Then the Lord said to Moses, “Depart and 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, ‘To your descendants, I will give it.’2 And I will send My Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” (Exodus 33:1-3)
Notice the words of the Lord, “you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt” . Clearly the Lord was hurt by the attitude of Israel.
After the sin of the golden calf, God did not deny the children of Israel the Promised Land. He said they could continue on to possess what He had promised to them and to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
After the sin of the golden calf, God did not deny Israel His protection. He promised to be with them in some way (I will send My Angel), and to fight for them in the Promised Land. However, God did say He would deny Israel His presence. It's like God saying you can have the blessing but I will not be a part of it.
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)
All things - with Him
All things without Him (without His Presence) is meaningless
Real Biblical Prosperity is all things with Him
For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you. Now, therefore, take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do to you.’” 6 So the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb. (Exodus 33:5)
It was not that the Lord was against ornaments but a blessing was misused to become a curse. Israel had used the ornaments (that which the Lord had given) to make an idol - a golden calf.
Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp. So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle. (Exodus 33:7-11)
Everyone saw this pillar of cloud come to the tent of Moses, and they knew Moses worshipped and met with God there. This was a great comfort to the people, to know that their leader really did meet with God and hear from Him.
And all the people rose and worshipped: This was their natural response. Something about Moses and his relationship with God made others want to also worship God.
The LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend: Numbers 12:8 clarifies what this meant. There God contrasted how He spoke to Moses with how He spoke to other prophets; Moses heard clearly and plainly, and other prophets heard in dreams and visions.
It is also possible this meant that God appeared to Moses in human form, as He did to Abraham in Genesis 18. More likely, the phrase face to face is simply a figurative expression, meaning free and open fellowship.
Moses had not - and could not - see the actual face of God the Father in His glory. No one has seen the face of God the Father in glory, and this is why John wrote, No one has seen God at any time (1 John 4:12).
In the Old Testament, no one could see His glory and live but in the New Testament, you can see His glory.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ( John 1:14)
Moses told the LORD, “If Your presence does not go with us, then do not take us any further.” (Exodus 33:15)
Moses was not interested in getting there without His Presence.
His goal was not just getting there but His Presence
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.” (Exodus 33:16)
Verse 16 reveals some important secrets
How will it be known that Your people and I (Moses) have found grace in Your sight?
Answer: God’s presence in us and with us will make it know (reveal to those around us) that we His people have found grace in His sight.
Grace is not just some doctrine.
A person who has found grace in the eyes of God will be a carrier of God’s presence to the extent that others will know it by the life that he or she leads
Your people and I shall be separate
God’s presence is what separates us from the rest of the crowd.
The people of the world carry their gods around. His Presence carries us.
Chapters
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Chapter 19
- Chapter 20
- Chapter 21
- Chapter 22
- Chapter 23
- Chapter 24
- Chapter 25
- Chapter 26
- Chapter 27
- Chapter 28
- Chapter 29
- Chapter 30
- Chapter 31
- Chapter 32
- Chapter 33
- Chapter 34
- Chapter 35
- Chapter 36
- Chapter 37
- Chapter 38
- Chapter 39
- Chapter 40