Presence
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Introduction
Introduction
New experiences:
Children’s Camp. Falls Creek.
This Fall, some will be in school for the first time, or some will be going to new schools.
You never quite know what to expect!
Moses was in a situation where he didn’t know what to expect.
He had led Israel out of Egypt and to Mt. Sinai where they had received the Law, including the instructions to assemble the tabernacle.
Now, they had spent months putting it together.
Now what?
33 And he erected the court around the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the screen of the gate of the court. So Moses finished the work.
What did Moses expect to happen when the Tabernacle was erected?
The Advent Cloud
The Advent Cloud
v. 34
The cloud is the common imagery for the presence of God.
Mt. Sinai to Revelation 1:7.
7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
The descending of the cloud was the first thing that happened as soon as this building was assembled.
God is eager to dwell with His people.
Yet, notice how He comes.
There is the cloud, and inside the cloud is the glory of the LORD.
God comes in the clouds.
He doesn’t come in the clear.
Oswald Chambers in My Utmost For His Highest says:
“What a revelation it is to know that sorrow and bereavement and suffering are the clouds that come along with God! God cannot come near without clouds, He does not come in clear shining.”
-- Oswald Chambers
What clouds are you facing in your life? Maybe some of those listed by Chambers. Maybe some level of confusion or anger or hurt. Maybe the cloud of despair is creeping in as you see the stories around the world of those who are hurting and grieving.
Know that God inhabits the clouds. His light overcomes the darkness as He brings hope.
The Barrier Cloud
The Barrier Cloud
v. 35
Yet, Moses could not enter into the tabernacle! Indicates there was an attempt made to go in, and he couldn’t.
The heaviness of the glory of God was so dense that it was impossible to enter.
Why would God not allow Moses to just come in?
This serves as a reminder that
God is holy and holiness is the standard.
It is at God’s invitation only that we are allowed entrance into His presence.
We can go back to Exodus 24:16
16 The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
It was at God’s invitation that Moses then could enter.
17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Who then can enter? The one who is invited.
1 The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying,
Significant because this is where God lays out the steps for making sin offerings.
Atonement offerings reconcile a sinful person to God.
Sin causes a division between us and God, because holiness is the standard.
This division is not something you or I can overcome. We need an outside healer.
For the Jews, this was the atonement sacrifice. The shedding of blood of an innocent animal removed the barrier.
The Guiding Cloud
The Guiding Cloud
vv. 36-37
We jump forward to after the Law was completely given and their journey to the Promised Land begins.
They followed the leadership of the cloud of presence.
Three words:
Rest, Wait, and Watch.
How contrary are these three words to what the world wants us to do?
Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said,
"We can't keep the Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that experience in Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"
"How shall we do this?" shouted his angels. "Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds, "he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade them to work for long hours, to work 6 - 7 days a week, 10 - 12 hours a day, so they can afford their lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon, their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work."
"Over stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, VCR CDs and their PCs going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."
"Fill the coffee table with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards.
Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail order catalogues, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services, and false hopes."
"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted, and unprepared for the coming week.
Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead."
And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion."
"Let them be involved in soul-winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause."
It was quite a convention in the end. And the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and rush here and there.
Have you become so busy that you miss out on what God is doing around you and through you? The ways that God wants to grow you to make the world a better place?
The Sabbath was a one day experience - resting in God. Trusting in Him to provide, such as the manna.
Sabbath is to be a lifestyle.
Not just a single day on the calendar.
We find that rest in our relationship with God.
The Faithful Cloud
The Faithful Cloud
v. 38
The Tabernacle would be the center of their camp.
2 “The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side.
First thing in the morning and the last thing in the evening.
The presence of God was central to their existence.
God should be at the heart of your life.
Everything else flows out from that relationship.
And we find the presence of God is consistent.
6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
It is the nature of God to be consistently present.
Each step of the way through the wilderness.
And, how faithful were the Israelites towards God? Not very!
Yet, God was consistently present with them.
Whatever you have done, God will be consistently present with you.
He is faithful to His children!
Conclusion
Conclusion
God consistently defied Moses’s expectations.
He came to the people. He set the standard for coming to Him. He guided them and traveled with them, even when they were disobedient.
This set a pattern for what God would later do.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Christ came to dwell among us, even coming in a time of darkness.
Christ came to be the atoning sacrifice, giving up His innocent life so that we could gain entrance into the presence of God.
Christ guides our lives as He deserves to be at the center of everything that we do.
And Christ will never leave us or forsake us.
The invitation is for you today - come to Jesus.