Moses- The Friend of God- Part 10- The Presence of God

Introduction- Exodus 33:1-23

Last week we considered the rebellion of the children of Israel against God as they awaited Moses return from the mountain where he was communing with God.

The people grew impatient and rebelled against God creating an idol as a representation of God and then worshipping and sacrificing to it.

We placed a great deal of emphasis on Moses response to this situation. We saw his concern for the glory of God, his care for the people as he confronted them in their sin, and his compassion toward them as he interceded on their behalf.

God relented and did not consume the children of Israel but there was judgment in that God’s presence would no longer be among them and they would instead be lead towards the promised land by an angel appointed by God.

Yet Moses continues to speak with God and in the passage before us tonight he will express his desire for God’s presence and his desire to know God on an even deeper level than he has already experienced.

Moses is a wonderful example of a man who longed for God’s presence, something that should be true of every one of us.

Moses met with God in what was referred to as the tabernacle of the congregation and there he talked with God.

Moses had already had many powerful experiences with God and yet he longed to know more of God.

Intimate Fellowship (Vs. 9-11)

Moses communed with God in a way that others had not experienced. Moses talked with God and God spoke with Moses as a man speaks to his friend.

Moses would often resort to this special place where God would come down and commune with Him.

The relationship that God had with Moses was unique in that he enjoyed close personal fellowship with God while others only knew Him from afar.

God counted Moses as someone who could be trusted and someone who would listen and obey Him in sincerity.

Moses had demonstrated his concern for God’s glory and his love for God’s people and this must certainly have been at least part of the reason that God was willing to commune with Him in this manner.

You and I have the blessed privilege of approaching God directly through our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and yet so few believers ever avail themselves of the opportunity to commune with God in such a special way.

We often come to God with our burdens and our requests but how often have we actually communed with God speaking with Him as a friend and allowing Him the opportunity to speak to us.

A Plea for the Presence of God (Vs. 12-17)

Now Moses speaks with God about an issue that is to him of the utmost importance.

At this point God had promised that they would be led to the promised land but He has said only that an appointed angel would go before them and that He would not dwell among them because of their rebellion.

It has often been stated that much of the church today would not recognize if the presence of God departed for there is so much effort and machinery that has been emphasized that there is a sense that God’s presence is not necessary.

Yet for Moses the presence of God was of supreme importance, so much so that he declares that if the presence of God is not among them he does not desire to move any further.

The truth is that even still today in spite of all the technology, administration, and organization in the church what we need more than anything is the presence of God.

Would to God that we would come to the point of saying as Moses did that we do not desire to go any further unless the presence of God goes with us.

God here promises that He will go with them and that He will dwell with them once more for Moses sake, because Moses had found grace in God’s sight.

Moses desire was to know the way that they should go and that God would go with them in the way.

This ought also to be our desire that we would know the way that God would have us to go and that He would go with us in the way.

A Deeper Longing (Vs. 18-23)

Surely Moses must have ben grateful that God had now promised that His presence would go with them as they journeyed towards the promised land, but Moses still longed for more.

Moses was not satisfied with his knowledge and experience of God but had a desire that God would show his His glory.

God explains to Moses that He cannot reveal Himself in the fullest sense but He also promises that He will reveal Himself to Moses in a way that it entirely unique and which had not yet been experienced by he or anyone else.

God hid Moses in the clift of the rock and passed by and allowed him to see Him in a way that no one else had.

Moses knew more of God than any other man because he simply had a desire like no other.

Many believers today shrink in fear at the presence of God as did the people of Israel when His presence was revealed, others have no real desire to experience God in a personal way and are content to have little or no experiential knowledge of God.

Yet there are some even still who long to know God in a unique way who are willing to plead with God to shew them His glory.

It is God’s desire to reveal Himself to those who long for His presence and who will plead with Him for a deeper knowledge of Him.

Conclusion

Have you experienced the presence of God?

Do you long to commune with God as Moses did?

Are you content to go on without His presence among us?

Will you plead with Him to shew you His glory that you might experience what few have ever experienced?

"What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we have in life? To know God. What is the eternal life that Jesus gives? To know God. What is the best thing in life? To know God. What in humans gives God most pleasure? Knowledge of himself." ~ J. I. Packer

"I am not asking whether you know things about Him but do you know God, are you enjoying God, is God the centre of your life, the soul of your being, the source of your greatest joy? He is meant to be." ~ Martyn Lloyd-Jones

"When you come to knowing God, the initiative lies on His side. If He does not show Himself, nothing you can do will enable you to find Him. And, in fact, He shows much more of Himself to some people than to others—not because He has favourites, but because it is impossible for Him to show Himself to a man whose whole mind and character are in the wrong condition. Just as sunlight, though it has no favourites, cannot be reflected in a dusty mirror as clearly as in a clean one." ~ C. S. Lewis

"To truly know God we must long for Him without any other motive than reaching God Himself." ~ Aiden Wilson Tozer