It Was On the Tip of My Tongue
It Was On the Tip of My Tongue
Exodus 32:30-32
THESIS: Although we all sin and fall short of God’s glory we have a savior named Jesus that casts our sins, faults and shortcomings into the sea of forgetfulness. Moses tried to do this for Israel but was not the suitable sacrifice.
We have all experienced a situation when we have had to say “it was on the tip of my tongue”. It’s a time when you were involved in a conversation or perhaps someone asked you a question and you found yourself unable to articulate what you thought you knew. It’s a very familiar feeling that we all can relate to. Not the time when you went in Dillards and after 30 minutes of waiting without service you said to yourself when they finally come up to me ask if I need help I’m going to cuss them out up in here and God supernaturally binded your tongue. It’s not even the time when you went to work with a chip on your shoulders and said if anyone comes up to me the wrong way I’m going to go off and God fixed circumstances so that when they did come to you, you were in front of the boss. No these were just times when God kept you out of trouble. But I’m talking about the times when what is on the inside can not be put into words because you understand it you just can’t describe it. You know what you want to say but you can’t get it out. It just dangles there on the tip of your tongue. I believe Moses is in a situation where there something on the tip of his tongue. If you look closely at Exodus 32:32 you will find in every translation of the Bible that there is a “-“ in the middle of the verse. I do not believe that God does anything by accident or just because. And knowing that although it may have been the hands of men that wrote down the words of the Bible it was the Spirit of God directing their hands; therefore every word and every punctuation mark in the Bible must be significant. In this 32 verse Moses begins to speak to God about the children of Israel and almost as if he was cut off in mid thought a dash is placed there. What happened to Moses that he did not finish his thought but rather he changed direction? Moses has found himself in a situation that is giving him conflicting emotions. Moses is in a situation that has him angry, hurt, distraught, scared and confused all at the same time.
I. Moses’ distress
a. While Moses is on Mt Sinai Israel turned there back on him
i. Have you ever been in a situation when those you love most left you for dead
1. cousins
2. uncles
3. aunts
4. even brother and sister
ii. Maybe at one time you where a high roller with plenty of money
iii. Maybe in high school or college you were the BMOC
1. But when success was no longer certain they left you
iv. At some point when people are done using you up they will leave you for dead
b. His right hand man caved under pressure
i. Moses thought Aaron caught the vision
ii. But when under pressure from the people he caved and eventually became the ring leader
c. The people he was responsible for committed the ultimate sin
i. Moses was a father figure to Israel
1. God gave him responsibility for the people not only leaving Egypt but entering into promise
2. To all the fathers in the house God has given you an awesome responsibility of getting that child through this thing called life and helping them to fulfill what God has predestined them for
a. There will be bumps on the road
3. Because of this father like relationship Moses is angry, hurt, distraught, scared and confused all at the same time
ii. While Moses was on the mountain they turned their backs on God
1. They took material possessions and made it their god
a. Be careful that the things God gave you do not become your god
b. To often we get caught up in the presents and not His presence
c. If you ever get more excited about what He gave you than you are about Him- check yourself
i. It bothers me that we can go to sporting events, concerts and even our children’s extra activities and scream and shout;
ii. But on Sunday sit down on God!
iii. Nothing should excite you more than God
d. Be careful how much you spoil your children
i. Aint nothing wrong with them having everything you did not have
ii. Give them:
1. cars
2. designer clothes
3. play station
4. game cube
5. and whatever else they want
iii. Just make sure they acknowledge God every day of their lives
iv. Let them know God wants you to have it; if you don’t forget Him
2. Israel took the things God gave them made a god and through a wild party in its honor
a. Understand when the Bible says in verse 6 that they rose up to play it means they had a wild party with plenty of liquor drugs and sex
b. They not only made a god but made it the way they wanted him to be
i. They made it according to their desires
ii. IAW they made a god that was cool with whatever they wanted to do
c. This is why I believe there are so many atheist or whatever you want to call a non believer
3. They made a god that had not done anything for them and gave it God’s glory!
d. Yes Moses is angry, hurt, distraught, scared and confused!
i. Moses represents the law
1. According to the law for every crime there is a punishment
2. According to the law if do the crime you must do the time
3. Can you imagine his turmoil?
e. Like any good parent he tries to save his children
II. Moses understood that he could speak over a situation to change it
a. God has ordained us with the power to change things by simply speaking over it
b. The Bible says:
i. Speak to things that are not as if they already are
ii. Ask and it shall be given
iii. Say unto the mountain be thy removed from my path
iv. The centurion said to Jesus don’t come to my house just speak it and my servant shall be healed
v. Just speak to your situation and watch it change
c. Moses goes to God and says “God forgive my children-”…
III. Perhaps Moses wanted to say “Have Mercy”
a. Yes God is a Merciful God
b. He knows our faults and shortcomings
c. He understands we are predisposed to committing sin
d. He knew Israel was a obstinate people prone to do evil
e. So God- Have mercy
f. Mercy is when you deserve punishment but God withholds it
i. Understand to receive mercy you ought to show mercy
ii. Sometimes people may deserve a piece of your mind
iii. Sometimes people deserved to be checked
iv. But that doesn’t mean do it; sometimes we ought to show a lil mercy
v. If it was not for God’s mercy you may not be here to put somebody in there place
g. Mercy is God seeing you making a bad decision and removing danger
h. So there Moses is, pleading for the very lives of Israel, knowing they deserve whatever God gives;
i. He says God I know they did it but if you will forgive there sins- and perhaps he wanted to say “Have Mercy”
j. But I don’t think that’s it
IV. Grace
a. The Bible says eyes have not seen nor have ears heard of the goodness God has in store for you
b. There has to be something more to it
c. God you can’t just not punish; there has to be something more
d. You said you would never leave nor forsake me
e. Its not enough that you won’t whip me; I still need you
f. I’m not settling for getting off without punishment
g. There’s got to be more- GRACE
h. I know I deserve your wrath but I need your GRACE
i. I know I fall short and have sinned but I need your GRACE!!!!!!!!!
j. Ephesians 2:4 says God is rich in Mercy but by His grace I am saved
k. Its one thing to have God say- I won’t punish you
l. Its another when He says I forgive you
m. There a difference between Mercy and Grace
i. Mercy pities but grace pardons!
ii. Mercy says I feel sorry for you; but Grace delivers from the greatest woe and bestows upon you a blessing
1. IAW mercy is when your child cuts up and you simply say knock it off when they really deserved a whipping
2. But grace is when they really mess up and you take them out for ice cream!
3. Instead of judgment you give them a blessing
iii. You and I really messed up in our life; and instead of God punishing us He said I forgive you and I’m saving a place for you up here with me
V. So why didn’t Moses say this word?
a. Grace is not fully manifested in the old testament
i. In the OT grace does grace not refer to salvation
ii. It is mainly used to describe God; its an adjective not a noun
b. Moses represents the law
i. To Moses it Grace does not compute; its cut in dry
ii. You did now you must pay
c. But because he is connected to Israel biologically and spiritually he can’t let them get what he knows is coming
d. So He says God forgive them- realizes that under the law it can not be done and pauses
e. You got to catch this; he then tries to become the scapegoat
i. He new that there can not be forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood
ii. So he says God- take my life and spare theirs!!!!!!!!
f. But Moses was not perfect; he had blood on his hands so his blood would not do
VI. Jesus
a. But you and I have a Word we can speak that Moses c/n
b. When we are in a bind we can speak our way out of it
c. There is one who came; he was perfect in every way
d. Free from sin; blameless in all His ways
e. So when we get to our lowest point
i. We can say God I know I was wrong but in the name of JESUS
ii. Lord I shouldn’t have but in the name of Jesus
iii. It was my fault God but in the name of Jesus
iv. I don’t deserve it but in the name of Jesus
v. To the fathers in the house;
1. Lord I don’t know where my child is at but you know so in the name of Jesus
2. I can’t always be there so in the name of Jesus
vi. My wife had an accident so in the name of Jesus
vii. I had leave the people half way through a sermon but in the name of Jesus
viii. I forgot to say thank you but in the name of Jesus
f. If he saved you stand up and to the top of your lounges shout in the name of Jesus- I’m saved!!!!!