Exodus 33:12-23 God's Presence
1) The Problem For Moses - 32:35 And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
a) The Rebuke For Sin - 3 for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.
b) The Recognition Of Sin - 4 And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.
c) The Repentance Of Sin - 6 And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.
2) The Pressure On Moses -
a) The Moving Of God's Place - 7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp,
b) The Meeting In God's Presence - 9 And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.
c) The Mustering Of God's Presence 13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
3) The Prayer of Moses - 33:12-17
1. The Seeking of God's Path 13 shew me now thy way,
God's Will Is Possible ie. Moses prayed for It. Shew Me
God's Will Is Personal Shew Me
God's Will Is Present shew me now
God's Will Is Pre-eminent thy way
God's Will Is Profitable that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight:
ie. Personally, Nationally, Eternally.
2. The Securing of God's Presence 12 And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
a) The Departure Of God's Presence 2 And I will send an angel before thee;
b) The Desire For God's Presence 12 and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me.
c) The Demonstration Of God's Presence 14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
d) The Devotion To God's Presence 15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
Moses wanted God to go with him. In fact if God did not go with them, Moses did not want to continue the journey This shows the great priority Moses put on the presence of God, a priority seldom seen in any age.
3. The Seeing of God's Person 18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
a) The Passion for God's glory. "I beseech thee, show me thy glory"
Some request the material,
Some request the physical;
How Few request the spiritual.
Philippians 2:21 For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.
b) The Plan for God's glory. 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
1. God's glory would be revealed in His Goodness, And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee
2. God's glory would be revealed in His Greatness, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; Exodus 3:14: "I am that I am."
3. God's glory would be revealed in His Grace. and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
2 Corinthians 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
c) The Prohibition in God's glory. 20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
John 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
This emphasizes the need of Jesus Christ, if mankind is to enter heaven and survive.
d) The Protection in God's glory. 21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: 22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
God would protect Moses from being consumed when the glory of God passed by.
Our protection today will be found in the Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Exodus 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
e) The Prerequisite for God's glory. and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
The flesh of Moses had to be covered if the glory of God was going to be fully revealed. The principle is that the flesh can stop God's glory from being seen.
Men must be hid if God is to be honoured.
Gal 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
1 Cor 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. "Too big for God to use"
