The Tangible Expression of God's Presence

Jamil W. Ghanayem

Exodus • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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Text: Exodus 33:18-23 and 34:29-35

Psalm 16 (NKJV)

Psalm 16

The Hope of the Faithful, and the Messiah’s Victory

A Michtam of David.

1 Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.

2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord,

“You are my Lord,

My goodness is nothing apart from You.”

3 As for the saints who are on the earth,

“They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”

4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;

Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,

Nor take up their names on my lips.

5 O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;

You maintain my lot.

6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;

Yes, I have a good inheritance.

7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;

My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

8 I have set the Lord always before me;

Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;

My flesh also will rest in hope.

10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,

Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

11 You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.Exodus 33:18–23 (NKJV)

18 And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”

19 Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” 20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. 22 So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. 23 Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

Exodus 34:29–35 (NKJV)

The Shining Face of Moses

29 Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. 34 But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. 35 And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.

Introduction:

We need God’s assurance through difficult challenges in life.

But sadly, many attempt to gain assurance from God through some sort of vision or image.

Our faith is based on the Word of God, and yet the Christian life is indeed experiential.

Background:

John 15:5 (NKJV)

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Proposition: We need and desire the tangible expression of God’s presence.

Interrogative: What does the tangible expression of God’s presence look like?

I. The Tangible Expression of God’s Presence Results in Assurance (18-19)

Exodus 33:18–23 (NKJV)

18 And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”

A. The Request: Please show me your glory - 18

Previously, the glory of God had always been provided at God’s initiation and witnessed corporately (e.g., 16:7–10; 24:16–17), but this time Moses took the initiative to ask for a personal audience with God. That God responded favorably indicates Moses’ acceptance with God based on his faithfulness at all prior points of testing.130

The answer is that Moses had indeed seen God’s glory in the past and therefore wanted to see it again, in as full a way as God might choose to show it, in order to know that just as God’s glory had reassuringly accompanied him and the Israelites on such occasions in the past, Moses could count on it to be with them again once they finally set forth from Sinai.

Then he went further: he wanted an experiential sensory perception of God.

B. God’s Plan - 19

1. I will make all my goodness pass before you

טוּב m.—

(1) goodness. Ps. 119:66, טוּב טַעַם “go the kindness of God, Ps. 25:7; 27:13; 31:20; 145:7; Jer. 31:14.

(2) concr. that which is good, or best of any thing, i.e. the best part, Gen. 45:18, 20. טוּב הָאָרֶץ the best gifts of the land, Gen. 45:23; Isa. 1:19; Ezr. 9:12.

(3) value- goods, i.e. wealth, property, Deu. 6:11; precious things, Gen. 24:10; comp. verses 22, 30.

(4) beauty. Hos. 10:11; Zec. 9:17. Used of the divine glory, Ex. 33:19, אֲנִי אַעֲבִיד כָּל־טוּבִי. [But is this the sense of the passage? See No. 1.]

Zechariah 9:16–17 (NKJV)

16 The Lord their God will save them in that day,

As the flock of His people.

For they shall be like the jewels of a crown,

Lifted like a banner over His land—

17 For how great is its goodness

And how great its beauty!

Grain shall make the young men thrive,

And new wine the young women.

(5) welfare, happiness, Job 20:21; 21:16; Prov. 11:10.

(6) with the addition of לֵב gladness, cheerfulness. Deu. 28:47; Isa. 65:14.

2. I will proclaim the name of the Lord, God before you.

Note: You’ll be able to connect my name with my presence and glory

C. The Basis - 19

1. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious

2. I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion

God’s reason for restoring Israel.

Thus a general principle is stated rather than merely a personal word to Moses. God’s “mercy” and “compassion” were granted to all his covenant people (Deut 13:17; cf. Jas 5:11) and should in turn characterize the behavior of all his covenant people (e.g., Zech 7:9), but they are not automatically available to all other people unless they join in covenant with God.

Deuteronomy 13:17–18 (NKJV)

17 So none of the accursed things shall remain in your hand, that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of His anger and show you mercy, have compassion on you and multiply you, just as He swore to your fathers, 18 because you have listened to the voice of the Lord your God, to keep all His commandments which I command you today, to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord your God.

Applications/Implications:

God’s gracious, merciful compassion causes Him to desire to restore his people.

James 5:11 (NKJV)

11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

Ephesians 1:7–10 (NKJV)

7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.

2. God Tangibly expresses Himself to us through His Word.

2 Peter 1:16–21 (NKJV)

The Trustworthy Prophetic Word

16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Question: Moses was only allowed to see God’s back, but are we allowed to tangibly see any of God’s body now? In a way we are!

Transition: Despite God’s desire to reveal himself to Moses, God’s presence was limited by his own greatness.

II. The Tangible expression of God’s presence is limited by God’s greatness- 20-23

20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. 22 So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. 23 Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

A. The Limitation Imposed

1. But He said: You cannot see my face

2. The reason: No one can see my face and live

B. Placement:

1. Here is a place by me

2. Stand on the Rock

3. While my glory passes by

C. Protection:

1. I’ll set you in the cleft of the rock

2. I’ll take away my hand

In the same way that we do not see much of a person when we see only his or her back walking away from us, but can still tell who it is if we know that person well enough, Moses was allowed to sense what God caused him to recognize as the “back” of God’s visibly manifested glory moving away from him and could therefore understand that he had perceived God’s true—though not at all complete—presence as a reassurance for his great task ahead, that of leading the people from Sinai to the promised land.

D. Perception:

1. and you will see my back,

2. but you shall not see my face, lest you die

Implication: Obviously we don’t see God physically now, certainly not to the extent that we will see him in the future.

God tangibly assures us of His presence with his body.

Ephesians 1:22–23 (NKJV)

22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Ephesians 3:10–13 (NKJV)

10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

Hebrews 10:25 (NKJV)

25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Transition: The presence of God has lasting effects in Moses life as we can see.

III. The Tangible Expression of God’s Presence Carries Lasting Effects (34:29-35)

Exodus 34:29–35:1 (NKJV)

The Shining Face of Moses

A. The Effects of God’s Glory - 34:29-30

Moses came down

Covenant was Re-iterated (Tablets of testimony)

Moses was not aware that rays of light were emanating from his face.

Note: The effects were not physical for Moses, they were spiritual as far as what he could feel

3. The Response: They were afraid to come near

B. The Conferring of the Covenant - 34:31-33

31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.

1. Moses spoke to them

2. Moses obviously exposed them to his unveiled face.

3. Moses veiled his face out of deference to fearful Israel.

C. The Lasting Effects of God’s Glory - 34: 34-35

34 But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. 35 And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.

2 Corinthians 3:7–18 (NKJV)

Glory of the New Covenant

7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.

12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Corinthians (2) The Old and New Ministries (3:7–18)

To see by means of a mirror does not mean we see only “ ‘indistinctly’ or ‘in a distorted way,’ but indirectly as over against our eschatologically seeing him ‘face to face.’ ”471 In this mirror we see an image, a reflection of the glory of God, which is as close as human beings can ever get to this ultimate reality. As such it is provisional. Direct vision of God is “not for this world” but awaits the end of the age.472 Christ, however, is the image of God (4:4; Rom 8:29; Col 1:15), and we have the privilege to see the glory of God in the face of Christ (4:6; cp. John 14:9). Therefore, Christ mirrors God for believers.473 God is no longer isolated on a faraway mountaintop but may be met in the heart of the believer who turns to the Lord.474 Lambrecht argues that “beholding” is “decidedly more than a visual or intellectual activity.”

1 Corinthians 6:19 (NKJV)

19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

Concluding Applications:

1. Are you tangibly assured by the Word of God?

2. Are you regularly assured by the body of Christ?

3. Are you seeing the glory of God in the person of Christ?

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