Redeemer: God’s purpose for redemption is the foundation for the mission of your life. Exodus 40:34-38

Redeemer: God’s purpose for redemption is the foundation for the mission of your life.

Exodus 40:34-38

“Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.”

In Exodus 32 Israel sins against God by making idols and worshipping them. (While Moses was on the mountain meeting with God)

In Exodus 34 God renews His covenant with Israel after their repentance.

In Exodus 40 God signals that Israel is fully restored to God and to His purposes.

God’s presence is the sign of Israel’s redemption and restoration.

Exodus ends with God’s presence filling the tabernacle.

God redeemed Israel from Egypt so they would know Him and make Him known.

In Exodus 19:4-6 God reminds them of what He has done for them and why, God says, [4] ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. [5] Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; [6] and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

God’s purpose for Israel’s redemption was to make Himself known.

first to the Israelites

Second from the Israelites to nations

God’s purpose for redemption was the foundation for understanding the mission of Israel on earth.

The reason that God saves Israel is the reason for their life. I mean it seems rational and logical, that if God sets out to redeem, deliver, or save people then His reason would dictate the life that they live on the other side of that event.

This seems especially true if the people who are saved have absolutely no life without their redemption, or God’s deliverance.

God’s mission for Israel was that they would know Him and make Him known to the nations.

Knowing God begins with God making Himself known.

God revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush, then through Moses and Aaron to the Israelites and the Egyptians. In the wilderness God makes Himself known further through His Word and His presence.

Knowing God requires reconciliation and repentance.

God leads Israel to commit to Him and to sacrifice to Him in the last plague for their deliverance. And, again God restores them in the wilderness through their repentance.

Knowing God results in the willful obedience to His plans and purposes.

Exodus 35 shows us that God wants willing obedience from those He has delivered.

Exodus 35:4-5 and 20-21

[4] Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the LORD has commanded. [5] Take from among you a contribution to the LORD. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the LORD’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze;… [20] Then all the congregation of the people of Israel departed from the presence of Moses. [21] And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the LORD’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments.

The Israelites repented of their sin and then they willingly obeyed God’s commands… they had generous hearts and their hearts were stirred by what God has done and who He is.

Another example later in Scripture is Isaiah in Isaiah 6…

The book of Exodus ends with Israel’s repentance and restoration. They are restored to God and His presence is with them, and they are following Him as he leads them through the wilderness. But there is something not quite right with the way the book of Exodus ends… and I don’t mean there is a mistake in the book, I mean the way that things are in Israel is still not quite right. We can see in the final passage something that gives us clarity, but that also helps us to see that while they are redeemed, God’s plan is not completely fulfilled.

In Exodus 40:35 it says that “Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”

The fact that Moses is not able to enter the tabernacle reminds us that things are not all that they need to be or will be in the end.

Jesus is the complete fulfillment of God’s purpose.

Moses is not able to enter the tabernacle… this reminds us that things are not all that they need or will be.

Remember that when Jesus died on the cross, the veil that separated the Holy of Holy’s in the temple was torn into from top to bottom. The torn veil symbolized that what was lost in the garden and foreshadowed in the tabernacle and temple is fully realized in Jesus Christ.

Jesus died as a full and final sacrifice for sin. His death secures life for all who believe in Him. Jesus came to save, died on the cross, and ascended back to the right hand of the Father.

In fact, the book of Revelation tells us that what Jesus completed on the cross will be fulfilled in it’s entirety when He returns the second time. Revelation 21:2-4 says, “I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’ (Rev. 21:2–4) The tearing of the veil foreshadows the day when the world itself is the temple and we come and go from God’s presence like Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden.

Jesus came so that we would know God and make Him known.

John 17:3 says, [3] And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

John 1:1-5; 14-18

[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. [4] In him was life, and the life was the light of men. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

[14] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. [15] (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) [16] For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. [17] For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. [18] No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Knowing God begins with believing in Jesus Christ as He is revealed in the Bible.

Knowing God requires reconciliation with God by faith grace through faith and repentance from sin.

Knowing God results in the willful obedience to Jesus and His mission.

In the NT people are described as followers of Jesus, followers of the Way, and disciples.

Jesus’ disciples willingly follow His commands and strive to carry out His mission.

Matthew 28:16-20 says, [16] Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. [17] And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. [18] And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We have been saved, or delivered from our sin, and brought into a relationship with God. And like He made Himself known in the tabernacle. God has come to dwell with us in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

God sends Christians out to nations with the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

Just like He was with the Israelites in the wilderness, in the tabernacle, like later in the temple… Jesus tells us that He will be with us as we go and make disciples of all nations.

God’s people, the church, are His treasure and special possession.

1 Peter 2:9-10 says, [9] But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. [10] Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

In Exodus God tells the Israelites that they are His, and as such they have been redeemed for His purpose of being known among all the nations. This means they represent Him to the nations. And they represent Him with more than their words. they represent Him with their very lives.

Following Jesus occupies the entire life of a Christian. Why? Because God’s purpose is for all of your life.

When preaching a sermon on the Marks of God’s people Charles Spurgeon taught that the entire life of a Christian is at God’s disposal.

Charles Spurgeon said,

“A true Christian owns that all he has, and the best of all that he has, should always be consecrated and dedicated to his Lord. First, we are heartily to obey God’s commands. There is no part of our strength that we may reserve for ourselves, it all belongs to our Lord. We are to be like a soldier, who, when he goes to the war, thinks of nothing but how he shall discharge his duties so as to please his commanding officer. Now, my dear hearer, is that the case with thee? Has God commanded thy strength? “Well, sir, I go to church; I go to chapel; I profess to be a Christian.” Yes, yes, yes, but there may be nothing in all that; has God the absolute and solo command of you? Is he your Commander-in-chief? Has he come and taken possession of that strong will of yours, and made it subject to his will? And if he has made you to be a man strong in faith, fervent in love, brave in holy daring, and great in patience, do you desire to have all those forces used for his glory, and his glory alone? If not, you are not one of God’s people; but, if you do hold all your powers at his disposal, that is one of the marks of his people; and the more clear it is, the better. Beloved, God is to be served by us with all our heart, and with all our mind, and with all our soul, and with all our strength.” Some Marks of God’s People, Charles Spurgeon, September 10, 1882.

How do we know when God’s presence is among His people? They follow Him wherever He goes and do whatever He says.

The Ten Commandments were not so that they would earn God’s presence, no, God gave those so that they would know what it was like to live with God in their presence, to represent Him with their lives among the nations… And God has always been about the work of redeeming a people so that they would make Him known among the nations.

But, how do we make Him known? How do we live for Him in a way that bears witness to His goodness and grace?

We live with His presence among us… and and we do so with our entire lives.

You cannot live for God with the time you spend in a church worship service. No, this is supposed to be the overflow for the life you are living for and with God.

God’s presence is what makes us distinct…

Charles Spurgeon in a sermon on September 10, 1882 share the following

Marks of God’s People: (paraphrased)

The Lord is their God and they depend on Him.

All the strength of a Christian- physically, mentally, morally, and spiritually- is at God’s disposal.

They give God credit for all that is good in them and in their brothers and sisters in Christ.

They pray to God for their strength and stability.

God redeems us through Christ so that we would know Him and make Him known with our entire lives.