Sermon Tone Analysis

The book of Exodus is one of most intriguing and captivating stories of all time—the story of God rescuing His people in power, showing His might and His mercy, displaying His glory and goodness.

It’s not, however, just a story of what happened to God’s people way back then; it’s a story of what happens in the lives of God’s people now.

Exodus is more than a story; it’s an illustration of God’s work in our lives; it’s pointing us to Jesus.

It’s a story about us.

We have been delivered from slavery.

We used to be slaves to sin…but now have been set free from sin and have becomes slaves to righteousness.

Over the last several months, as we’ve traced the journey of the Israelites, we have (hopefully) discovered that we need now exactly what the Israelites needed then:

We need a Deliverer: someone who will save us from slavery and destroy our enemies.

We need a Provider: someone to feed us and give us what we truly need.

We need a Lawgiver: someone to command us how to live and love and serve Him.

We need a Friend: someone to stay with us day and night, and forever.

The late, great J. Alec Motyer summed up the Christian’s relationship to Exodus in the way only he could.

He said this, many years ago:

“Think about it.

Think of what an Israelite would say on the way to Canaan, having come out of the Red Sea and so forth.

Here’s what an Israelite would say: If you asked, ‘Who are you?’ he would say, ‘I was in a foreign land under the sentence of death, in bondage, but I took shelter under the blood of the lamb.

Our mediator led us out, and we crossed over, and now we’re on our way to the Promised Land.

We’re not there yet, but He’s given us His law to make us a community.

And He’s given us the Tabernacle because you have to live by grace and forgiveness.

And His presence is in our midst, and He’s going to stay with us until we get home.’

This is exactly what the Christian says—almost word for word.”

Exodus is not just some historical, ancient story from a few thousand years ago.

It’s our story.

It’s the story of God at work—rescuing, redeeming, delivering, teaching, providing, leading, and living with His people.

>Lest we leave this study in the book of Exodus and move on to the next, I want us to think about where we go from here.

I want us to ask and answer four questions the text raises for us.

So, then, if you have your Bible (and I hope you do) please turn with me to Exodus 33.

We are going to focus on Exodus 33-40 this morning, so just keep your Bible open in front of you and we’ll make our way through these final chapters in this God-breathed book of the Bible.

At first glance, these verses seem to be good news.

Despite their great sin (their idolatry, their setting-up a golden calf as their god, their spiritual prostitution) despite all of that, the Lord—good and gracious—was still leading them to the Promised Land, the land flowing with milk and honey.

Good News!

But then, the last half of verse 3 reveals a problem:

God says He is not going to go with them.

This is a big deal.

And notice why God says He isn’t going with them—because I might destroy you all on the way!

Kind of sounds like the Dread Pirate Roberts: “Good night, Westley.

Good work.

Sleep well.

I'll most likely kill you in the morning.”

God is righteously, justifiably angry.

His people have committed a great sin against Him.

It’s understandable that God would say, “I’ll most likely kill you in the morning”, “I might destroy you all on the way.”

Notice also how God refers to the Israelites.

In verse 1, God calls them the people rather than My people.

A distance exists between this stiff-necked people and God.

This is what sin does.

This is what idolatry does.

God tells the people that He isn’t going to go with them; He’s angry with them.

There’s a distance that exists between them and God, a distance created by their sin.

Rather than shrugging their shoulders and saying, “Eh, whatever.

We’ll be fine.

We’ll make it.

We’ve made it this far,” the people mourn:

Upon hearing that God wasn’t going with them, they grieve and mourn.

It’s almost like they stay in bed for the day; they don’t change out of their PJs, don’t do their hair or put on their makeup.

By removing their jewelry/ornaments they demonstrate contrition (sadness) at the fact that the Lord isn’t going with them.

This might even hint at repentance.

They are desperate for God’s presence.

Are You Desperate for God or Dependent on Yourself?

Israel realizes that their greatest need was to have God.

If you think about it, what God offers the Israelites would be just fine with most people.

God is not going with them, but they still get the Promised Land.

They get the land of milk and honey, they get their enemies taken care of for them, they get to waltz into the land of blessing.

A lot of people would be fine to have the blessings God provides, even if that meant they didn’t get God.

A lot of people would be a-okay to have the blessings, even if that meant they didn’t get the Blesser.

People want to go to heaven, but it doesn’t really matter to them if God is there or not.

Experiment: the next time someone mentions heaven, ask them what most excites them about heaven.

I’ll give you 10-1 odds that they’ll say they’re most excited to see their loved ones who passed on before them.

Hardly ever will you hear someone rejoice that in heaven they’ll get to be with God, to see Him face-to-face, to worship before His throne.

It’s almost always, “I’ll get to see Grandma and Grandpa again!”

Sometimes people even present the gospel like this: “Pray this prayer, you’ll be forgiven, and you’ll go to heaven when you die.”

There’s no mention of restored, reconciled relationship to the Father.

Heaven is a wonderful gift, a wonderful benefit of salvation, but the greatest gift, the greatest benefit of being a Christian is getting God Himself.

If being with God, worshipping God doesn’t thrill you, you won’t like heaven, not even a little.

The greatest gift is a relationship with God.

Knowing God is better than anything else.

The Israelites understand their need for God; they don’t want the Promised Land without God, they don’t want anything without God.

They are desperate for Him.

>In Exodus 33:7-11, we read about Moses taking a tent and setting it up outside of camp.

This was called the tent of meeting.

Don’t confuse this tent with the tabernacle (that hasn’t been built yet).

This was Moses’ own private tent to meet with God.

This tent was outside of the camp; the tabernacle was going to be the center of the camp.

This doesn’t mean that Moses could see God (we’ll read later in Exodus 33 that no one can see God and live).

It means that Moses and God shared direct communication.

This was an intimate relationship.

What a privilege!

Here’s the thing: we don’t have to be jealous of this privilege!

We have it even better than Moses.

We don’t have to go anywhere.

We don’t have to pitch a tent or enter a building.

As those who believe in Jesus, we have immediate access to God through the Spirit.

We can approach God anytime, anyplace, without the help of anyone else.

You don’t have to go through a priest, or a pastor, or an elder.

You, Christian, go to the Father directly; Jesus has opened the way.

What a privilege!

>The Israelites were desperate for God’s presence because without Him, they could not go on.

Moses asked the Lord for help in leading the people.

What Moses says is, essentially: “We do not have what it takes.

We need you!”