that one day God is gonna open up books, plural. And then it says he opens up another book which is called the book of life. Do you know God has a library? God has books.

And And though we do not know all of them, we know two of them at least. We know one which is called what? I just mentioned it. The book of life. What's the book of life?

What happens if your name is not found in the book of life, the Lamb's book of life? You have eternal life. There's another book in Malachi three sixteen. It's called the book of remembrance. The book of remembrance in which God will record and and he will remember the deeds of those who fear the Lord in their conversations.

It's a marvelous thought. It's not that God needs to remember. It's just language for us to understand that God does keep record. God is not forgetful. He has he has record of what people have done, what they have not done, how they have thought, what their motives were.

He has it all recorded. And And I'm not here tonight to debate whether this is the book of life or not, because whether Moses is asking for his name to be taken out of the book of life, or he is asking in some other way language and and and some way of phrasing it to cut off his life in the present. Regardless, this is a fascinating and astounding request that'll be made by any single person. Just get rid of me. If that that if that needs to if it needs to come down to that, get rid of my own life.

That's convicting concerning a prayer life for others. It's so easy to lose heart to intercede for people, is it not? How how how quickly do we lose zeal in praying for our family members? How quickly do we lose zeal praying for our church? But this man sets a standard that he's willing to go to the place in which he says, even if you have to cut off my life, let it be.

That's another level of intercession. But I wanna tell you something. There are men and women who have made history for God because they have came to a place in their prayer life where they said, lord, whatever needs to happen to see your spirit move again, even if you have to cut my life short, let it be. Because I'd rather live a short life with your glory than a long life without it. Oh, that's a pricey prayer to pray, but when you pray, God will take it seriously.

And God answers him and he says, nope. Not gonna happen. Every person will pay for their own sin. That's how it's done, Moses. This is how it's gonna happen.

But there's another reason why he says no. What else what other reason comes to mind for this man who wants to step in the gap for a people and God refuses? Too bad. He's unqualified.

He has his own sins to pay for.

He has his own sins to pay for. Why is God saying no? Because somebody's coming down the line to do it for him. He says, you know, thank you, Moses, but one day someone is coming. Psalms 49 tells us in verse seven and nine, truly no man truly no man can ransom another or give the price for his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice that he should live on forever and never see the pit.

No man has enough money. No man has enough anything to bring before God, Psalms forty nine seven to nine, and say, lord, I pay for this man's life. Lord, I pay for this man's soul. Nothing. Nothing in this world will ever satisfy God's righteous demand.

No one can give a ransom. But what did Jesus say in Matthew twenty twenty eight? He says the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. Only he holds what is necessary and satisfying before God the father in order to make a payment for life. Moses couldn't do it.

As righteous, as holy, as awesome he is, he did not have what it takes for somebody to pay the sins for others. And God knew that, and he says, just hold on to that because someone is coming. I'm coming to do what you've requested. Not just for the nation of Israel, but for all men. Not just for this time in history, but for all history.

Then the Lord sent a plague, verse 35, on the people because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made. And now we come to this marvelous chapter chapter 33. The Lord said to Moses, depart. Go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, now pay attention to this. Look at what he's saying.

To your offspring, I will give it. I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey, but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff necked people. So he sends this plague. But listen, so deep is his sin, so grievous is his sin, that God says, k.

Listen. I'm gonna make a negotiation with you. It's not really a negotiation. I'm kinda telling you what it is. What's the negotiation?

What is he offering him? He's saying, you will go. I'll send an angel. There's guidance. I'll take care of your enemies.

There's intervention to deal with all problems. I will give you security in the land. I will give you prosperity. I will give you abundance and material and possessions. You can have all of those things, but there's one thing you can't have and that's me.

What a request. What a statement that God would make. You know what's the crazy thing, though? Many Christians have limited their understanding of a relationship with God based on what he can give you like this. What do I mean by that?

I mean the idea of a person's walk with God and relationship with God is about really those things in life. God, give me security. God, give me abundance. God, give me guidance. God, give me a sense of peace.

God give me all, and those are wonderful things, but you realize this in this chapter, that there is so much more in God Himself than what He could give you. There is so much more in God's face than He has in His hands, And he says this, listen. You can have all of those things, but you can't have me. That tells me something about a relationship with God. Now I believe this, and I know this might sound harsh, but it's true.

The way so many believers live today, this request would be absolutely fine with them because that's what they're living for anyway. You know, many people this that they say they want God's will, don't really want God's will. They want their will to be done and God to bless it. You realize that. Right?

They don't want God's will. They don't want God to have full control of every area of their life. No. No. No.

Maybe they want half of God's will, but they have control of other things. But in general, when people say they want God's will, what they really have in mind is their will, and they want God's hand of blessing upon it. And I find that astounding because this request is something that's so what you find in people's hearts and pursuits. So what's the reaction here from the people? What happens here?

He says, you won't have me. What do you mean you won't have me? What does he say? Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey, but I will not go up among you. How is that possible, god?

You're omnipresent. What do you mean you won't go? Are you limited to one location? Are you not at all places at all times? How do we reconcile this doctrine of the presence of God in this text right here?

We all believe God is omnipresent. Right? He's in heaven. He's here in this room. He's in China right now.

He's in the grocery store down the street. He's everywhere at all times. So what is he saying here by saying, I will not go up among you, especially in light of all the things that will happen despite him going up? It sounds like he's very much with them when he says I'll take care of your enemies, and you'll get to the land fine. But now all of a sudden he says, but I'm not gonna go up with you.

What does that even mean? Yes? Manifested presence. Manifested presence. Have you ever heard the term?

As simple as that. That there is something different. There is something distinct between God's omnipresence and God's manifested presence. Does anybody know an example of a text that speaks of God's omnipresence?

The Psalms where it says, if I go down to Sheol, you will

Psalms one thirty nine verse seven, where he says, where shall I hide from your presence? Where shall I go from your presence? What's the psalmist declaring there? There's nowhere in this world where you're not. There is nowhere in this world where you can't be found or known.

He is everywhere at all times at all places, but the very same psalmist says something in Psalms 51 verse 11. What does he say in Psalms 51 verse 11? You guys know it? Do not take your holy spirit from me. Cast me not away from your presence.

Hold up. You're confused or what? You just said, well, later, whatever the order is, you said that I can't hide from your presence, but now you're asking God not to take away his presence. Now a lot of people are get get really scared about this kind of stuff, And and a lot of people argue, that's a lot of Old Testament weighty scriptures you have there. Well, here's one New Testament that I believe encapsulates this understanding of the presence of God, John fourteen twenty one.

John fourteen twenty one tells us a glorious thing from the mouth of Jesus himself concerning this understanding between the manifested presence of God and the omnipresence of God. What does he say? Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, He it is who loves me, and he who loves me will be loved by my father, and I will love him. And what does he say? I manifest myself to him.

This will change your life. This text right here, if you take it by faith and you believe it, it will change your life. It will change your entire Christian experience. You better believe it. What's Jesus saying here?

What's the context of John 14? What's the context of John fourteen, fifteen, 16? Jesus is giving his discourse to his disciples concerning what? I'm leaving you guys. And the disciples are sorrowful because they've walked with him for so long.

They thought he was gonna usher in his kingdom. They thought that this thing was done. It was final, that this is the real thing. And Jesus says, no. Listen.

I have to go. I'm gonna prepare a place for you. And where I go, I will take you with me. But until then, if you read John fourteen, fifteen, 16 very carefully, there's three places where he says, if you do this, you will have my joy and you will have it to the full. What was Jesus prescribing?

He was saying, listen. I might be gone, but I'm gonna tell you how you can experience fullness of joy even outside of my bodily presence. That you can live with a sense of excitement and thrill without me physically being here, and and one of them is found in this text right here. The context of John 14 is what? The the third person of the trinity, the holy spirit.

And what does he say? He says, whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. Now why is that a problem concerning the love of God? Does God love us based on our obedience to the commandments? Are you saved by your obedience to the commandments?

I hope you don't believe that. What are you saved by? Grace by the cross. So Jesus can't be talking about salvation here. Jesus can't be saying you obey my commandments, and my father and I will reveal ourselves to you, and you'll be saved.

That can't be the text. So what Jesus is saying here is, those who have my commandments and walk in them, my father will love them, and I will love him, and I will manifest myself to him in the context of the Holy Spirit. Via the Holy Spirit, will I make myself more real to you? But who's he speaking to? He's speaking to believers who choose to live a holy, obedient, godly life.

See, I can be a father, which I'm not, but I can be a father, and I have two children. I love them. They're my children. They're of my household, and two of them, based on how they relate to me, can experience a nearness to me that's different from one another. If one obeys what I have to say, if one listens to my rules or whatever it may be of the house, we're gonna experience a nearness.

We're gonna experience a fellowship that the rebellious one is not gonna experience. And he's my son. I love him. I do love him. I care for him, but there's something that's compromised based on that one's disobedience, and that's our fellowship.

You know what Jesus is saying here in John fourteen twenty one? Don't you ever forget it. It's that those who choose to obey my commandments and live according to my word will experience a nearness to me that those who do not take my word seriously will not experience. You want a motivation for holiness? Let it be John fourteen twenty one.

Do you want a motivation for godliness? Do you want a motivation to live, set apart for God? Let it be John fourteen twenty one. God, I want your nearness. Jesus, manifest yourself to me.

So what are we talking about when we say God manifests presence? Because a lot of things can come to mind, and a lot of people are saying that the Holy Spirit is doing this when it's not really the Holy Spirit. They're saying this is the Holy Spirit when scripture does not say that that's what's happening. So what do we mean when we say that the presence of God is now manifested? Well, for the sake of time, because we have yet a lot to cover, I will say this, that whenever you see in scripture any idea of the presence of God being sought after, the presence of God something that is experienced, what you can see is that there is an inward reality that is experienced by the believer.

It's inward experience. It's something of the soul. Psalms twenty one six, you make him glad with the joy of your presence. We're about to find out that God says to Moses, my presence will go with you, and you will have rest. Chronicles says, seek the Lord and his strength, seek his presence continually.

I believe believe strength and presence is synonymous there. And so everything, all the language concerning seeking God for him to manifest himself, what happens is the eyes of your soul is open now. There is an intensified awareness of who God is in your daily life. And guess what? Some believers have it, many don't.

Some believers have this awareness of God, this reality of God. God is so real to them. God is so near to them. They they sense it in the inward man. This is not about external as much as it is internal.

It's about the soul, and you can know him in a way in which he is almost tangible. There's a joy that's experienced. There's a peace that's experienced. There's this this love exchange that is so real. It goes beyond just theory and intellectualism.

It goes beyond just doctrine and theology. It's something that touches the heart. Is that is that something that describes your Christian faith? And we're about to find out that there's a man who shows us that you can never get enough of knowing God more and more in this way. But I wanna tell you something.

This is possible. This is possible. Can people go extreme with this? Yeah. Like any other doctrine.

But guess what? I will not let anybody that will take the name of the Holy Spirit and put them upon something that is not godly, I will never let that rob me of my inheritance. I will never. Because a lot of people's theology is reactionary. They see something, it freaks them out, so they say, I'm going the opposite direction as far as I can from anything that's close to that.

And you know what? That has unfortunately infected so many people's understanding of the person of the holy spirit. They they they're afraid of the word even. You mentioned holy spirit, people cringe. I will not let anyone and neither should you rob you of your inheritance here.

Let your prayer be as simple as this. Lord, whatever it means for you to manifest yourself to me, I want it. Whatever that looks like, I want it for my life. All my friends can be spiritual skeletons if they want, but I want the real thing. I want the most out of it.

Show me how I can come as close to heaven as possible on this side of eternity. It makes all the difference. My presence will not go with you, so it is that fellowship that will be forfeited. It will be this nearness that will be forfeited. It will be this understanding that God is truly amongst us.

And here's a question we all have to ask ourselves. Are we willing to go to the land of Canaan without the nearness of God? What is the land of Canaan? It is not a picture of heaven. Why is it not a picture of heaven?

Because there's no giants in heaven. There's no Canaanites and Perizzites and Jebusites in heaven. The land of Canaan is symbolic of the victorious and God's idea of your life here on Earth in relationship to him. It is the ideal. It is the land flowing with milk of honey to the soul, and that's where God wants to take us.

But here's the thing. Do you do we want blessing? Do we want financial success? Do we want comfort? Do we want health?

Do we want anything outside of God, outside of God making himself real to us? Because he told us in Exodus nineteen four, what was the reason why he delivered them? I bore you on eagles' wings. Why? To bring you what?

To the land of Canaan? No. To myself. I wanna bring it to me. That's the understanding of your salvation as well.

God wants to bring you to him. And so they have to make a choice. Look at verse four, what their decision was. When the people heard, what, this disastrous word, they mourned and no one put on his ornaments. So okay.

What's the reaction here? Is it a right reaction? Is it the appropriate reaction? Who would say yes? Absolutely.

This is a disastrous word. Now think about it. Think about what God had requested. That doesn't sound disastrous to me. You'll have blessing, you'll have guidance, you'll have security, you'll have victory, you'll have your future set, you'll have land, you'll have comfort, you'll you'll have it all.

And you know what they said? This is disastrous. Why? Because what is all of that without God? Is the idea please listen.

This is again, this is not a history book. This this has been given to us for our instruction. Is the idea of your life advancing without a greater reality of God revealing himself disastrous to you? Really, to a lot of people, they're a okay with it. But to these people, when they realize that God could cut off that that connection line, and that they would move on with their lives without him walking with them day by day, you know what they said?

This is disastrous. God forbid that we would come to a place in which you would leave us though we have everything else in this world. This is a convicting scripture. We have to examine our hearts and say, Lord, if you were to give me the same request, would I be able to say no? Would I be able to say would I mourn?

Would I say this is disastrous? But do they just mourn? Is the response to our sin, whether salvation or repentance within salvation, is it is it just to mourn? Is repentance tears? Is repentance feeling sorry?

Is repentance regret? What is repentance? Thank you. What is repentance? Yes?

We're like to move soon. Never will be back.

So So there's an action that takes that takes place. Many people have a word a problem with that word repentance. And many people have tried to limit that word to say, listen. Repentance is not a change of action. It's a change of mind.

Have you heard that argument before? Repentance in the Greek means metanoia, to change one's way of thinking. But my counterargument is, do you really believe that God has it in mind for you to change your mind and not let it change the way you live? So God wants you to change the way you think about sin, change the way you think about his holiness, change the way you think about your life, and it to just stay there in your mind? If that's ever the case, what did Paul mean in Philippians two five to 11 When he said, have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.

What's the context of Philippians two? He was teaching his people how to live in humility, and he comes to Christ as the example. And you know what he says? Have this mind among yourselves. Do you really think that Paul and his intention was that you would think differently about humility?

Or does he want us to come to a place in which we think differently about humility so we can change the way we live about humility? That's what he's saying here. Repentance is not just mourning. What do they do? They took off their ornaments.

So listen. Repentance is not just crying about your sin. Repentance is not just regret. It's not feeling. It can include those things.

But ultimately, repentance is what they show us here, that they took off their ornaments. Why the ornaments? Out of all things. Outside appearance. Outward appearance.

There's a beautification here. It's not time to look pretty. It's time to be put on sackcloth and ashes. Sure. But put put the rear view mirrors up.

That's what they

used to make the golden calf. Their gold, their jewelry, that's what Aaron had asked of them to make the very thing. And so they realized that, and realizing that, they said, if this grieves you, god, then we will forsake these things. And that's the right heart posture concerning repentance, is that you might feel bad, you might have tears, but ultimately, it comes down to making a decision of evaluating your own life and saying, if this is gonna hurt God, I'm gonna get rid of it. I'm gonna put it away.

I'm gonna set it aside. This is from a famous hymn. Repentance is to leave the sins we loved before and show that we in earnest grieve by doing so no more. So, yes, it includes a sorrow. It could.

But ultimately, it's this very thing that I first loved, now I hate it. Because if this is gonna compromise my fellowship with God, I'm willing to let go of it. So what happens here? For the Lord in verse five had said to Moses, say to the people of Israel, you are a stiff necked people. For if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you.

So now take off your ornaments that I may know what to do with you. Therefore, the people of Israel strip themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb onward. So that's another picture of repentance. It's not just a one time thing. It's an ongoing thing that they took off these ornaments from that place, that location onward.

So it's it's a forever goodbye. It's saying, I'm leaving these things behind. I'm not looking back. I'm putting my hands to the plow, and I'm moving forward. It's not about going through this cycle and just thinking that we can just go through this, and that's not the picture of the Christian life.

And so even these old testament characters, they show us, if this grieves you got, I will strip myself of every element that would hinder this, and I'm going to walk on without even looking back to it. That's a powerful image right there. And all of a sudden, there seems to be this intermission in the narrative. All for a sudden, there seems to be this random inclusion here, but it's not random. There's a great, great, great understanding concerning this text in verse seven concerning what sin does to people.

Verse seven. Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far from the camp. And he called it the tent of meeting, and everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. What is happening here? Is this the tabernacle?

Is Moses erecting the tabernacle? Why? Why is this not the tabernacle? Sounds like the tabernacle. We just talked about the tabernacle.

So why is this not the tabernacle?

Because it's outside the camp.

It's outside the camp. Right. Because the tabernacle was to be built where? In the midst of the camp. Yes.

It says here that everyone who sought to go into Ah. Which is the priest, but anyone

Anyone who would wanna seek the Lord can go into this place. So it wasn't just a priest. These are great answers. And here's another one. We they haven't built it yet.

Everything that we spoke of with the tabernacle, those were just the instructions. In a few chapters, we're gonna see them building it. So this can't be the tabernacle. This is a temporary setup for the people to meet with God if they would want to. And this is an amazing insight concerning how sin affects us in our relationship with God.

There's insights in this one verse alone. There are three truths that you can pull out this one verse concerning how we respond to the understanding that God invites us to know him nearly and intimately. What's what's one that comes to mind? That's the word. You said it.

The camp now is saturated with something. What is it? Sin. And God wants to deal with his people. And so this this camp is identified with iniquity, with sin.

And And you know what Moses is showing us here? Three times in one verse does it say that he took the tent and took it away from the camp. Away from the camp. Away from the camp. Emphasis.

Emphasis. Emphasis. If you wanna meet with God, you have to separate yourself from sin. Not only that, it says in the in the the very first verse here, they took it outside the camp far from the camp. So there's this emphasis of desperate distance that is made by Moses, lest he comes anywhere near anything that would infect and affect his communion with God.

I'm gonna take this tent not just outside the camp and try to keep it as close to the camp as possible. I'm taking this camp, and I'm taking as far as as I can. I'm taking it as as distant as I can because I want nothing to come and pollute what is to be sacred. Number one, if you wanna meet with God, you better make a decision to separate yourself from sin. And the further you go, the safer you will be.

The closer you are to that line, you're gonna you're gonna experience inconsistency. But if you're willing to make it within yourself a decision to say, lord, I wanna be as far as possible as I as I can from anything. Anything that would rob me from my inheritance, let it be so. Is Is there any other insight in this verse alone? There's a marvelous truth in the second part of that verse.

You can't miss it. You can't miss it. And Marfa had mentioned it. And whoever, everyone who would want to meet with the Lord would go out to that tent. Knowing God requires you to separate yourself from the camp, namely sin.

Number two, knowing God is not limited to leaders and full time ministers. Everyone who would seek the Lord would leave this place and come with and meet with God. What an amazing insight. What an amazing invitation. Not just for the Moses', not just for the Joshuas', not just for the Aarons', whoever.

Whoever would wanna meet with God, you can come and meet with God. It's the same playing field for everybody when it comes to intimacy. You might have a different calling, brother. You might have a different calling, sister, but you have one thing. We all have one access, and that is to God himself.

We all have the same access. And you know what? If you really know God, you can come to a place in which you say, I treasure my intimacy with him more than even ministry. I treasure my nearness to him more than preaching, more than leading worship, more than the crowds, more than the pats on the back. I want him and him alone.

Everyone who would want to see God can go meet with him. Listen. It's not just for the pastors. It's not just for the full time evangelist. It's not just for the missionaries.

Do you want to know God? You work nine to five, that's fine. You can meet with him. Full time mommy, you can go meet with him. Everyone has the same access.

Now the question is, are you taking advantage of that access? Lastly, I would pull this out of it. Knowing God, yes, is removing yourself from sin namely. Knowing God is not limited to leaders and full time ministers. Knowing God requires you to have some separation from people.

Because in the practical sense, if you wanted to meet with God in this setting, you have to leave some people behind. You know what? A lot of people are not willing to do that. The idea of being alone is terrifying to some people. And we are so saturated with communication, and we are so bombarded with people getting into our business, you can't even have an hour alone without somebody saying something.

That's the day we live in. But I have to tell you something. Jesus said in Matthew six, we see it here in Moses' life, if you want to meet with God, some separation must occur. I said separation, not isolation. Why?

Because we're gonna find out in verse 11 that Moses goes back into the camp. Moses has some responsibilities. But you know what? Moses realized that even my responsibilities and my task will not be as effective if I don't meet with God. I need to hear from God.

I need to hear from I need to be at his feet. Because the moment I get out of that place, I know that my heart gets crusty real quick. The moment I get out of that place, my anger, my reactions, my self my temptation, my lust comes quick. I need to stay in that place. And if you wanna get there, guess what?

You gotta put the phone away sometimes. Let the friends go and socialize. You've seen them five times already this week. Go meet with God. Go meet with God.

Organize your time in which you know how to meet with God and meet with others. Have a balance in life. Moses teaches us this. Moses is not a hermit. Moses is not a monk.

Moses is a man of God who knew his priorities. And this is amazing. Moses comes to a place in which he sets an example, and he shows us something here. He shows us something here because God did not tell me he had to meet with him. God did not tell him.

God says, just wait. I'm gonna figure out what I'm gonna do with you. But I believe Moses tells us something about true leadership, not just true leadership. What happens? What can happen if you really take take it upon yourself like he did?

Look what he did. He realizes the compromise in the camp. He realized the dire state of the people of God. He realizes that these people are at risk without living with the presence of God. And you know what he does?

He's so burdened by this reality that he comes to meet with God, to plead on behalf of the people. He comes to say, I'm willing to step into the gap. I'm willing to step before you, oh lord, on behalf of the people so that this situation would not remain. That is the attitude and the heart posture of men and women of God who see change, who see change in their generation, who see change in their local church. When they come to a place in which they see the people of God not worshiping God as he deserves, the people of God taking greater delight in everything except God, they get so burdened, not in a self righteous way.

They get so consumed, not in a pharisaical mindset. They get so burdened that they find it within themselves and say, lord, if I have any influence on this, I will meet with you on behalf of the people. This is what Moses shows us. You and I have the opportunity to take the initiative to go and to step in before God on behalf of a people that are living in compromise. Listen.

Moses knew something that the Israelites did not know to to an extent. Moses knew something about the presence of God. Moses knew something about the nearness of God that they did not know. Though they had an understanding, he had a deeper experience. And you know what I believe was going through his mind?

They have no idea. They have no idea what they're missing out on. Paul was consumed with this divine jealousy. He was consumed with it. He goes, listen.

Since I betrothed you to one husband, I'm concerned about one thing. Read two Corinthians eleven two and three. I'm concerned with one thing, that you would be a pure virgin to Christ. Many people today are just satisfied if we fill up a room. It doesn't matter how they live.

It doesn't matter if the presence of God is here. It doesn't matter if people are changing. Let's just fill the seats. Who cares if we fill the seats, if it's hollow? Moses took it upon himself.

Lord, whatever it takes, let my life be used for your glory and for them to have an experience of tasting and seeing that you're good. So he does. And as he comes to this place, we see something here in verse eight. 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. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.

And when the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship each at his tent door. What's happening here? There's a positive and a negative with this, really.

How do everyone get access to his presence when he goes

to that? Mm-mm. We just read that whoever would wanna meet with God could meet with God. You know what the people of God are doing? Aren't you glad we have Moses as a part of our church?

What a man of God he is. Look at him seeking God. He's a man of God. She's a woman of God. I'm so glad.

She's so inspirational. He's so what would this ministry be without Moses? What would our ministry be without her? Aren't you glad she's an intercessor? Aren't you glad that he's a he's a man of God that's endured with power from on high?

Oh, look at Moses. He's going to meet with God. Do your thing, Moses. And Moses is experiencing intimacy while the people of God are worshiping at a distance. And these are two categories of believers.

There are believers remember, we all have the same access. There are believers that can go outside of the camp to meet with God, and there are believers that are satisfied to just worship at their tent door. Which one are you? That's the question. Or we can we can give another category to these two types of believers.

There are believers that are willing to pay the price to know God, and there are believers who are not willing to pay the price. Comes down to that. And so they're doing a good thing here. What are they doing good here? They're rejoicing the fact that they have a godly leader.

We have a man of God who prays. We have a man of God who mediates. We have a man of God who intercedes. Praise God for that. But are you just gonna admire men of God, or do you wanna imitate them?

I love reading biographies. And so many people can read biographies for the sake of just knowing things about certain people, but listen. Here's my motivation. Here's my heart. They're men and women like I am, and my motivation in going into a biography of a man or woman of God that's been used is is not, well, that's great.

God did something through somebody in history. Lord, if you did it through them, you can do it through me. Can you not? If you can use somebody that has the same flesh and the same temptations and all these different things, Lord, if you can do it through somebody in their generation, Lord, I'm willing to lay it all down for you to do it through me. And so we can get so easily caught up in admiring men of God, and you hear people talk like this.

And you see people talk like this. My question is not if you admire them. My question is are you willing to imitate them to some degree? Not copy them, but see their heart and see how they went after God. You have the same access.

We all have the same access to God. Now we have to make the decision whether we're gonna stay in our tent door and say this is awesome. Yes. Praise God. Thank you, Moses.

I wonder if there was any Israel in that place that said, if Moses can go in there, then so can I? If Moses can go and see that pillar of cloud, then so can I? If Moses can meet with God as much as he wants, then why am I standing back here? See, you don't have a lot of people like that. You don't see a lot of people like that.

But this is the opportunity at hand, not just for the Israelites at the time. This is opportunity for all of us. This is a great warning for all of us. Don't get don't get too comfortable with your leadership. Don't get too comfortable with those that are that are men and women of God that are spiritual and pray for you.

No. No. No. You get your own prayer life. You get your own reading life.

Don't be spoon fed every week. No. No. No. You get into the word yourself.

Meet with God. He's inviting you. There's no limit here. He says whoever would meet with God, come. And the people we see here kinda hesitate.

Yes. It could be, and I see where you're coming from with there. She was asking if there's any fear in the people's hearts because god had just said that he would he would really destroy them because they're stiff necked people. And that's the thought I would've I would've also come with. But if if it wasn't for the verse eight here verse seven rather, that everyone who would meet with God will go and meet with if it wasn't for that verse, that's the conclusion I would come to.

But yeah. Absolutely. I see where you're coming from. Yeah. Absolutely.

I think sometimes when we do fall in sin, we have this hesitation to meet with God. And even in a physical level, you see people coming you know, it's like people come to church less. Why? Because they have to get themselves cleaned up. It's like you don't understand the blood of Jesus, do you?

People don't show up to prayer meeting as much. Why? Because they wanna they have to get themselves together and people don't that's not the hard posture that God asked of us, and you're absolutely right. Whenever you fall into sin, you have every right to dive into his presence. You should throw yourself, even if your flesh is holding you back because you had just messed up last night.

Guess what? It's a new day. There's new mercies this morning. Dive into the presence of God. Sit under his mercy.

Receive it. Let it shower over you and cleanse you and let it motivate you not to sin again. Absolutely. I totally agree where you're coming from here, that we can come to a place in which we distance ourselves and then warm ourselves up to God when he's he's less in a bad mood. You know how sometimes you just wait to talk to somebody because you want them to cool down?

Hey. God's not like that. God doesn't come to a place in which he says, you know, just wait to give me a couple weeks. I'm gonna ignore your text. I'm gonna ignore your phone calls.

When I'm cool down, I'll call you back. No. That's not God. Let me wash your feet. I wanna wash your feet.

Let me cleanse you of your dirt that you picked up throughout the week. Absolutely.

The thing that I think is really beautiful is that the other thing that was outside the camp was all the lepers, all the, all the ones that are unclean are supposed to leave the camp. Right? Alright. And and Hebrews tells us, when it talks about Jesus' sacrifice, it says let us go outside the camp. So it's almost like you see at the same time that those who have humbled themselves because of their sin, they've been cast out.

Like, God's already outside the camp. Right. His presence is right there for those people in the midst of their brokenness.

Amen.

Absolutely. Both like, instead of God's presence being there in the center of the camp and then the people are cast out of the camp away from him, like, there's the tent of meeting outside.

He's meeting them in their brokenness because those are the people outside the camp. Beautiful. Absolutely. That's a great point, pastor. Thank you.

As we come here, we see that these people are at a distance. And it says in verse 11 that thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend. Can you think of any more of a precious verse than that? That the Lord spoke to Moses like one would speak to a friend. Now, again, we have to make a decision.

We look at that verse and we say, is that something I'm gonna is that something that I wanna experience in my life? Or am I gonna be at a distance? Lord, if you can do with Moses, you can do it with me. Yes. I know that we live by faith, not by sight.

But, lord, I take that John fourteen twenty one and say, lord, you manifest yourself to me. Lord, I want you not to just be my savior. I wanna be your best friend. I want your nearness. I want your friendship.

I want your closeness. I want your voice. Something interesting happens right after this verse. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. What's happening here?

Moses would go back to the camp. Why would he go back to the camp? What kind of position that Moses have? He was a leader. He had to deal with people.

He had to deal with circumstances. He had to deal with situations. He had a day to day like you and me. He he he was just as busy as you and I were, but he he put a priority on meeting with God. But there's this insertion of the fact that Joshua, every time that Moses would leave, Joshua would remain.

One thing I take out of this is that Moses is leading by example. And you know what Moses is doing here? It's a byproduct of his devotion to God. Listen. As Moses is seeking God, you know what's happening to the people of God?

Their hearts are getting stirred. That's the positive of what's happening in the camp. They see Moses meeting with God, and guess what? Their hearts are being stirred to worship. He's going to meet with God, and guess who follows?

Joshua. And so listen, if you come to a place in which you get serious with God, sure you might have some people persecute you, sure you might have some people question you, sure you might have some people offended by you, but there's one thing for certain, there will be people whose hearts will be stirred. I'm putting Evan on the spot. If you've heard Evan's testimony that he's come here about a little bit over a year ago. Right?

And one of the things that he can say this, and I know I'm not putting words in his mouth. This is something he has said. That one of the things and we talked about this on a car ride with I think Barrett was in the car in the back and Aaliyah. Is Aaliyah in the house? It's okay.

We talked about the we were talking in the car, and we were talking about why why do you think people backslide so much? Why do you think there's so much lukewarmness that creeps into somebody's life so much? And we're just brainstorming and talking. Evan had brought up his testimony, and correct me if I'm wrong. Okay?

But Evan had himself had said that one of the things that changed his life was that when he walked into a community in which he saw people seeking after God corporately, and seeing a people that were seeking after God was a conviction to his own heart because based on his surroundings, he had never seen that. Am I right? To some degree, I hope. Which says something, that a byproduct of your pursuit of God is that you can touch other people along the way. You can stir people's hearts to realize, listen, I I don't I don't usually see people seeking after God like this in this day.

And then the more of them, the merrier. The more of them, the more convicting it is. There's actually a group of people that would do this, and I pray that you all would never fail to realize what your simple worship and devotion and commitment and consistency can do for other people, including Evan. Don't forget that. Listen.

This is just one part of somebody being ministered to. This pulpit is just one part. Okay? And whoever stands behind it has a part to play. But listen.

You guys have a major part as well. You have no clue what your life is preaching to other people. And if you go hard after God, let me tell you something that's not common today. Let it stir hearts. You don't know who you'll stir.

You don't know who's watching. You don't know who's listening to you. And here we see Joshua being touched to some degree. And he's there by the camp. He's there by the tent rather.

And Moses leaves, and Joshua says it says he would not depart from the tent. What is that saying about Joshua? Because we learned something about him in Exodus 32, now we're learning something about him in Exodus 33. In Exodus 32, we learn something about Joshua. What did we learn about Joshua?

That when everybody was in the camp, where was he? He was waiting for God. He, they, can all compromise, they could all live in the world that they want, Aaron himself can go, but I'm waiting for Moses, I'm waiting for God to speak again. And if I have to stand here alone, that's fine. I'll stand here alone.

Now he's setting another example. If God has allowed all men to come and seek Him, I'm taking full advantage of that, and I'm staying right here as much as I can. I wanna be near to God as much as I can. This is the second time that Joshua is setting an example for the people. The first time, he was willing to stand alone.

The second time, he's willing to linger alone if need be. I wanna be as near to God as possible. Everybody else can stay there if they want, but I wanna meet with him face to face. This is what I see here, and I see I see a description of Joshua that speaks to a certain person in a certain season of life. Because Moses was a leader, and Moses had to go do what leaders do.

Moses did not give up his duties so that he can just meet with God. That's not right. God never calls us to do that. God never calls you to separate from reality, work, provision, social life. Don't do that.

If you're called to do that, that that's fine to a certain extent, but everybody needs to understand that you're salt and light. You gotta get out of the room. But Joshua's in a particular season of his life. There's two descriptions of him. One, he's an assistant, and two, he's a young man.

Assistant, young man. Assistant, young man. Assistant. So he's not a leader yet. He will be a leader one day.

So he doesn't have the responsibilities that Moses has right now. Right? He he's not the man he's not the tip of the spear yet. He's in training. He he he has some room there with his schedule.

He's not fully consumed yet with life, and he's a young man. He's a young man. He has strength. He has zeal. He has energy.

And you know what he chooses to do with this? He chooses it to direct it towards knowing God. It's as though the Bible is indirectly telling us, listen. If you're young, take full advantage of the fact that you are young. Take full advantage of the season that you're in.

Listen. We see two things here. We see a Moses and a Joshua that have the same access, but there's something about Joshua here, young people, predominantly young people in here. Are you taking advantage of the fact that you're not at that place in life? Listen.

I'm not much older than a lot of people here. I'm 27, but I can tell you something. 27 was a lot different than 22. It's only been five years, and I can tell you that my calendar is a lot more stuffier than it was when I was 22. Five years.

Five years. And sometimes I just look back on my colleges and I realize the freedom that was there to some degree. I realize the things that were be able to be done at a at a more fluid level than I am today. And you and I have that same opportunity. Joshua is saying here with his life, I'm not a leader just yet.

I'm not at that place just yet. And I have this zeal and I have this energy. I'm gonna spend it rightly. I wanna linger and know God as much as I can before things will come into my life in which my devotion is divided. I wonder if I wonder if anybody in here is taking advantage of that in their lives.

Man, it breaks my heart sometimes. I just just by seeing some people, I just it's like it just who cares? It's like you have no idea what you can invest in right now. Hey. Listen.

If you're ever tempted to waste time, don't forget this picture. Josh was stuck there as long as he could as a young man, as an assistant, as a man, yes, who who was going to be a leader one day, but he came to a place and he said, you know, before I come to that place, I'm gonna get my roots deep into knowing God. I'm gonna get my roots deep into understanding who he is. What good is a leader who doesn't know God? What good is any minister who does not know God himself?

You know where it starts? It starts with men like Joshua. You know where it starts? With men like Daniel who made decisions in their younger years before they came to that place of promotion. Take it from the word of God tonight.

Some people are so consumed with the call of God on their lives. Some people are so busy in their minds about where God is going to take them, they forget to enjoy him in the present. Don't live so in the future that you forget to enjoy God now. God, take me here. God, take me.

I'm not satisfied till you use me to this degree. God, you gave me these gifts. Why aren't you using me? Why aren't people calling me for opportunities? Why aren't there open doors?

Are you enjoying him? Are you enjoying him? You can come to a place in which you were so in him and so enjoying him that you're content whatever he does with your life. Joshua was an assistant. Joshua was a young man.

Joshua shows us something here. Take advantage of the season of your life. We're coming to a close very quickly. Verse 12. 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.

That you have said, I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight. Now therefore, if I found favor in your sight, please show me show me now your ways that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider this too that your this nation is your people. What's Moses saying here? He wants more of God.

He wants more of God. But what does he show us about how we know God? He says it in this prayer. He says, show me your ways that I may know you. If you wanna know God, you better be familiar with his ways.

Knowing God, knowing his presence, knowing his reality, knowing his nearness is never divorced from you being familiar with the scriptures. He says, show me your ways so that I can know who you are. How can you know God without knowing what he's done in the past? How can you know God without knowing who he is today? How can you know God without his will being known to you?

You need to come to a place in which you realize who he is, and you have the full counsel of God. You're not living in a day of progressive revelation like Moses was. You have everything there at your disposal, and you have to come to a realization that when you know his ways, oh, you will know his nearness. You will know his nearness. Show me your ways that I may know you.

I I want to know who you are, and God answers. He wasn't satisfied with the angel. Even when he says here, see, you say to me, bring up these people, but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You know what he's declaring here? He's declaring his weakness.

You're telling me that you want me to go up and lead these people and you don't wanna come with me? I'm not buying it. I'm not coming to a place in which you're gonna tell me to move forward in life, but you're not gonna come and assist me in life, or you're not gonna come and walk with me in life. But I'll send an angel. I'm not concerned about the angel.

I want you. I need you. I don't want anything else. And there's this boldness here being shown by Moses. There's this holy aggression here.

You know what God says? He says this, my presence will go with you. Verse 14. My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. When you know God's presence, hear me, you will know his rest.

It is a part of the package. What do I mean by rest? Meaning this, that no matter where God sends you in life, no matter what circumstances come into your life, as long as you have his nearness, you have this supernatural peace. He can he can call you to leave your family. He can call you to leave your he can call you to do whatever as long as he's with you as you're doing it.

There will be this rest. You you better believe that. And listen, you will not have that rest though you have your ideal job, you have your ideal relationship, you have all those things. And if you don't have his presence, you won't have his rest. That's why there are so many people that are not content in life, even Christians.

Christians who have bought into this superficial, the shallow Christianity where it says, you know, I'm just gonna listen. I'm gonna have all this stuff, and and we'll be known as the people of God, and we'll congregate, and we'll do the sacrifices. Many people are living like that today. You know what? They're still not content.

No wonder they fall into sin so much. No wonder they they they see themselves weak in the spirit. No wonder they don't see any victory in their lives. No wonder they you see them, they they're so they can't even sit still. Listen.

If you're a true Christian, let me tell you this. You should never be bored a day in your life. How? How? You have God living inside of you.

You have a tent of meeting that's waiting for you to go meet with him. Is God against fun? No. He's the inventor of it. Is God against enjoying yourself with others?

No. But let me tell you something, that there is a delight that you can experience that is so supreme that it will eclipse all other pursuits and will have people wondering, what that guy's weird. I asked him what his hobbies are and he just gets all religious and weird. Does he do anything? Oh, my brother, you fail to realize that he's experienced something that you perhaps have not, a nearness to God, a closeness to God.

And he's not walking around like, oh, God is near to me and God is awesome. God is good all the time. Yes. I know God's people that know God don't act like that. They their faces are radiant, the scripture says.

Those to look at him are radiant. Their faces will never be ashamed. They are radiant. They knows they know God. They walk with God.

You throw anything at them in life, they know him. They're not in need of stuff. They're not in need of things that so many people need to make their weekend special. No. No.

They know God. That's attainable. The tent of meeting is open for all of us. And it makes listen, it heightens every activity in life. When God is included in everything that you do in life, oh, it's so much more enjoyable.

Every part of life, even your marriage, especially your marriage. We can go to every single thing. Remember the the miracle of the wedding of Cana? You know what it says? It says that they had invited Jesus.

They had invited Jesus. You wanna have an awesome wedding? Invite Jesus to it. See what happens when you honor the presence of God. You wanna enjoy your job?

Invite Jesus to it. You wanna see God move in your friendship? Invite Jesus into your friendships. When you invite God's presence, things can happen. So they come to a place and God says, my presence will go with you and I will give you rest.

Look what he says. Like, Moses wants to make sure. Verse 15. And he said to him, if your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people?

Is it not you going with us so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth? Why are we distinct from every other people? Yes, we have a gospel of grace that is distinct. Yes, we have salvation by faith. We have all those one of we have the scriptures that are true, all those things, but you know what?

You You know what we have that other people don't have? Even if they have different religions, we have a living God, a God who answers prayer, a God who intervenes in history, a God who hears the cries of His people, a God that moves, a God that touches, a God that heals, a God that restores, a God that reveals. We have something that other people don't, a living God. And you know what? Our prayer needs to be like Moses.

Lord, let people know that you are for us. Let people see that you are a living God through us, or else how or else we're just another religion. But, Lord, let people see your lives. And if they don't see miracles, if they don't see signs and wonders, let them see this, that I once was blind, but now I see. Let them see this, that I used to live in sin, but I don't live in sin anymore.

Let them see that this God is a living God because He changed my life. Oh, I hope we're praying these prayers. And you know what's amazing? The Lord says in verse 17, this very thing that you have spoken, I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name. Now stop right there.

Don't read on. This chapter should have ended right there. It would have made sense for this chapter to end there. Why? Because the whole problem was God was gonna God was gonna remove his presence.

The people have forfeited the presence of God because of their sin. Because that's what happens when you and I sin. When we sin, we forfeit fellowship with God. And if you want a greater fight against sin, let it be this. I'm not willing to forfeit this fellowship.

And then the but the the solution is here. It's done. It's over. Moses interceded. Moses stood in the gap.

Moses came and asked, and God says, that's it. Okay. I'm coming with you. I will give you rest. I will come with you.

Done deal. Why is there another verse? Why is there a continuation? Because Moses says something. Verse 18.

Perhaps sheepishly, but he says, please show me your glory. Moses, God guaranteed you his presence. Moses, your prayer is answered. You've come to a place where you've won the heart of God in this matter. And you know what Moses didn't do?

He didn't say, that's great. Thank you, Lord. See you outside the camp. We'll get moving whenever you're ready. He stops.

He looks at God. I don't know how it happened, in his heart at least. Please, Lord, show me your glory. After all that you've seen Moses, even after God guaranteed you the very thing that you've been pleading for, you still come to a place in which there is this holy dissatisfaction. Can you find somebody like this?

God help us when we be a people like this, that have come to a place that no matter where you've gone with God, no matter what he's done in you or done through you, you can still come to a place in which you said, lord, I'm thankful for where you brought me from, but I'm not satisfied where I'm at. Show me your glory. I wanna know something of you that I've never known before. I wanna know a nearness to you that I've never known before. I wanna know you, lord.

Show me your glory. Whatever that even means, I want it. Is that a part of your prayer language? Is that something that you crave inside of your heart? This man is relentless.

You know what God doesn't do? God doesn't say, no. No. No. I gave you what you asked for.

I'm not giving you more than that. And next week, we're gonna find out what that looks like. But you know what I see here? That God's revelation of himself is dependent upon my hunger for it. Listen, you can get stirred.

You can get you just need to come to a place, brothers and sisters in Christ, where you get so dissatisfied with your walk with God, not in a way in which you beat yourself up, not in a way in which you compare yourself to others, but you just realize what's available. And you say to yourself, Lord, show me your glory. Lord, I've been in this for seven years, and I've been walking with you, and I'm so thankful for where you brought me. Lord, I've been in this for three years. I'm so thankful for where you brought me.

But, Lord, if there's more, give it to me. If there's more I needed, if there's more touch my heart, if there's more whatever separation needs to occur, let it occur. Whatever needs to be cut off, I'll cut off. But god, as long as I have more of you, just show me how to do this. And lord, show me your ways that I may know you.

You think God in heaven is looking at that and saying, live by faith, not by sight? Is there moments in which God, yes, does appear silent? Absolutely. But you read the Psalms carefully. Even when those moments come, the Psalmist is saying, God, whatever it takes, reveal yourself to me.

Don't leave me here, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. Don't leave me in this place, lest my enemies consume me. Reveal your nearness to me, lord. Do you wanna worship at a distance when you realize that there's a tent of meeting waiting outside for you? Oh, yes.

It might be a price. You might have to walk a little bit. You might have to make some separation, but there's a cloud of glory waiting for you and me. There's that Exodus thirty three eleven, that face to face conversation that God wants to have with you and me. I don't know about you.

I don't wanna read a story like that, nor do I wanna read biographies, nor do I wanna know people who have a walk with God and sit back and admire it. If you're gonna covet anything, brothers and sisters, don't covet a calling. Don't covet a pulpit. Don't be jealous over somebody's ministry. If you're gonna chase after anything, if you're gonna be consumed with any matter, let it be this.

Lord, I wanna know you. And if nobody knows my name, that's okay. As long as I know you, I'm completely satisfied in that. I can look at a verse like that, and I can do one of two things. I could make excuses or I can make some moves.

I wanna do the latter. Can Can I tell you something? In my limited walk with God, it has not been very long, but, oh, it's been glorious. I got saved in January, and so every time there's a New Year's that comes up, it's a special thing because it's a it's a reminder of new year, new start with the Lord. But I can tell you this, that that I've looked back every single New Year since 2012.

I'm not saying this for any other reason other than it's true. And I've been able to look back every single year and say, Lord, you've become more glorious than the year before. Oh, Lord, there's been some I I never knew that such trials and tribulations could be experienced by a person. But lord, you become so much more lovely than I've known before. And you become so much more holy than I knew before that.

Lord, your tenderness is so much more real, lord. Your faithfulness, all your long suffering, your patience, all your glory, god. Lord, may I be able to say it year after year that it only gets more glorious. That's your inheritance. Don't hear that.

Don't see don't see that and say that's Moses. You know many people think like that. That person has a call from God, that's why they're so close. Don't believe that. Don't.

Because many people have convinced themselves of that. Oh that person is in full time ministry, that's why they're so sensitive to God, and that's why when they pray it's so powerful, and that's why there's is the tent open for Moses and Joshua only? If you're gonna covet anything, if you're gonna chase after anything, run after God. I don't care if you're a doctor, engineer, doesn't matter. Run after him.

He's waiting. He's waiting. Let's pray. Father, we come before you. Lord, we believe you're stirring hearts in this place right now by your spirit.

And, God, if there's one thing we can take from this, it's simply this, that you're inviting us to come deeper. And, lord, you brought these people here tonight for a reason. Lord, you brought us to this chapter, to this time of the month, to this time of history, and, lord, it demands a response. We believe that. And so, lord, we choose tonight in this stuffy room, perhaps a little bit more hot than usual.

Perhaps we have maybe something in mind that we had afterwards to maybe fellowship or whatever whatever we usually do, but, lord, we wanna lean into this word tonight. And we pray that you would stir any heart that has not been stirred even now. And Lord, we pray for the faith to be imparted in each person even if they've not been stirred to say, Lord, I'm concerned that my heart is not stirred by this truth. Lord, I wanna come to a place in which I can be so open with you that even when I'm not stirred, I say, Lord, stir me. I I I can't stay like this.

And so Lord, would you would you bring us would you bring us deeper tonight as a church? Lord, may we be a distinct people in which you have chosen to reveal your power, your conviction, your comfort in this place, not apart from your word, but as you honor the word, Lord, the Holy Spirit honors the word of God. He does not work apart from it. We know that. And so, Lord, we just ask for this own meeting, this this this church, this people, Lord, that we would be marked by the presence of God.

And, Lord, we wanna lean into that tonight. Help us not just just read this as some interesting story. Help us understand that we just read of a real man who lived on this earth, who spoke to a real God, the same God that we are speaking to now. Help us realize that the opportunity that Moses had pales in comparison to what we have in the new covenant. Help us realize that in this moment, this place can turn into a tent of meeting.

And, Lord, we choose to do so, Lord, would you have your way? Father, there are some people in here who have never tasted and seen that you are good. Lord, there are some people in here who do not know John fourteen twenty one, or if they fear your word and they obey your word, they can they can expect you to manifest yourself to them, that they can know an an intimacy that cannot really be explained as much as it can be experienced. That's far greater than sensation, but it's it's something of the soul. There's some people in here that know, but it's been a long time since they've set their hearts to seek the Lord in this matter.

But there's some people in here that it has been a long time since they said, you know, I've been asking God for the the blessings and the protection and for the guidance and rightfully so, but I have not asked him for his his face, simply his face. I've been asking of his hand, but I've I've yet to ask him for his face. Lord, tonight, show us your glory in our own hearts. Remind us the simplicity of our devotion to Jesus. And father, we don't wanna force anything.

We don't wanna stir emotion. Lord, we don't wanna manipulate this situation right here. Lord, we simply by faith wanna respond to this word and say, Lord, if your presence doesn't go with me, do not take me up from here. Your name we pray. Amen.