Learning God's Grace Amid Our Failures

Exodus 34:1–28 NASB95

1 Now the Lord said to Moses, “Cut out for yourself two stone tablets like the former ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the former tablets which you shattered. 2 “So be ready by morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to Me on the top of the mountain. 3 “No man is to come up with you, nor let any man be seen anywhere on the mountain; even the flocks and the herds may not graze in front of that mountain.” 4 So he cut out two stone tablets like the former ones, and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up to Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and he took two stone tablets in his hand. 5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the Lord. 6 Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” 8 Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. 9 He said, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your own possession.” 10 Then God said, “Behold, I am going to make a covenant. Before all your people I will perform miracles which have not been produced in all the earth nor among any of the nations; and all the people among whom you live will see the working of the Lord, for it is a fearful thing that I am going to perform with you. 11 “Be sure to observe what I am commanding you this day: behold, I am going to drive out the Amorite before you, and the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. 12 “Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst. 13 “But rather, you are to tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim 14 —for you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God— 15 otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they would play the harlot with their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice, 16 and you might take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters might play the harlot with their gods and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods. 17 “You shall make for yourself no molten gods. 18 “You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in the month of Abib you came out of Egypt. 19 “The first offspring from every womb belongs to Me, and all your male livestock, the first offspring from cattle and sheep. 20 “You shall redeem with a lamb the first offspring from a donkey; and if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. You shall redeem all the firstborn of your sons. None shall appear before Me empty-handed. 21 “You shall work six days, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during plowing time and harvest you shall rest. 22 “You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. 23 “Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. 24 “For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no man shall covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the Lord your God. 25 “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread, nor is the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover to be left over until morning. 26 “You shall bring the very first of the first fruits of your soil into the house of the Lord your God. “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.” 27 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28 So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

INTRO: Have you ever been at the place in life where you absolutely blew it? I mean, failed big-time? I have. And let me tell you, that’s not a fun place to be.

You feel worthless- You feel alone and lonely. Yet at the same time, you feel the weight of condemnation crushing you. And though nobody else can see it, you feel like you are at the bottom of a deep, dark pit and you just want to disappear.

Have you ever felt like that? Maybe you are listening this morning, and I just described your present situation. If so, I want to give you hope. I want you to understand that at the bottom of that deep dark pit, is the Sovereign Lord and God, Jesus Christ!

And look, it He knows that you blew it! He knows that it was your fault and He knows that you deserve judgment and wrath. But friends, I need you to understand that when our life is broken, our Lord is merciful. His grace is sufficient in our failures.

Paul encourages us through the letter to the Roman church. In it, he states: Rom 8:1

Romans 8:1 NASB95

1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

As we turn to our text in Exodus 34, we already know that the Israelites messed up bad. They made an idol from their jewelry and worshiped it as God. And even as Moses sought to intercede and to make atonement, we understand that God’s justice must be satisfied. Chapter 33 ends with God’s promise to Moses to hide him in a rock and allow for him to see a glimpse of God’s glory.

As we pick up in chapter 34, we see that this chapter is bookended with a promise and a fulfillment of that promise. Verse 1, God invites Moses to receive anew the tablets which he had broken.

This is literal and also a picture. You see, while Moses shattered the tablets, we might see that his action was symbolic of the idolatry that shattered Israel’s covenant understanding with God. Still, God says to Moses, “you provide the rock tablets, I’ll provide the words.”

Moses had a responsibility, but God is the giver of grace. God invited Moses to re-enter His presence, but this time there was a greater warning. Nobody but Moses could come on the mountain at all. Furthermore, Moses had to provide the rock canvas for the law.

I see this as another foreshadowing moment, for God promised that one day He would write His law on the canvas of the human heart.

And what we see throughout this chapter is how God displayed His grace amid the Israelites’ failure. In each act of grace, the people were given a choice and a warning. So it is with you and I today.

Folks, God will meet you at the point of your greatest need, and His word to you is: You provide the faith, I’ll provide the grace.

Your response to God has tremendous implications. So, as we learn together, it is my prayer that you will hear the word of God with fresh hearing; that you will receive God’s teaching with a spirit of yearning for His will in your life.

The sermon is titled, Learning God’s Grace Amid Our Failures. If you picked up a bulletin, I encourage you to make use of the sermon guide as you dive deeper throughout the week.

God does not abandon those who fail… instead He draws near in grace. Let’s see how this unfolds beginning with v. 5-8. Here, we see

God Revealed His Character (5-8)

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Here, on this mountain, God descended. And this is likely the fulfillment of God’s promise that we saw in ch. 33, to allow Moses to catch a glimpse of His glory. And it was in this event that God met Moses and revealed His character.

Look at v. 6 again- God speaks- or announces Himself. LORD - repeated twice to emphasize that this revelation is explicitly connected to His name, Yahweh. Our God shows Himself in grace, and at the same time explains that His very presence and character is both compassionate and just. He is both gracious and firm. He is forgiving and vengeful.

Now, I want you to imagine the God whom you have failed- whose law you have broken and whose name you have defamed, has revealed to you that He is loving, compassionate, He forgives… yet He will not leave the guilty unpunished.

How do you respond to that?

You see, many folks hear that God will judge and assume that if they’ve already transgressed, they might as well keep on living their best life now in sin. They respond to God’s character in anger or rebellion because they do not see hope.

On the other hand, for those who are willing to hear God’s Word, you grasp the reality that God, the Sovereign King of all creation, is good. He is always right and will always do right because His character is pure. And these character descriptions of God are not contradictions; they find their resolution at the cross, where God’s justice and mercy meet in Christ. Thus, our response is to place ourselves under His rule.

Moses provides the example in v. 8- He made haste to bow down and worship. He quickly and readily responded to the revelation of God’s character in humble submission and worship.

In this act of Grace, God revealed His character- to Moses on the mountain and to us through both His Word and through Jesus Christ. But remember I told you that there was a choice and a warning. As you hear about the character of God, you can choose whether to respond in rebellion or surrender. And that choice has tremendous implications.

Here is what I want you to see:

How we answer God’s invitation to His revealed character has a generational impact.

READ v. 7

Your kids and your grandkids will feel the impact of your response to God. If you are apathetic towards God or you resist His authority, your kids will pay the price both in this world and in eternity to come.

BUT, if you respond in faith and surrender, then your kids will reap the benefits of godly parents and enjoy the blessing of hearing God’s Word and being invited to know Him.

Folks, I cannot state this strongly enough: Though we have failed Him- though we truly deserve Hell and condemnation, God, in His grace has revealed His character and His love so that we may respond. The ball is in your court…

Next, in His grace,

God Restored His Covenant (9-16)

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Here, we see God renew or restore His covenant in which the people of Israel would be His- a set apart people, who look and act differently than the world around them. Yes, they were an obstinate people, but God chose to covenant with them based upon His grace, not their worthiness.

It’s interesting that God tells Moses that He will perform miracles that are greater than anything seen before.. He will fight their battles and drive out the inhabitants of the land so that Israel may enjoy it as a set apart people. But I want you to notice that there will be a temptation to covenant with the other people groups… to sign a peace treaty and to live alongside them.

You might think that sounds pretty good- after all, it makes for a good story of diversity… people having each other’s backs, etc. So, what is the problem? The problem is that these other people groups worshiped false gods. This generation of Israelites already failed in the area of idolatry. That’s why they needed to tear down the idols.

The covenant is that the Israelites were God’s people- He was to be their God and they were to have no other. And even if they had no intent to worship these false gods, they would eventually get used to seeing the shrines and altars, and the sinful worship would draw them away from God.

God explained to Moses that what might start off as a rather innocuous meal can easily drift into partaking of idolatrous practices.

ILL: “It’s like leaving open tabs to temptation in your life—Netflix shows that glorify sin, music that desensitizes your heart, influencers who normalize compromise. Over time, those things form your spiritual appetites. But, God has called His people to Himself. That means that all other ways of life are off the table!

As God’s people, we have a duty not to assimilate to the worldly ways around us. Like Israel, God has given us a home on this earth to enjoy, but we cannot accept the sinful practices of the world. We must be set apart; Look here: all religions are not equal. Every opinion or viewpoint is not equally valid.

As Christians, we have a restored covenant through Christ to be God’s people. We have been called to die to our lusts and to the old worldly way of life that we once lived, and to walk in the newness of life in Christ. He is our King! To Him we owe our loyalty and devotion!.

And you have a choice. You either live as belonging to God or you live as a harlot to the world.

Here’s what I want you to see:

Your response to God’s Restored Covenant has eternal consequences.

ILL: I may have shared this before, but it bears repeating: I want you to picture a field with a fence- one side being the way of God, the other being the way of the world. Now, you have a choice. The problem in our world today is that a lot of professing Christians want to sit on the fence and dangle one foot on each side. But here’s the thing: The devil owns the fence.

Even though we have failed big time, In God’s grace, He has restored His covenant. Jesus came to bring us the love and forgiveness of God. How will you respond?

Finally, I want to show you that in God’s grace,

God Restated His Commands (17-28)

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What we see here is a sampling of God’s commands. These emphasize the way of worship, but we can see that Moses recorded the Ten Commandments on the tablets (28).

I think that it’s significant that what we see recorded here in ch. 34 is about the right way of worship for Israel. Their response to God’s commands demonstrates their trust in Him.

The Sabbath, which we will look at again in ch. 35, is in part a regular demonstration of trust in God- for provision and protection, so that Israel’s worship would be absolute.

Israel’s feasts were times when the people would enjoy a rest in God- giving thanks for His grace and rejoicing in His goodness.

The commands to consecrate the first born to God demonstrates trust that God is sovereign even in our homes - our future belongs to God!

But look, Moses was with God for 40 days and 40 nights, completely sustained by God. This helps us to know a couple things:

God had more to say than just the 10 commandments.

God’s commands are not arbitrary rules to keep us under the proverbial thumb. They are for our benefit so that we can rightly relate to God. He is our creator. He designed us and gives us breath. His grace to restate His commands was an invitation to know Him and His goodness.

When Jesus ministered on the earth, He explained, “If you love me, you will keep my commands.” (John 14:15) Our obedience demonstrates that we trust Him as the Lord of our lives. Not to earn our spot in heaven, but in response to our transformation from children of darkness to children of light.

God ministered to Moses’ body and soul.

I don’t know about you, but my body ain’t gonna make it no 40 days without food or water. God provided.

I’m reminded of Jesus’ statement in John 4:32–34 “32 But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33 So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.”

God supernaturally sustained Moses body. But also His soul. We’ll see this more and more in Scripture, but when we receive God’s word- His commands and instruction applied through the work of the Holy Spirit, God provides for us His peace and His joy.

Look, All the fruit of the spirit that we talked about as we studied Galatians comes from God as we walk in the Spirit. We must spend time with God for this to happen, and here’s the good news: Jesus invites us into His presence.

Revelation 3:20 “20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

Folks, we have the opportunity to respond to God’s commands, restated by Christ Jesus, not as a way to earn righteousness, but because of God’s grace we can demonstrate our love and trust in the Almighty God of creation.

Here is what I want you to see:

Our response to God’s commands demonstrates our faith and trust in Christ as our Lord.

Amid all our failures and shortcomings, we are invited to experience God’s grace abundantly poured out upon our lives. The question for you this morning is, “How will you respond to Christ?”

Let me encourage you to respond as Moses did- hastily falling down to worship Him - to surrender your life to Him wholly and completely today.

[PRAY]

Today, we are going to close our time by observing the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is a symbol of the covenant that Jesus made through His blood, calling His followers to obedience. As we prepare to partake of this ordinance, we must examine our response to the revelation of God in Christ.

The Lord’s Supper is not for everyone- only those who have responded to Christ in repentance and faith, having been baptized and having confessed their sin may take part in this communion ordinance. If that does not describe you, then I ask that you allow the plates to pass you without partaking.

If you’ve never trusted Christ, let this be your invitation—not your exclusion. Don’t just pass the plate—pass into His mercy. Today can be the day of salvation

Will those who are serving please come? [PRAY]

Though we do not deserve it, God has shown His grace in revealing Himself to us that we may know Him and respond to Him. He has extended a covenant to us and has invited us into His kingdom, to live transformed lives- redeemed and resurrected lives now and for eternity.

Lord’s Supper - 1 Cor. 11:23-26

Discuss: How might your personal or family response to God’s character affect future generations (v. 7)? In what ways have you seen this play out?

Discuss: What dangers did God warn Israel about regarding assimilation with other nations? What are some modern equivalents of these temptations for Christians today?

Discuss: How does your obedience—or lack of it—reflect your trust in God’s character and His provision?