In the Midst Week 4

“I WILL BE WITH YOU”

Big Idea: God does not merely distinguish His people—He goes with them.

Texts:

Exodus 3:1–12 (LSB)

1Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of the bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. 3 So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burned up?” 4 And Yahweh saw that he turned aside to look, so God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then He said, “Do not come near here. Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.7 And Yahweh said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sufferings. 8 So I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 9 So now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, come and I will send you to Pharaoh, and so you shall bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God at this mountain.”

Exodus 13:21–22 (LSB)

21 And Yahweh was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to guide them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might go by day and by night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

INTRODUCTION

(Flow from Week 3)

Last week we saw that God proves He is in the midst by making a distinction. Israel remained in Egypt, yet God drew a line no judgment could cross.

But distinction alone is not enough.

God does not simply protect His people and leave them where they are. He calls them out. And when He calls them out, He does not send them alone.

The promise that moves the story forward is not strategy, strength, or timing.

It is this promise:

“I will be with you.”

A Promise echoed in Matthew

28:20... and behold, I am with you, even to the end of the age.”'

I. GOD’S PRESENCE PRECEDES DELIVERANCE

(Exodus 3:1–6)

Moses is not looking for God.

He’s not praying for direction. He’s not expecting a calling. He’s tending sheep—day after day—in obscurity.

This is not Moses in Pharaoh’s court. This is Moses the shepherd, forty years removed from Egypt, far from power, far from influence.

And yet—God appears.

Not in Egypt’s palaces. Not in Pharaoh’s courts. But in the wilderness.

A bush is burning, but it is not consumed. And this is not spectacle meant to impress Moses. It is revelation meant to teach him.

God is showing Moses who He is.

Holy—so the ground must change. Self-existent—the fire needs no fuel. Unthreatened—nothing is diminished by His presence. And present—right here, right now. In the Midst

Before Israel is delivered, before Pharaoh is confronted, before any miracle takes place, God reveals Himself in the midst of ordinary ground. A place Moses has likely passed many times suddenly becomes holy—not because the ground changed, but because God stepped into the middle of it.

This tells us something vital.

God does not wait for ideal conditions to speak. He does not wait for sacred buildings or dramatic moments. He interrupts the ordinary with His presence.

And here’s the key bridge:

God does this before He asks Moses to do anything.

Before the command comes, before the mission is given, before obedience is required,

God makes Himself known.

And that’s why what comes next matters so much.

BRIDGE TO VERSE 12

When Moses later objects—when he says he’s not able, not qualified, not enough—God does not argue with Moses’ weakness.

Instead, He grounds obedience in one promise:

“Certainly I will be with you.”

In other words, “Moses, what I revealed about Myself here is what will sustain you out there.”

Deliverance will not depend on Moses’ strength. It will depend on God’s presence.

And that’s the pattern we see throughout Scripture:

God reveals Himself in the midst so His people can obey Him in the midst.

II. THE PROMISE THAT MAKES OBEDIENCE POSSIBLE

(Exodus 3:7–12)

God tells Moses that He has seen the affliction of His people. He has heard their cry. He knows their suffering.

In other words, God is not distant. He is not unaware. He is not indifferent.

Then God says something staggering:

“I will send you.”

And Moses immediately objects—not because he doubts the problem, but because he knows himself.

He knows his history. He knows his failure. He knows his weakness.

Moses does not say, “The people don’t need help.” He says, “I’m not the man.”

And notice what God does not do.

God does not correct Moses’ self-assessment. He does not say, “You’re stronger than you think.” He does not say, “You’ll grow into this.” He does not say, “Trust yourself.”

God agrees with Moses’ weakness—and then removes it from the equation.

He says:

“Certainly I will be with you.”

That is the heart of the passage.

God does not promise Moses ease. He does not promise clarity. He does not promise success without struggle.

He promises presence.

And not distant presence—active, governing presence. God is placing Himself in the midst of the calling He gives. Moses is not being sent alone. The Lord Himself will stand at the center of the task.

God does not call us to obedience because we are sufficient. He calls us to obedience because He is present.

In Scripture, obedience is never built on human strength. It is built on divine nearness. God does not stand at a distance and issue commands. He places Himself in the midst of His people and then calls them to follow Him.

That is what He does with Moses. That is what He does with Israel. And that is what He does with us.

God’s call to obedience always comes with His promise to be in the midst—guiding, sustaining, correcting, and leading. He does not wait for His people to become capable before He commands them. He commands them while He is present, so that their dependence remains on Him.

This means obedience is not about proving ourselves. It is about trusting the God who stands in the midst of the work He assigns.

When God says, “Go,” He is also saying, “I will be there.” When He sends His people into difficulty, He goes in the midst of it with them. And when He calls for faithfulness that feels beyond us, He places His presence right at the center of our weakness.

So obedience is not an act of self-confidence. It is an act of confidence in God’s presence.

We obey not because we are enough, but because the Lord who reigns is in the midst of His people.

III. PRESENCE DOES NOT END WITH A PROMISE

(Exodus 13:21–22)

Fast forward.

Israel is no longer in Egypt. The chains are broken. The sea has been crossed. Deliverance has begun.

And at this point, we might expect God to step back.

After all, the rescue has happened. Pharaoh’s power has been shattered. Israel is technically free.

But God does not step back.

Instead, Scripture tells us that the LORD goes before them.

By day, a pillar of cloud. By night, a pillar of fire.

This is not poetic imagery meant to stir emotion. This is not symbolic language.

This is visible guidance.

God does not say, “You’re free—now find your way.” He does not hand them a map and wish them well. He does not expect them to figure it out on their own.

He leads.

And notice what kind of presence this is.

God is not behind them, pushing. He is not distant, observing. He is not merely watching from above.

He goes before them—and yet He remains in the midst of them, determining their direction, their pace, their movement, and their rest. When the pillar moves, they move. When it stops, they stop.

Their freedom is not self-directed. It is God-directed.

And the text emphasizes something we are not meant to miss:

The pillar did not depart from before the people.

Not by day. Not by night. Not when they were moving. Not when they were resting.

God’s presence was not occasional. It was not conditional. It was constant.

This teaches us something vital about what it means for God to be in the midst.

God does not merely promise His presence and then withdraw. He remains. He stays. He commits Himself to the journey He has called His people to walk.

Freedom does not mean independence from God. It means dependence under His leadership.

Israel did not need to see the whole path ahead. They only needed to stay under the pillar.

And that is still true for God’s people today.

We do not follow a distant God. We do not serve a King who rescued us and then stepped back. We do not belong to a Savior who saved us and told us to figure the rest out.

We walk with a God who is in the midst.

Jesus Christ is Emmanuel—God with us. Not symbolically. Not emotionally. Actually and covenantally. He did not merely promise presence; He became present.

He stepped into the wilderness of this world. He walked among sinners. He dwelt in the midst of weakness, suffering, and rebellion.

And even now, He has not withdrawn.

By His Spirit, Christ remains in the midst of His people—leading, correcting, sustaining, and ruling. He does not hand us a map and say, “Good luck.” He goes before us as King and walks among us as Shepherd.

When we do not know the next step, He leads. When we grow weary, He remains. When the path is unclear, His presence is enough.

To walk with Christ today is not to walk with certainty about the road ahead—it is to walk under the authority of the One who goes before us and remains in the midst of us.

We are never abandoned. We are never self-directed. We are never left to our own strength.

The same Lord who led Israel by fire and cloud now leads His Church by His Word and Spirit. The pillar is no longer visible—but the King is no less present.

Christ reigns. Christ leads. Christ remains.

And because He is in the midst of His people, faithful obedience is not only possible—it is the only right response to a King who has never left us.

IV. WHAT “IN THE MIDST” REALLY MEANS

Put these two scenes together.

God appears before deliverance. God remains after deliverance.

And together they teach us something vital:

God’s presence is not a moment. It is a commitment.

He does not show up briefly and then disappear. He does not rescue His people and then retreat. He does not intervene and then leave them to manage on their own.

To say that God is in the midst means this:

God is actively leading. God is continually present. God is personally involved.

He is not distant. He is not passive. He is not merely observing from afar.

And this corrects another misunderstanding we often carry.

God’s presence does not mean:

no fear

no uncertainty

no wilderness

God being in the midst does not remove difficulty. It provides faithful guidance through it.

His presence does not eliminate the path. It orders it.

To walk with a God who is in the midst is to walk with confidence—not because the road is easy, but because the One who leads never leaves.

V. CHRIST FULFILLS THE PROMISE OF PRESENCE

Everything in Exodus is moving somewhere.

The burning bush is not the destination. The pillar of fire is not the final answer. The tabernacle, the camp, the wilderness—all of it is pointing forward.

God is teaching His people to expect something greater.

Jesus Christ does not merely promise, “I will be with you.” He comes.

He does not remain at a distance. He does not send a sign or a substitute. He steps into history.

He is the true burning bush—God dwelling with man, holy and unconsumed, fully present without destroying those He draws near. In Christ, God’s holiness and God’s nearness finally meet without contradiction.

He is the true pillar—light in darkness, guidance for the lost, the One who leads His people through a fallen world not by sight, but by faith. Those who follow Him do not walk in darkness.

He is Immanuel—God with us. Not God above us only. Not God watching from afar. God with His people, sharing their weakness, bearing their burden, entering their suffering.

And when Christ goes to the cross, He does not abandon this mission of presence. He secures it.

He bears judgment so His people will never be forsaken. He is struck so the Rock will never leave. He rises so His presence will never end.

That is why, after His resurrection, Jesus says it again—this time without qualification:

“I am with you always.”

Not occasionally. Not temporarily. Not symbolically.

Always.

The presence promised to Moses, the presence manifested to Israel, the presence hinted at in fire and cloud—

is fulfilled, completed, and secured in Christ.

No pillar that departs. No fire that fades. No presence that withdraws.

In Christ, God is not only in the midst of His people— He is permanently bound to them by covenant blood and resurrection power.

And that means this:

Where Christ reigns, God is present. Where Christ is trusted, God is near. And where Christ is King, His people are never alone.

This is not just comfort. This is authority.

Christ fulfills the promise of presence—and He will never leave His people again.

VI. LIVING UNDER A PRESENT KING — HIS PEOPLE AND HIS ENEMIES

This matters now.

God’s people today still live between promise and fulfillment. We are redeemed, but not yet glorified. We are delivered, but still walking through wilderness places. We still face uncertainty, opposition, pressure, and resistance.

But we do not walk alone.

Faithfulness does not mean knowing the path ahead. It means trusting the One who goes before us.

And here we must be clear about something Scripture never softens:

The same Christ who is present with His people is also reigning in the midst of His enemies.

Psalm 110 does not say Christ waits quietly for history to end. It says He reigns until His enemies are made His footstool.

That reign is happening now.

For His people, Christ’s presence means:

guidance in uncertainty

strength in weakness

discipline that restores, not destroys

mercy that sustains through the wilderness

He walks with His people step by step. He intercedes for them. He keeps them. He does not abandon them.

But for His enemies, that same reign means something very different.

Christ’s presence is not neutral. It exposes rebellion. It restrains evil. It judges pride. It ensures that no resistance will stand forever.

The world does not feel safe under Christ’s reign because it is not meant to. Only those who submit to the King find refuge in His presence.

So to live under a present King means this:

We do not fear the wilderness, because Christ governs it. We do not fear opposition, because Christ rules over it. We do not measure faithfulness by comfort, but by obedience.

The same God who distinguished His people, who called them out of bondage, who walked with them step by step—

still reigns in the midst today.

And that reign leaves no one untouched.

For those who belong to Christ, it is salvation, protection, and hope. For those who resist Him, it is warning, restraint, and coming judgment.

But for all creation, it is unshakable truth:

Jesus Christ is King. He is present. And He reigns in the midst—of His people and of His enemies.

APPLICATIONS (6)

God reveals His presence before He demands obedience

Obedience is sustained by God’s presence, not self-confidence

God leads His people, not merely rescues them

Wilderness does not mean abandonment

Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of “God with us”

Faithful living means following a present King, step by step

CALL TO REPENT AND BELIEVE

Church, this is not a call to bravery. It is a call to trust.

Some of us hesitate in obedience because we want certainty before submission. God offers something better.

He offers His presence.

Repent of trusting in your own strength. Repent of waiting for perfect conditions.

Believe in Christ—not only as Savior, but as the present, reigning Lord who goes before His people.

And if you have never trusted Christ, hear this clearly:

The same God who promised, “I will be with you,” has come near in Jesus Christ.

Turn from self-rule. Trust in Him. Follow the King who does not abandon His people.

CLOSING PRAYER

Father, You are not distant. You are not silent. You are with Your people.

Teach us to trust You when the path is unclear. Lead us by Your presence, not our confidence. Fix our eyes on Christ, our guide, our deliverer, our King.

Keep us faithful as You lead us forward, confident that You remain in the midst.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.