PUSH AHEAD, part three: more of God's Presence

Repeat after me: push ahead

The Jewish people—the Israelites, the children of the person Israel (aka Jacob—of the lineage Abraham, Isaac, Jacob)—are generational recipients of a divine covenant. God cut this covenant with their patriarch Abraham. The children of Israel are beneficiaries of a divine promise that was made in a moment but realized through a process. The promise requires a journey to fulfill.

(In a “moment” you received your acceptance into a program but it is a “process” to complete it. In a moment you received the job offer/internship offer but it takes a process to fulfill that role and receive the results—you now have to work that job, carry out that internship.)

(There is a process to receiving the promise.)

In the text, Jewish people/the Israelites/the Children of Israel are in their journey from bondage (in Egypt) to freedom, but yet to enter their promised place of rest with God—their promised land.

(Similarly, today, we of faith are in journey and look forward to our rest in God. Hebrews 4:9 (NKJV) There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.)

Exodus 33:1–3 NKJV

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ 2 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. 3 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.”

Exodus 33:12–23 NKJV

12 Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ 13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” 14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” 17 So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” 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 33:18 NKJV

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

Push ahead: request more of God's presence

(Pray)

In every life, every journey, every race, every adventure there are moments of transition.

From not in it to starting; from beginning to entering the half-way point; from progressing to entering the last mile.

Whatever stage you are--whether you are about to begin, entering the second half/at the midway point, in the final stretch--the transition (zone)--the crossover moment--is a critical period for your life.

It does not matter what the experience is.

The transition zone, the crossover moment is a critical period because it is often here that things stop or progress, are lost or won, grow or shrink, are affirmed or denied, are bought or sold, canceled or renewed.

I draw your attention to this critical period because it is often/sometimes the place God renewals Himself to you/us.

The enemy is often active, trying to wear your down along the way, even before you get started, such that when it is time to transition, you bail out, you don't show up, or you make some critical decision that is against your best interest.

It is true that momentum is a leader's best friend--

a visionary's best friend, a journeyman's/a journeywoman's best friend for momentum is the wind at your back that helps you to push forward with less effort--the more the momentum grows the less effort needed to do that same job (conversely, a decrease in momentum necessitates an increase in effort to do that same job).

So while momentum in your life may be a good thing, momentum is also something to be stewarded.

Think about riding a bike--you may pedal to get started; at some point the bike may continue without a similar need for you to pedal; however, many of us learned quickly (or maybe not quickly enough) that what is required of you is steering. You steward the momentum by steering, by channeling, by harnessing.

So this transition period is one of motion--movement in time, if nothing else.

The transition period is also the place of exchange, the place of renewal, the moment of clarification.

It's here that I exchange:

old habits with new habits;

old patterns of thought with new patterns of thought;

relationships that don't serve me well with relationships important for this new leg of my journey;

broken beliefs with critical confidences.

I exchange what's holding me back for what will propel me forward.

It's here that I renew

my commitments,

my convictions,

my strength,

restore my appetite (to proceed),

my covenant(s) (relationships).

It's here that there is clarification

of who I am,

of Who God is,

of who I am in Christ,

of purpose,

of potential,

of the promises that will be fulfilled,

of the nature of the journey--what this new/next leg will require of me and those with me, and who will be those against me.

The transition period is a place of exchange, renewal, and clarification.

PUSH AHEAD

Without question, where you are going next requires a push to get you fully into it.

Hannah, when she is trying to ride her bike, I try to teach her, that if she is going from (no movement) being stopped, she might have to give herself a push and then start pedaling.

When she is riding and comes to a bit of an incline, I tell her that she has to keep pushing those pedals to keep going up.

Coming down off of a hill, entering a straightaway--the momentum coming off of a decline will carry but only so far (the coasting slows)--when Hannah wants to continue her progress to the end, I tell her keep pedaling and push to the end for you are almost home. Push.

Today, whatever stage you are--whether you are about to begin, at the midway point and entering the second half, or in the final stretch--push (to get and keep going) forward.

Moses knows a thing or two about taking a journey, making a transition, and pushing through, moving forward.

Today, I want to continue a conversation with you using part of Moses’s life for our learning.

PUSH AHEAD in God’s Presence (part 3)

Say, again, to your neighbor, PUSH AHEAD.

Push ahead in God's presence.

There are three lessons/messages in this passage that I believe God wants for us to know/for me to share with us (for me to know).

I'll give you (the third) one today.

Exodus 33:18 NKJV

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

For the remaining time together, I want for us to speak about “Requesting More of God’s Presence”.

At this point in our text, at this point in Moses’ life, I think it necessary/my duty to point out that Moses has already experienced a lot of God.

Different than/More than anyone else in his present company, Moses has had (and is currently having!) interactions with God that are privileged and uncommon.

(Now is a good time for me to remind myself and you, “Do not take God’s presence for granted. Do not mistake any divine privilege or access we hold to be an even exchange for what we offer God. Scripture says the “goodness of God leads you to repentance” (Ro 2:4) and “while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Ro 5:8), “when we were still without strength, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly” (Ro 5:6).

Moses has experienced a lot of God

Burning Bush

Instrumental with Plagues in Egypt

Parting of the Red Sea

Mountain top experiences

Exodus 33:11 (NKJV): So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.

Moses has a relationship with God that is rather special.

Moses understands that God knows Moses by name…and God offers (His) grace to Moses.

(Exodus 33:12 (NKJV): Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ )

PAUSE

Family, it's one thing for God to have thoughts towards you. It is another thing for you to be aware of and know those thoughts.

(...and embrace, internalize and live from those thoughts. Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV) 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.)

Moses explores, uses every inch of his relationship with God.

(Contrast this with King David who walked into adultery and more—God’s reply to King David:

2 Samuel 12:7-9 (NKJV) 7 Then Nathan said to David, “You [are] the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 ‘I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if [that had been] too little, I also would have given you much more! 9 ‘Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife [to be] your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon.

Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well:

John 4:10 (NKJV)

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

(Family, if only we would know our God. If only we would know God as God truly is and if we would see ourselves as God sees us.

Matthew 23:37 (NKJV)

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under [her] wings, but you were not willing!)

Exodus 33:17 NKJV

17 So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”

In the text, God has just guaranteed to Moses that God's presence will go with the children of Israel.

The very next words out of Moses--seemingly almost before God's words finished coming out of God's mouth--Moses slips in his request. And then Moses is silent.

Exodus 33:18 NKJV

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

Exodus 33:18 (KJV 1900): And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

When I read this I thought:

"Oh, no, Moses, No you didn't! Yes, Moses you did.”

Have you ever needed/wanted more of God?

It's a spiritual desire.

Meditating on Moses's life has me wondering why I, at times, settle for a deficit in awareness when I could ask God for more of Him?

("Please, I beseech Thee, shew me Thy glory.")

Notice what's different in this request (“show me Your glory) from the request we touched upon last week. Today’s request, "Please, show me Your Glory" is not conditional. Moses is not being conditional (not edging towards an ultimatum--”…if Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.”).

Moses here is being vulnerable. (God could say, “No”. Moses has no genuine leverage outside of God’s favor/goodness.)

What happens if God doesn't do it? Moses continues forward as planned/agreed.

Part of me understands (Moses’ request), recognizing that Moses gave up everything he thought to be "safe" to do God's work with God (Moses went from "hiding" to "public declarations")...and now God has them out of physical bondage but not yet fully in “safety” (they are looking for). (They are in an in between place...and as we can see, an in between place with God and humanity can be dangerous—it put Jesus on the cross.)

The other part of me recognizes that Moses is in the best circumstance in this life that any person can be in--God is with Moses.

Say, "When God is with me..."

When God is with you...

No weapon formed against your shall proposer.

Who can be against you?

No one can pluck you out of God's hand.

He will raise up a standard before you.

God prepares a table before you in the presence of your enemies.

But Moses, like a child who recognizes that “Daddy is having a good day”, advantageously/wisely asks now for what I want.

Like a child recognizing that “Mommy is having a good day” and now it is just the right time to push the envelope:

Moses, asks, "Please, show me Your Glory."

What really is Moses asking?

What do we know about God's glory?

1. God protects His glory-- “My glory I will not give to another (Is 42:8; 48:11)”

2. Jesus reflects HIs glory.

3. God generously displays His glory.

What does Moses know about God's glory?

Moses has experienced enough of God’s glory to know that there is more to see and experience. (The more you know God the less you put God in a box.)

(Moses looks at the road ahead and knows that what got him here will not get him there. Moses yearns for a “spiritual/divine boost”, if you will.)

(One theologian says) The glory of God is "the manifestation of the divine attributes and perfections of God."

God responds to Moses.

Exodus 33:19 NKJV

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.”

In some ways I'm shocked at God's favorable reply; but really, I should not be: God loves to show us His glory and to proclaim to us His name. In fact, all of creation around us speaks (loudly/profoundly) of who God is.

God cares what you call Him. God’s name matters to God.

Exodus 33:20–23 NKJV

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 34:5–9 NKJV

5 Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” 8 So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. 9 Then he said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”

But when Moses experiences God, Moses doesn't just receive a show--God's recital of His majesty--which would have been great all on its own; Moses doesn't just receive a show. The experience marks Moses.

Moses comes out different. Moses comes out changed.

What to expect/What happens when God shows you His glory:

You know/learn God's name.

You know/learn God's nature.

You known/learn God's standard.

You know/learn God's righteousness?

You know/learn who you are with God.

Your plea/preferences/desires are amplified and clarified.

Moses' heart is changed. Moses is more humble.

The glow of God rests upon Moses.

Exodus 34:29–30 NKJV

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.

There is something about experiencing God's glory that leaves you never the same.

Our bodies are imperfect (and our flesh, sinful), yet God's glory leaves a mark.

Prayer: God, please, show us Your Glory. Let us never be the same.

Change our heart. Change our mind. Change our attitude. Change our compassion.

Help us to know You more.

Help others to glimpse You through us.