Not Departing
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I have been preaching from the life of Joshua about principles for living a victorious life.
Joshua knew somethings about victory. We can see it when we read of the many battles that were won during the campaign to take the promised land.
Each of these principles that we are pulling from scripture are principles that Joshua had developed in his life long before the battles he would win came to him.
The battles of life are won before we ever step on the battlefield.
Two weeks ago the principle I brought to you was obedience.
Joshua was obedient and submitted to Moses authority in the battle against Amalek. Submission in our life brings us favor before God. God will always honor being submitted to Him, his Word, the Pastor, Leaders, and one another.
Last week the principle was overcoming fear by magnifying God.
Repeatedly God spoke to Joshua not to fear, because God was fighting for him. God fights for you! You must address fear that keeps you from completely trusting God.
Today I am preaching about pursuing the presence of God.
In Exodus 20 to 31 Moses is meeting with God on the mountain. During this time God is instructing Moses in the covenant that has been established between God and Israel. Moses is given the law starting with the ten commandments. Instructed about the tabernacle and worship, social issues, the sabbath and festivals. Each piece of furniture that was to be constructed for the Tabernacle was given in great detail. The table of shewbread, the altar of incense, the lampstand. The recipe for the oil and for the incense. God gives all of these things to Moses on the mountain of Sinai.
In Exodus 32 Moses and Joshua return to find the people in sin. They have constructed a false god to worship. A golden calf made from the jewelry they had brought with them out of Egypt. Because of this sin, God is going to destroy them.
And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.”
God says I will destroy these people and I will make a new people from you Moses.
The only thing saving them from immediate judgement is Moses. Moses prays on behalf of the people.
then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.
And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’ ”
So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.
In this gruesome scene of death we see a national act of repentance.
A decision made for God always requires that something die.
When you chose God, you also choose to leave some things behind. You are not comfortable with the sin that used to be allowed. What used to be ok to be part of, to see, to hear, to read, to let your mind dwell on…God starts working on you. You have to die to some things in the world.
A decision for God will always bring separation. It will separate you from people, places, things, from loved ones and friends.
When you choose God, it is going to cost you something.
And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.”
Because of Moses prayer for mercy and the act of repentance of removing those who were not for God. God chooses instead to fulfill his promise - the land, but instead of going with them. In His place he was going to send an angel.
And I will send My Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”
I have a point I want to make while we are here reading this. But this is going to sting…Look at someone beside you and tell them “prepare yourself, this is going to hurt and no one will be spared.”
Everyone, I mean all of us. I have heard people talk about what God has allowed to happen to them. Complain about it. Question it. You have done it. I have done it. What about the things God has allowed to happen to me?
What about the things you have done to God?
God gives a promise and we sin. God forgives and we sin again. God loves us and we reject Him. We pray God order my steps and we complain about the direction. We ask God to bless us and when the journey takes a turn, we assume for the worse, not realizing He is positioning us for the blessing.
Moses puts a tent outside the camp to meet with God, since God will not be among the people.
Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp. So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door.
God removes himself from the camp. But He is still available to the people. God is seeing who will come to Him… or are they only interested when He is with them.
Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp.
Everyone who sought the Lord...
Jesus said Matthew 7:8
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
God wants us to pursue Him just as much as He has pursued us.
Not everyone was willing to go out to that tent. No names are mentioned of those who went out there seeking God.
So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle.
Ask person next to you: Are you going to watch? or are you going to be one who sought?
Altar music preparation - get Shelley.
One person who determined to seek the presence of God was Joshua.
So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.
Joshua chose to not depart.
He had a priority in his life that he was going to remain as long as he could in the presence of God.
It is his devotion to being in the presence of God that is going to elevate him to lead Israel.
Moses had sons. Never mentioned as being present. Should have been the ones in line for leadership.
Joshua was a man with no lineage. Known only as an Ephraimite, the son of Nun. The Ephraimites were the children of Jospeh, adopted by Jacob to become part of the promise from God. Joshua the outsider, would be used by God to conquer the promised land. Why?
Joshua wanted the promise. Sure. He wanted the promise giver more.
What are you pursuing? Promises? or the Promise giver?
The presence of God should be my desire.