The Journey

The Journey

Exodus 33:14

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtPCqEgRAZo

As Michaela and I were away the other week, I began to meditate upon this Scripture and the journey we are upon as God’s people. It’s a journey that leads us away from the bondage of the world and towards the promises of God, especially the land of promise we are to inherit and inhabit.

Now I have been in prayer concerning what this looks like for Michaela and myself as we will be on a new journey, one that sees us back in Las Vegas, but still pastoring Living Waters Fellowship, and what this will look like and what God will be doing.

But at the same time, this is a message for everyone, as we are all on a journey with the Lord’s promises ahead of us, and then what this journey looks like.

But why do we need such a study as this? It’s because the conditions they faced, is what we, both individually and as the church are facing in this present day and age, as we look forward to Jesus’s promised return.

The Apostle Paul reveals why this is so important to study and know.

“Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.” (Romans 15:4 NLT)

So, take a look at this remarkable passage.

The Lord said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” (Exodus 33:14 NKJV)

A couple of months earlier, God had delivered Israel from 400 years of slavery to the Egyptians and put them on the road leading to the land promised by God to their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But the journey wasn’t going to be easy. The Sinai desert was a desolate area, an area of depravation, and a land of many trials, difficulties, and enemies.

They had now reached their first step of that journey, Mount Sinai, where they would meet with God who would give them their marching orders and where He would reveal Himself as their God, and they would be His people. This would be accomplished through the giving of His law by which they would live the rest of their lives by.

And if I could, this is where we find ourselves today. We are on a similar journey as believers in Jesus Christ, journeying through the wilderness of this world, a world filled with desolation, depravation, trials, difficulties, and a spiritual enemy, Satan, who wants to stop, or at least hinder our forward progress, not only towards the promises of God, but towards our ultimate goal of heaven.

In the same way that God didn’t abandon Israel in this journey, God doesn’t abandon us, which is seen in His wonderful promise of His presence and rest to see us through.

But before we get to the journey that would require both the presence of God and His rest, let’s see what prompted God to give this promise in the first place.

Israel was now camped out at the base of Mount Sinai, where God called Moses to come up and receive the instructions and commandments of God. But the people became restless seeing how long Moses remained upon the mountain. So, they decided to make for themselves a golden calf and said that this was the god that delivered them. And they sacrificed to the golden image and celebrated by feasting, getting drunk, and dancing before it as the other nations celebrated their gods.

And so, after giving to Moses the Ten Commandments, the Lord told him to quickly get down and confront this sin of idolatry, as they literally broke the first of the Ten Commandments given by God.

The Lord said, “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.” (Exodus 32:9-10 NKJV)

But Moses interceded on behalf of Israel asking God to turn away from His anger, saying, “Forgive their sin, but if not, erase my name from the record you have written!” (Exodus 32:32 NKJV)

And God heard Moses’s prayer and told him to lead the people into their heritage, and while He said that He would not accompany them on the journey because they were a rebellious people, He did tell Moses that His presence and rest would be there for him and for the people, which is the signature verse for our study today.

But notice something about the text and then this verse that is often missed, but it is significant in Moses’s leadership.

Verses 12-13 says, “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.’ 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.” (Exodus 33:12-13 NKJV)