Moses - Part 33
Notes
Transcript
Recap ch. 19
Recap ch. 19
Israel is encamping near Sinai…
A place Moses was familiar with…
Last week we saw the Reminder from God
4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.
What seemed like a cozy nest for Israel was called a furnace of affliction by God…
2. The Recharge
5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
“Now therefore”… “Because of this”
If you will:
Obey my voice
Keep my covenant
Things ALREADY communicated to the nation of Israel…
3. The Reward
6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
Now we move on in chapter 19…
1. We Make our Declaration
1. We Make our Declaration
8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.
Looks like:
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
Great truth: make a declaration right now to obey every Word of God…
Can you honestly tell God today, “All that you have spoken, we will do.”?
But look further:
9 And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord.
2. Then God Makes His Demonstration *We are going to spend some time here*
2. Then God Makes His Demonstration *We are going to spend some time here*
If the people already made a public declaration to God to obey His every Word…
Then why is God saying He is going to demonstrate Himself so the people will believe He and Moses?
Could it be:
- that what we declare to God doesn’t always happen?
Have you ever promised to God that you would do something and not done it?
Our intentions are likely good and we mean well…
But doesn’t it bother you to not keep your word to God?
Why does God need to demonstrate Himself to get His people to believe His Words if they’ve already said, “whatever God says to do, we will do.”
Let me ask you a question:
Are you committing the sin of lying when you sing our congregational songs?
When we sing:
“I love thee every hour, most precious Lord…” Do we?
or “All hail the Power of Jesus name, let every prostrate fall…” Do we on Monday also?
or “All to Jesus, I surrender, humbly at His feet I bow…” Do we?
“It is well with my soul…” Is it?
**It was Peter who once said:
33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. 34 Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
And then:
74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
What the Apostle Peter and the other disciples declared, turned out to not be true and Jesus knew it before it ever happened…
How many empty promises has our Saviour heard?
34 When he slew them, then they sought him:
And they returned and inquired early after God.
35 And they remembered that God was their rock,
And the high God their redeemer.
36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth,
And they lied unto him with their tongues.
37 For their heart was not right with him,
Neither were they stedfast in his covenant.
13 Wherefore the Lord said,
Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth,
And with their lips do honour me,
But have removed their heart far from me,
And their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
THE KEY:
22 Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
If we want to go from saying, but not doing…
We have to acknowledge the condition of our heart...
The Bible says:
“Their heart was not right with him” and
“neither were they stedfast in his covenant”
If we’re not truly in this thing for the right reasons in the right way, than we are not going to complete what we declare…
Did you know you can be highly religious and make religious declarations, yet be far from God?
That’s who Israel was!
Verses for help:
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence;
For out of it are the issues of life.
34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:
Eat and drink, saith he to thee;
But his heart is not with thee.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
TRUTH:
If we want to follow through with what we say and not give in, give up or fail to follow through what’s in our minds… then we’ll focus on the heart…
I can say my heart’s desire is to serve God, but is that truly my heart’s desire?
How can you know?
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart:
Try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Only God can truly discern the truth of our heart…
A man used to pray and say, “Lord, take my will and thy will and make them one.”
We Make our Declaration
Then God makes His Demonstration
3. Now we Begin the Preparation
3. Now we Begin the Preparation
10 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
a.) First thing he says is Clean Yourself Up
a.) First thing he says is Clean Yourself Up
This was God’s instruction to Moses for the preparation to meet with God…
a.) Sanctify the people
b.) Wash up - get yourself presentable
Remember what God said to Moses the last time he was on this same mount and speaking to a burning bush?
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
**We need to quit approaching God like it’s no big deal…
It’s time to take off thy shoes when you’re standing on holy ground…
He goes on in the preparation rules:
11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
b.) Second: Ready up
b.) Second: Ready up
11 And be ready against the third day: for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
God did other things on the third day…
Esther approached the king on the third day
Jonah was delivered after the third day
Jesus rose from the dead on the third day
There was time for Israel to prepare themselves to do something for the very first time, hear God’s audible voice spoken to them directly:
aa.) Be ready to meet with God at church
aa.) Be ready to meet with God at church
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
bb.) Be ready to meet with God in His Word
bb.) Be ready to meet with God in His Word
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
cc.) Be ready to meet with God in Prayer
cc.) Be ready to meet with God in Prayer
3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
c.) Third thing: Listen Up
c.) Third thing: Listen Up
12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death: 13 There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
Conclusion:
We find Moses did as God commanded:
14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. 15 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
