Sermon: Moses’ part 2
Thesis part 1: Moses saw the invisible God and it empowered him to persevere through anything and He heard God say, “What is in your hand?” He looked at the staff in his hand and God used that staff to deliver the people of Israel from slavery and bondage! God used that staff to do miracles and even to part the Red Sea!
Thesis part 2: Overcoming fear and allowing our faith to supersede fear opens the door to see the finger of God at work around us. Growing our faith will enable us to see the glory of God in a godless society!
Introduction:
Today we will look at Moses again. The man God chose to deliver the people of Israel out of Egypt - yes out of cruel bondage, slavery, and the horrible edict of killing all male boys at birth by throwing them in the Nile River!
Moses’ life has taught us:
1. When you see the invisible God, it will enable you to persevere through anything!
2. God can use what is in your hand to do miracles and lead people out of bondage!
3. We need to grow our faith to usurp fear.
4. When we mature in our faith, we will see the finger of God at work around us and even through us.
5. Faith also opens up the door to see the glory of God face to face!
6. When you meet with God you will always want God’s presence to go with you!
Moses would become the man of the hour, after an initial failure in Egypt (killing the Egyptian) and become an example of what God can do with a person who matures in his faith and spends time with God in His presence. Whenever I think about Moses, I immediately picture the movie “The 10 Commandments.” Starring Charleton Heston as Moses! I picture the scene of Moses on the mountain getting the 10 Commandments from God and him coming off the mountain glowing from being in the presence of God.
It gives me goose bumps!
Hebrews 11:23-29
23By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.29By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
Moses is highlighted in the Old Testament and in the New Testament as a hero of the faith! He is one of the who’s who of the Bible!
One phrase I noticed in Hebrews 11: 27 was “He persevered because he saw him who is invisible!” Did you catch that phrase?
Question? - Have you seen Him who is invisible? Have you had a divine revelation of Jesus? Have you seen Him? Have you heard His voice? If you have then you have the ability to persevere through anything!
Summary Moses part 1
Have you seen the invisible God like Moses did? I think this is a valid question to ask people! To ask you today?
Here is the lesson from this one sentence statement - If you have seen Him who is invisible you will have the ability to persevere through anything!
? If you have seen the invisible God, you will still see God in leadership difficulties and in the pain of leadership!
? If you have seen the invisible God, you will be able to fail forward through your mistakes in life!
? If you have seen the invisible God, you will push through the desert wanderings!
? If you have seen the invisible God, you will see God in a burning bush – hear His voice and listen to His direction for your life!
? If you have seen the invisible God, you will be able to stand before secular rulers with faith and not fear and speak with authority!
? If you have seen the invisible God, you will be able to do miracles with what God has placed in your hands!
• It could be a shepherd Staff! (Like Moses)
• It could be a hammer! (A wrench, a welder, a car)
• It could be a football or sports item!
• It could be a pen or keyboard!
• It could be a piano or musical instrument.
• It could be you fill in the blank! ____________?
How does this work? The Lord likes to show others and especially His followers that He is God, and he can take nothing and make it something – truth is nothing is impossible with God!
Moses discovered that all He needed to deliver the Israelites from Egypt was a staff empowered by the Word of the Lord! (See Exodus 4).
• Moses came to understand the He would be able to deliver God’s people out of slavery and bondage with what’s in His hand!
• He would be able to lead God’s people through the wilderness with the staff!
• He would be able to part the obstacles that came in his way with what was in his hands.
• Moses discovered he would be able to persevere through the rebellion of the people and the complaining of the people and still see God keep His promises!
• Moses was able to lead the people of God to the edge of the promised land!
o Truth: God can use the resources you have to do a miracle!
Exodus 4: In Exodus 4:2 after Moses is trying to make a case to God why he should not be used by God – He is making excuses – God asks him a question, “What’s that in your hand?”
In other words, “Hey Mo – what do you have there?” Moses’ probably looks down at his hand and says, ‘It’s only my shepherds stick!” It’s nothing special. God then proceeds to show him how He can take an ordinary everyday item “A shepherd stick” and do miracles with it! All Moses had in hand was a plain old staff, yet God used it to:
• To turn into a snake before Pharoah and eat his snakes.
• To turn the Nile from water to blood.
• To unleash a plague of frogs in Egypt.
• To unleash the plague of gnats in Egypt.
• To unleash a plague of flies in Egypt.
• To unleash the hailstorm on Egypt.
• To bring forth the plague of Locusts.
• To bring forth the plague of blackness in Egypt and release the death angel.
• To part the Red Sea and deliver the people of Israel.
Question from last week: What is in your hand?
Thought: Moses used what was in his hand after a divine encounter with God in the burning bush. His faith grew and his pride shrunk and as a result God used Moses to deliver His people from Egypt. Moses’ faith grew stronger, and he saw God, heard God and meet God face to face. Moses’ faith and relationship with God enabled him to see the finger of God at work in this fallen world.
Scripture texts:
Exodus 14:1-34:35
T.S. - In reading through this section of Moses’ life and specifically looking at the life of Moses I learned three things we need to do from the story of Moses in this part of his story. We need to mature our faith to suppress fear, we need to grow our faith so we can see the finger of God working around us! Thirdly we need to develop our faith so that we see God, hear God and even meet with God face to face! When we spend time in God’s presence, we soon discover we will not do anything without the presence of God.
I. We need to develop our faith and let our faith mature so that it overcomes our fear.
a. Faith over fear – Jesus repeatedly said, “Fear Not” whenever angels appear in Scripture they say, “Fear Not.” The truth is being fearless of the unknown and others is how we are to live in this fallen world.
i. We are not to allow fear to cripple our faith – this equation will always cripple us and hinders us from achieving what God wants us to do with our lives.
1. Do you struggle with fear – Does it distort your view of life and faith?
a. Illustration: The average person reported three to four testable worries per day. The result? A whopping 91 percent of worries were false alarms. And of the remaining 9 percent of worries that did come true, the outcome was better than expected about a third of the time!
2. The truth is we are designed to walk by faith and not by fear!
a. Illustration from Paul Fritz on sermoncentral.com: I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath--these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely--these are my native air. A John Hopkins University doctor says, "We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non-worriers, but that is a fact." But I, who am simple of mind, think I know; We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality. Dr. E. Stanley Jones.
i. So what dominates you life “Faith or Fear?”
ii. We see Moses’ faith grow – and we see his fear depart – it happens in the wilderness of wandering – it happened at the burning bush – it happened in dialogue with God– in the list of excuses Moses comes up with to say he cannot go there – God counteracts with his power and ability – Moses must choose to face his fear and allow his faith in God to direct his path back to Egypt!
1. Moses had to through his faith defeat the emotion of fear – fear was causing him to say “no” to God! Faith was telling him to say “yes” to God.
a. Faith says “Yes” to the Lord!
b. Fear says “No” to the Lord!
i. This is a real struggle – which is winning in your life – faith or fear?
b. I want to add an important spiritual point here – I want to emphasize a crucial life lesson from the life of Moses – Moses learned to put fear down with faith. He learned that trust in God – and a relationship with God will drive out fear from one’s life!
i. Fear and faith are opposites – they are at war against each other, so which one is winning in your life?
1. Circumstances of life may be difficult and cause us to feel anxiety or to be afraid. Even so, we have a choice to rest in God’s person, power and provision instead of focusing on the storms that life will bring.
a. Do you when fear comes see Jesus or the object of fear?
b. Do you, when fear comes, look to faith to drive it away or do you yield to your fear and allow it to cripple your life or your journey?
c. In Mark 4 the disciples are crossing the lake – Jesus is sleeping in the boat and the storm is raging around them and they become really overwhelmed with fear – now these are seasoned fishermen use to storms, but this storm is very severe!
i. Jesus Calms the Storm: 35That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.
37A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
• Jesus challenged his disciples “Why are you so afraid do you still have no faith?
• 1 John 4;18: You see faith is what drives out fear – Scripture even says There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
o A relationship with God will drive out fear – a love relationship a connection to Him who is Love will drive out fear – How is your fear factor today?
o Love and faith go hand in hand!
? Fear is the opposite of faith. Are you gripped by fear, or do you have a confident faith in God?
• Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 1:7-8 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.
• Fear is something the enemy uses against us. But we can learn how to defend ourselves against fear. God has provided us with a gift to overcome fear - a spirit of power, love and self-disciple. By faith we have the ability to overcome fear.
• The words of Moses in Exodus 14:14 are still relevant to us today “The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” God fights our battles. When we are confident in the fact that God fights our battles, fear cannot grip us.
o Moses’ faith – his parents’ faith over fear set Moses free to help others be delivered from their bondage and cage of fear!
o So, what will you do with your life – live in fear or live by faith?
c. Moses also learned that there is a healthy fear we need to cultivate and that comes from getting into a relationship with the Lord.
i. This healthy fear is a good fear and really is explained by John Bevere as having an Awe for God – not a disrespect for God.
ii. John Bevere states: To fear is to hallow Him. Hallow is defined as “to respect greatly.” “To fear God is to esteem, respect, honor, venerate, and adore Him above everything else.”
1. Truth: “When we fear God, we take on His heart. We love what He loves, and we hate what He hates…What is important to Him becomes important to us. What is not so important to Him becomes not so important to us.” Awe of God – pages 17-19
a. Hebrews 12:28-29: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
b. Psalm 34:11:” Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”
i. If you read scripture – meditate on it – you discover the fear and awe of God is foundational to every promise in the Bible! In our world today the word “Fear” and “God” is a counter cultural message within some churches and within the world!
1. We hear “God is love” – which is Biblical and true – but then you hear messages such as: God does not want us to fear Him – It’s all about the Love – do what you want God will still always love you – sin and sin it’s okay God will love you – the concept is true to a degree – but the Devil likes to take a truth and twist it to become a lie – so keep on sinning – don’t repent – don’t turn away from sin and God will be okay with the whole sin thing!
a. Reality check: God will never bless sin!
2. The danger I read in Scripture is there is a judgment day coming and God is at the center of it all!
a. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what we have done whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10).
i. Paul is talking to Christian here!
b. Matthew 7:2: ““Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
c. Isaiah said the following: Isaiah 11:2–3, is about the Lord Jesus: “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.”
d. Jesus enjoyed fearing – being in Awe and revering God over the world – over religious leaders – over political leaders.
c. John Bevere really paints the picture biblically of why a healthy fear of God is healthy and good for us on pages 17-19 – we should delight in fearing God because of our relationship with God it is based on a holy healthy fear!
i. When we really “fear” and “revere” God – we inherit benefits for having this godly mindset:
1. We get greater wisdom!
2. We get intimacy with God!
3. We get longevity of life!
4. We get honor from God!
5. We get security with God!
6. We get a legacy!
7. We get a God who comes near to us, and we get to experience Him – why because - we obey His words and pursue His truth!
d. Moses grew in his faith wandering in the desert, experiencing God in the burning bush, being obedient to go do what God called him to do – He allowed his faith to suppress the fear! What was the benefit of doing this for Moses?
i. He saw God even more so in His glory!
1. He heard God – saw God as he passed by Him! God appeared to Him in clear fashion and form – He got to see miracles – he got to see his people set free – he got see the pillar of smoke and the pillar of fire from God – he got to see God face to face – all because he allowed his faith to supersede his fear.
a. You will have to do the same today!
ii. If you have an awe for God and get a vision for your life from God – your faith will enable you persevere through the mission God has assigned, you!
iii. Having awe for God and a holy fear is revealed by your attitude toward God and his leadings in your life.
1. People are driven by many things but one that stands out to me is Pride – Pride in oneself – pride in one’s arrogance – today in our story we have a man considered to be humble confronting a man who is filled with pride and arrogance the showdown is Moses and Pharoah.
2. I look at pharaoh: We see pride and arrogance! And even fear!
a. Who says to God’s words “let my people go!” respond with pride and arrogance:
i. Listen to Pharoah’s response to God’s Word:
1. Exodus 5:2 “Pharoah said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”
e. Pharaohs fear caused him to edict a death sentence to all male babies. Fear has done more to bring injustice to people than any other emotion in the world!
i. It has caused prejudices.
ii. It has distorted the truth.
iii. It has stopped people from living for God – serving God!
iv. It causes people to become cruel and brutal and insensitive to others.
1. People who fear loss in life are driven to lash out at others. They cling to and fight those who they fear are trying to steal from them or trying to harm them.
a. Jealousy is in this category.
b. Greed is in this category.
c. Control freaks are in this category.
d. Bullies are in this category.
v. The fear of being put down drives people to strike first before the person they fear puts them down.
vi. The fear of exposure has caused people to do cover ups, to use deception and lies to hide their sins. Even going so far as killing to cover up their sins.
f. Fear is the driving force behind abortion today!
i. Do you know? The overwhelming majority of all abortions, (95%), are done as a means of birth control. Only (1%) are performed because of rape or incest; (1%) because of fetal abnormalities; (3%) due to the mother’s health problems.
ii. Some of the reasons I have heard why people have had abortions under the 95% bracket:
1. I am too young to have a baby! Fear!
2. It will mess up my career! Fear!
3. I am too poor to have another child! Fear!
4. It will mess up my education! Fear!
5. I am not ready to handle a baby right now! Fear!
6. Our relationship is bad! Fear!
7. It will have a bad life! Fear!
8. The excuses to justify abortion are all driven by “FEAR!” – all these reasons!
iii. According to WHO, every year in the world there are around 73 million induced abortions. This corresponds to approximately 200,000 abortions per day.
1. In the USA, where nearly 30% of pregnancies are unintended and 40% of these are terminated by abortion, there are between 1,500 to 2,500 abortions per day. Nearly 20% of all pregnancies in the USA (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion.
a. Statistic from https://www.worldometers.info/abortions/
b. The main reason for abortion “Fear!”
g. This same spirit of fear driving pharaoh in Exodus to kill baby boys of Israel is still at work today in the abortion realm of this world.
i. But I want you to listen to the Midwives report to Pharoah in Exodus 1:17 “The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.”
1. Fear cripples’ people to not live their lives!
2. Our faith needs to control over the fear!
3. Moses shows – grow your faith – mature in your relationship with the Lord and fear will disappear.
a. Listen to God not the voice of fear and get ready to see God do miracles with what is in your hand!
T.S. – We need to overcome fear with faith and when this happens in our life it will open the door to see the finger of God at work around us and even in our own lives.
II. We need to grow our faith to see the finger of God in action all around us today.
a. The Finger of God – a phrase introduced to us in the book of Exodus!
i. "Finger of God" (Hebrew: ???? ?????? ’etsba‘ ’Elohîm) is a phrase used in the Torah, translated into the Christian Bible.
1. In Exodus 8:16–20 it is used during the plagues of Egypt by Pharaoh's magicians.
a. Pharaoh’s magicians and sorcerers attribute the plagues to the finger of God after they cannot counterfeit them!
2. In Exodus 31:18 and Deuteronomy 9:10 it refers to the method by which the Ten Commandments were written on tablets of stone that were brought down from Mount Sinai by Moses.
a. It says they were written with the finger of God – God wrote them – It was His writing not Moses!
ii. The Finger of God is a phrase used in the Pentateuch or the Five Books of Moses, specifically in the Book of Exodus, to describe an expression of God's power and authority.
1. The phrase "finger of God" is used to symbolize the power and might of God and is commonly interpreted by scholars as a sign of His divine intervention and the manifestation of His will. In the New Testament, it is also used metaphorically in reference to Christ's healing power – to deliver people from demonic possession (Luke 11:20).
a. Luke 11:20: But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
i. Jesus is describing how he had cast out demons.
ii. It’s by the finger of God – it’s done by His authority and power!
iii. Overall, the Finger of God is a biblical expression that signifies the authority and power of God in the world.
1. Do you want to see the finger of God manifested in this world?
a. Grow your faith- ask God to open your spiritual eyes and ears!
2. Moses’ faith enables him to see the power, the authority of God over a secular nation of Egypt:
a. We see it with the plagues unleashed by God on Egypt!
b. We see it when the Israelites leave Egypt with treasures of Egypt!
c. We see it in the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night which leads Israel through the desert.
d. We see it with the parting of the Red Sea!
e. We see the finger of God at Mt Sinai with the rumbling, the thunder, the lighting and cloud.
f. We see it with the writing of the 10 commandments!
b. Do you want to grow your faith to see the finger of God in this world?
i. Do you want to be a part of seeing people set free?
ii. Do you want this nation to return to God?
iii. Do you want to see another Jesus Revolution?
iv. Do you want to be a part of miracles?
1. Then choose to grow your faith! So you see the finger of God working in your life and around you!
T.S. – When we allow our faith to suppress our fear then we grow in our faith to see the finger of God mocking in our life and even around us. But we also will experience the presence of God and see the glory of God as we spend more time in His presence!
III. Moses’ faith enables him to see God from the back at one point but then later it says face to face! It was obvious to others Moses had seen God! He had been in the presence of God!
a. Exodus 19: At Mount Sinai
i. 1In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on the very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. 2After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain. 3Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” 7So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak. 8The people all responded together, “We will do everything the LORD has said.” So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD. 9The LORD said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.” Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said.
ii. ….16On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. 17Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, 19and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.
b. Scripture Text: Exodus 33:12-23; 34: 4-11; 29-35:
i. Exodus 33:12-23 (NIV):12Moses said to the LORD, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ 13If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” 14The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” 17And the LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” 18Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.” 19And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” 21Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.”
ii. Exodus 34:4-11a (NIV)4So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 5Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. 6And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” 8Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. 9“O Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes,” he said, “then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.” 10Then the LORD said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the LORD, will do for you. 11Obey what I command you today.
iii. Exodus 34:29-35 (NIV)29When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. 30When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.33When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34But whenever he entered the LORD’S presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had commanded, 35they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.
1. In the Exodus passages above we see Moses being saturated with the holy presence of God on Mt. Sinai and what amazes me is that it became apparent to all who saw him after the divine encounter with God that he had.
2. This is what I am praying for those of you at Christian Hills this year—for you to grow your faith and get into God’s holy presence and then for others to see it in your face and life.
c. Prayer for CHC – “Lord, saturate us with your holy Presence!”
i. Exodus 33:12-23;34: 4-11;29-35
1. Moses is dialoging with God on Mt. Sinai as he is receiving the 10 Commandments and on his way to the Promised Land with the nation of Israel.
2. God at the request of Moses reveals His divine presence and glory to him.
a. He tells him you cannot literally see my face because my holiness will kill you!
i. Remember sin cannot stand in the presence of God – God will burn it up!
b. So, Moses will only see the back of God as he passes by in His holy presence.
i. We know this was an awesome experience for Moses.
1. We know God is spirit and really does not have a back, but Moses is only given a percentage of God’s presence – there is more but in his human form he could not handle it – that is reserved for when we are resurrected and enter Heaven – then we will see the fullness of God’s presence – glory and holiness.
ii. We are told that when it happened in chapter 34:
1. Moses bowed down in the Presence of God and worshipped (vs. 8)!
ii. The request from Moses: Moses comes to the Lord and asks Him to go with them – to lead them into the Promised Land, to help him with the leading of his nation – the Lord tells Moses in verse 14, “My Presence will go with you…!” Wow what a statement people – God’s presence will go with us!
1. Moses adds this observation to the God:
a. “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here!”
i. I want you to catch this spiritual truth!
1. Notice Moses does not want to go anywhere without the Presence of the Lord going with him!
a. How about you – have you asked for this in your life?
2. Why? Because that is what sets God’s people apart from all the others in the world – His holy Presence in a person’s life!
ii. How about you? Is this your heart’s desire for them to go nowhere without God’s presence?
iii. Moses was so impacted by the meeting he had with God and being in His divine presence that when he returned to the camp his face glowed from the glory of the Lord.
1. When you spend time in God’s presence – people will see it!
2. Moses’ face was so bright from God’s presence that they had to put a veil over his head because people could not look at Him.
a. I wonder if it is because of the fear of seeing God’s presence all over him and the conviction of their sins.
iv. The truth is ---When you are in sin then you will fear being in the Presence of the Lord!
1. Have you ever wondered why some people do not go to church? Is it because they fear the Lord’s presence?
a. Because - They know they are in sin!
v. The truth is when you bath in the presence of the Lord your countenance will reveal that you spoke and met with God.
1. Other’s will see the Light of Christ radiating out of you!
2. Do you want to grow your faith to the point that you are regularly meeting with God?
d. The phrase “Face to Face” Exodus 33 from https://www.gotquestions.org/God-Moses-face-to-face.html
i. Before the official tabernacle was built, “Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the ‘tent of meeting.’ Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp” (Exodus 33:7). As Moses visited this tent of meeting to intercede for the people of Israel, “the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses” (verse 9).
1. Moses’ position of favor with God is evident in the fact that “the Lord would speak to Moses’ face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (verse 11).
a. Have you ever experienced this in your faith journey?
2. Would God call you a friend? Would He rebuke you for a lack of faith? If Jesus appeared to you today, would He say, “Be not afraid?” what would Jesus say to you?
ii. But we have a contradiction to this statement “Face to Face” later in this chapter:
1. Got Questions explains: However, later in the same chapter, Moses requests to see God’s glory, and God replies, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. . . . But . . . you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:19–20). To protect Moses, God put him “in a cleft in the rock” and covered him with His hand as He passed by (verse 22). “Then,” God promised, “I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen” (verse 23).
a. Questions arise: Why could Moses speak to God “face to face” in verse 11 but could not see God’s “face” in verse 23? What is fatal about seeing God’s “face”?
i. We know from Scripture (e.g., John 4:24) that God is spirit. Spirits do not possess physicality. So, when Moses spoke “face to face” with God in Exodus 33:11, a possible way to understand it: either Moses was speaking to the pre-incarnate Son of God (a Christophany); or the passage is using a figure of speech called anthropomorphism, in which human qualities are applied to God. While Christophany is certainly possible (Jesus in the OT) or it could be metaphorical.
ii. In verse 11 the idiom face to face can be simply understood to mean “intimately.” Moses spoke with God familiarly, as a man speaks to a friend. In verses 20 and 23, face and back are in reference to God’s “glory” and “goodness” (verses 18–19).
1. Since God is spirit, and since glory and goodness are both intangibles, we can take face and back to signify varying “degrees” of glory. God’s hand (verse 22) is an obvious reference to God’s “protection.”
iii. In the Bible, God often communicates using terms easily understood in the human experience. God’s use of anthropomorphism in Exodus 33 was a perfect way to describe what was happening. As humans, we know the importance of one’s face. To readily identify someone, we study his or her face. It is also the face of a person that reveals the most information about his or her character, mood, and personality. However, if all we catch is a glimpse of a person from behind, we are left without a lot of valuable information. It is difficult to identify a person from behind; we know very little about a person if all we can see is a back view.
iv. When God told Moses, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:20),
1. He was saying that truly seeing God as He is, in the fullness of His glory, is more than mortal man can tolerate (cf. Isaiah 6:5).
2. Therefore, to protect Moses, God was only going to reveal that portion of His majesty and power that was humanly possible to absorb.
3. So God communicated this plan to Moses in a way we can all understand: “You cannot look Me full in the face [it is impossible for you to know everything about Me], but I will allow you to see my back [I will reveal to you a small portion of My nature so as not to overwhelm you].”
iii. Please here this: All of this makes Jesus’ words to Philip all the more amazing: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
1. Hear this truth: When Jesus walked this earth, His glory veiled, we could look Him in the face. “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9).
a. On one brief occasion, Jesus’ glory was revealed in this world, at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:2). Interestingly, Moses was there, speaking to the glorified Lord, face to face (Matthew 17:3).
e. Question: Do you want to grow your faith to see the glory of God?
Main thought: When we grow our faith to suppress our fears, we open the door to see the finger of God at work in our lives and in the world around us. When we grow our faith through being used by God, we open the door to dwell in God’s presence and set things in motion to see the face of God. When we have been in God’s presence like Moses then we too will ask God to go and be with us in everything we do!
Conclusion: What do we need to know and do from this message?
What do they need to know from the life of Moses?
Answer: You need to allow your faith to lead and guide your life not fear or fears! To do this we must mature in our faith and open the door to see the finger of God at work in our life and in the world around us. We need to trust God and lose the excuses because God is enough!
Why do they need to know this?
Answer: Fear is crippling people from living the abundant life God intended through faith and their fears are causing them to live a life that is boring, isolated, comfortable, anxiety limited but limited is not that good an idea. One therapist says, and the result is depression sets in to their lives!
According to some observers, experts’ anxiety is now snowballing in the United States, and it is crippling people from living life – causing them to isolate from others and live in a state of depression.
But Jesus wants us to live by faith not fear – do you need more faith to overcome your fears then seek Jesus’ face to face – seek His presence – Ask him to set you free – choose to come for prayer so we can pray for you!
The American Psychiatric Association ran a poll on 1,000 U.S. residents in 2017, and they found that nearly two thirds were “extremely or somewhat anxious about health and safety for themselves and their families and more than a third are more anxious overall than last year.” In 2018, the same poll was repeated. Anxiety was shown to have risen again by another 5 percent. Millennials were revealed to still be the most anxious generation.
From https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322877#Is-anxiety-increasing-in-the-U.S.?
Federal survey data showed that 50% of people 18 to 24 reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in 2023, according to a KFF analysis, compared with 29% of people 50 to 64 and 20% among those 65 and older.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2023/11/16/anxiety-is-everywhere-this-solution-from-experts-may-surprise-you/71332898007/#:~:text=Federal%20survey%20data%20showed%20that%2050%25%20of%20people,64%20and%2020%25%20among%20those%2065%20and%20older.
What do they need to do from the message today?
Answer: Grow our faith to suppress the fear – we do this by seeking intimate encounters with Jesus in prayer – in praise – and in His Word. We do this by having our spiritual eyes opened to see the finger of God at work in our life and in the world around us. We do this by getting into God’s presence like Moses! We do this by connecting with others despite the fear! We must face the fear with faith! When we do, we will see Jesus’ face to face! As we spend time with Jesus in His presence, we will soon say Lord I will not leave your presence behind please go with me every where I go!
Why do they need to do this?
Answer: If you want to grow your faith you will see your fear slip away – you will see the finger of God at work today through your life – you will see the glory of God – meet Jesus’ face to face – this encounter will enable you to share Jesus with others, but it will require you to 1st have faith over fear!
