Exodus 33:18 – Ch.34 Show me Your Glory !!!

Intro: We saw in our study last time – When the People heard that God wasn’t going to lead- Angel instead - them they mourned

A)They wanted the Presence / Moses pleads w/ the Lord / Moses moved the tent / Moses – finally says – Lord if you don’t / neither do We

B) We noted that the attitudes and actions that we see in the People & in Moses are quite often the attitudes that Precede Revival

  1. In a heart / a Church / a nation

C) First there is a Concern over the Absence of the Presence of God in the Life of the Believer / the Church / the nation

  1. Not content w/ just blessing or Presents P.R.E.S.E.N.T.S. - No we want the Presence of God – nearness of God

 

That attitude of Concern is followed by action – 1st being Repentance

A)Stripped off the ornaments – (Worldliness) it is a turning from the world & turning to the Lord

B) 2nd ACTION – after repentance is Radically Seeking after the Lord

  1. Moses moves the tent outside the camp- ( Not a easy task)

C) Creating an atmosphere conducive to seeking after the Lord

D) 3rd –Heart Response Telling the Lord w/ words & actions that all that matters is Him

  1. Just give me more of You – Moses says Lord if you are not going we don’t want to go!!!! We don’t want the Promise – w/out the Presence

After hearing Moses heart / after seeing the Repentance & Brokeness of the People – God responds – I will go up w/ you and lead you

A)That is revival – God in the mist / Leading / anointing / empowering

B) Now as we pick up in v.18 of Ch.33 & move into Ch.34 – we see some results of Revival – 5 THINGS

  1. The first is a sense of never being satisfied – but always desiring more of the Lord

So after hearing the Lord’s response – I will lead you

C) Moses then says V.18 – Lord show me your Glory !!!!!!

D) That is the first result of Revival – when the Presence of God becomes strong again in our lives – there is that desire for more !!!!

  1. See His glory

 

The Word Glory in the Heb. Is Kabad = Weighty / Heavy – there is substance

A)Moses saying to the Lord show me something of Your weightiness

B) The Kabad is what Adam & Eve enjoyed in the Garden before the fall

  1. It was the Glory of God that clothed them & brought deep satisfaction to them

C) But then the Glory departed after the fall – they became aware of their nakedness / or – their emptiness

  1. After the fall there was a nakedness / emptiness – that is the condition of

every person who doesn’t have a relationship w/ the Lord / naked – empty

D) They might be dressed to the T. / robed in all the Luxury that this world has to offer

  1. But there is a nakedness/ an emptiness / a weightlessness / a shallowness in their souls

E) See what every person is craving for today – even though many don’t realize it is the KABAD - the glory of God

  1. The weightiness / the substance / the Heaviness of God

So Moses gets the promise of the Lords Presence – it is going to be in the mist of them – But he doesn’t stop there – not satisfied

A)And in the Life of the Believer that is one of the true results of revival in the heart is that there is a Hunger for more of the Lord

B)Like adding gasoline to a fire – There is a fire that ignites in the heart and every new Revelation / each new insight from the word

1) Is like gasoline –adding fuel to the fire – desire to Know Him more !!

C) So Moses – says Lord – Show me your glory and the Lord responds

19Then 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."

Now here is something to note – Moses ask to see God’s Glory & God says Moses I will cause my Goodness to pass before You

A)Now that reveals a key thing – that is the Glory of God & the Goodness of God are linked

B)the Glory of God is revealed in His goodness / God’s glory is

GOOD !!! ( Important to see that)

C) And the Lord says – I will proclaim my name to you

  1. Recall earlier – in Ex. At the calling of Moses – Who is sending me ?

I AM THAT I AM has sent you

D) That was the name of the Lord – the I AM – YHWH – not sure how to pronounce – came known as Yahweh – always LORD = YHWH

  1. Idea was I am Everything – all sufficient one – Whatever the need that is who I am

E) From that – came – names such as Jehovah Jireh – the God who provides

  1. Jehovah Nissi – The Lord is my Banner
  2. Jehovah Shalom - The Lord our Peace
  3. Jehovah Tsikenu – The Lord our righteous

But here the Lord is expanding on this – Proclaim my name – really saying I am going to reveal my Nature

A)In the name of God there is the revelation of the nature & the Essence of God ( In that culture names always had meaning )

B) Parents name child – what hoped he would become – or Characteristic Esau hairy / Jacob heal Character

  1. Often the Lord would change of name – denote Character Change – significant of the work he was doing – Jacob / Israel / Simon to Peter

C) So when God says I am going to proclaim my name to You – He is saying Moses I am going to reveal to you who I am – nature / essence

  1. Attributes & Character

v.20-23

So the Lord says – Moses you cannot see My face & live – but here is what I will do – I will hide you in the cleft of the Rock

A)Show BACKSIDE = AFTERGLOW !! - Note this in the face of death God provides a Rock to stand on and to hide in

B) It is a Rock that God has provided – Moses didn’t have to seek it out

  1. The Cleft of safety wasn’t some crevice of his own Discovery – but it was Provided by the Lord

C) It is a Rock that is near to God – he knows that the Brokenness of the Rock is ideal for those who must be hidden there in

  1. Where is this Rock – Not where but WHO !!! – Rock is Jesus – Rock of Ages Cleft for me !!!

D) The Rock that the Builders rejected – Chief Cornerstone \

  1. Upon this Rock …..Church / Rock that is higher than I

 

APP: The Way to experience the after glow is to be hidden in the Rock – The Only way to see anything of God’s Glory is to be in the Rock

A)Covered in His Righteousness / Cleansed by His Blood

B) A person who is not in Christ will never experience the Glory of God !!!

C) Some people are saved – but carnal – fleshly – by the flesh

  1. Never really experience the glory & goodness of God – because their own efforts get in the way !!!

D) So the Lord Provides a Rock – hide Moses in – reveal His goodness

Proclaim His Name Ch.34:1-3

 

Moses cuts two new stones for ten commandments / People told to stay away – this is going to be heavy

A)Moses is to go up alone – No Joshua - BUMMED

V.4-5

Proclaims the name THE LORD – YHWH

A)WHAT does the name mean ? Here he is told – declaring the nature of God

6And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7keeping 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."

MERCIFUL – this word Merciful is lit. translated compassionate

A)Compassion is more than feeling sorry & Pity – Too Bad

Compassion = Pity plus action

 

B) We read in the gospels of Jesus being Moved w/ Compassion

  1. This is a tender mercy that moves the heart of God – like a father toward his Children

Psa.103 3 As a father pities his children,

So the LORD pities those who fear Him.

14 For He knows our frame;

He remembers that we are dust.

C) God looks at us w/ compassion – weakness of our flesh / the frailty of our humanity – physical limitations

  1. Cast all your cares on me ……you

C) It is also used of one who’s concern is so great that He feels it on the inside – in the Womb or the depths of the Heart

  1. That is the view of the Lord toward His People – that are on the very depths of His heart – their plight – moves Him to act

D) To come to their aid – abundant care in the time of need !!!

E) The Opposite of compassion would be – Apathy – picture of one who could help – but won’t help sitting on hands doing nothing

So the First thing the Lord reveals about Himself to Moses is that He is Compassionate – 2nd – He is Gracious

A)Grace = getting what you don’t deserve – Extending favor when it is neither expected or deserved

Benjamin Warfied : Grace is Free Sovereign Favor to the ill deserving

B) We deserved Hell / instead given heaven & abundant Blessing

1) God enjoys giving to people blessings that they don’t deserve

C) It is intrinsic w/ his nature to be Gracious and Loving / giving to those who don’t deserve it !!!!

C)How completely opposite of our society – where everything is based on being rewarded for your performance

D) God rewards & blesses in spite of our performance

 

Longsuffering : SLOW TO ANGER To be long in spirit & not lose heart . To be patient in bearing the offenses of others /

A)It means God doesn’t get exasperated w/ us !!/ Not uptight

B) Me w/ my kids – Lose my patients all the time –

  1. This is an Incredible description of the Father – 6,000 yrs patient w/

man

C) God is not up in heaven – gritting his teeth - Just one more time pal and Bam you have had it

  1. Instead His Grace is renewed every morning !!!!!

Gayle E. Perhaps since anger so accurately reflects the human situation, we who tend to shape our gods into our image find it beyond our comprehension that the true God, the one who shaped us in HIS IMAGE would be longsuffering . He adds – Any "normal" human being would have abandoned or obliterated me by now, but the God of Compassion & grace patiently waits for my inch by inch progress

He is longsuffering !!! - God says this is who I am want you to know my nature – Compassionate / Gracious / Longsuffering

A)Now I don’t know about you but I would have suspected that the first thing the Lord would have told Moses was – I am All Powerful

B) I am Sovereign / I am Holy and Righteous

  1. But God chooses to begin in revealing who He is w/ the words – Compassionate / gracious / Longsuffering

ABUNDANT IN GOODNESS & Truth - abundant = Overflowing – never ending in goodness – NIAGRA FALLS

A)Goodness = 3 descriptions – associated w/ this word : Strength in Protecting / Watchful Hand

B) Steadfastness - Always there - Faithfulness of God/ def. Of Truth

  1. Loving Kindness - and it Just keeps on coming

C) So wrapped up in the Goodness of God toward you is His Strong arm of protection – watching out for you – whatever happens – For Good

  1. He is Protecting & providing Strength to get thru whatever situation

D) Anthony’s Eye surgery – why ? Not why but what – Knowing the goodness of God is going to see Al / Sheri – parents us thru whatever

  1. Howard & Lucia Vic

E) His faithfulness & steadfastness is going to be predominant in Keeping us in the time of trial

  1. Loving Kindness is every Present – any situation/ Ever present help

 

Keeping or maintaining mercy for Thousands

A)Gayle Erwin –father style/ mercy is Centerpiece of the Nature of God

B) Tab. – Holy of Holies – what is the focal point – Mercy Seat

  1. Angels beholding – Blood –sprinkled – Priest – Joyful

C) Room is the Holy of Holies but the focus revolves around the mercy seat

D) Isa. 6 – Sees the Lord – sitting ….. Angels holy ….. Undone

  1. Shown Mercy – tongue touched sins forgiven

We are told that the Lord’s mercies are New every morning

A)Never ending supply

B) Psa.103 1 For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

12 As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

And its place remembers it no more.£

17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him,

Some Rabbis Translate this – Maintaining Mercy to thousands generation

A)Generation – 40 yrs a thousand Generations would be 40,000 yrs and thousands of generations would be at least 80,000 yrs

B) Guys that is a whole lot of mercy

 

FORGIVING iniquity and transgression and sin,

A)Covers the whole gamut – Iniquity = breaking of God’s Law whether intentional or not

B) Transgression is Rebellion – trespass

  1. Sin – Habitual missing mark

C) Forgiven – 1 John 1:9

By no means Clearing the Guilty – note the Guilty is in Italics meaning it is not in the original text but was added

A)So read literally – by no means clearing or erasing WHAT? all that I have just said concerning who I am – Grace won’t be erased

B) If you have a hard time w/ that removing the guilty – think of it this way – The Lord didn’t clear the Guilty

  1. What He did do was put all of our Guilt upon His Son & let Him pay the price for us

C) So that we could be recipients of Goodness grace & Mercy

Now if it is true that this was added - Why was this added by the translators ? Answer : To make sense of the next phrase

visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation."

A) After painting this wonderful Picture of the Lord as being Compassionate gracious, Longsuffering, abounding in goodness & truth –Keeping Mercy forgiving iniquity transgression & sin

B) There seems to suddenly be a shift in this description – God is going to visit the Sins of the Fathers on their Children for 4 generations

  1. What does this mean ? First what it doesn’t mean / great Misconception

C) This verse is not suggesting that if I sin it is going to affect my Son Aaron / his Son / his sons son

  1. But that idea is used a lot in the Church today – Theory of Generational Curses

D) My dad was an alcoholic / his dad / so am I – it is in my genes

  1. Not so – Not inherited behavior but learned behavior

 

Ezk 18 The Lord addresses this mentality - 1The word of the LORD came to me again, saying, 2"What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying:

‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,

And the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

A) Meaning because our fathers have sinned – our teeth are grinding

3"As I live," says the Lord GOD, "you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel.

B) God says I don’t want to hear that kind of talk any more – that excuse

  1. Yet Ex.34;7 gets used all the time to justify behavior

C) I am into pornography because my dad was / my grandmother was into the Occult – me listen to Marilyn Manson

Ezk 18 continues 4 "Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father

As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.

 

D) Every individual is responsible for his own actions

So this is not suggesting that just because my ancestors were into this sort of sin that I am going to be as well –

A)Not inherited behavior but learned behavior – every man makes his choice – knows intrinsically what is wrong – Built in by God Conscience

B) Nor is it saying that God is going to punish the family for several generations because of the Sin of one Ezk. 18:19,20

19"Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. 20The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

C) Each Individual will answer for his own actions !!

 

 

 

Now it is true the principal of Sowing & reaping

A)My kids & family will be affected by my sin – directly

B)A guy who sins in gambling – not good steward – family reaps

  1. Adultery – family is broken up – Kids / wife reap because he sowed to the flesh

 

So what does this mean ? Two ways to look at this

1st Compare w/ Duet. 5 : 8-10 warning against - Idolatry

8 ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 9you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 10but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Punishment is reserved for those who continue to hate God !!!

A)Generation after Generation continues to hate the Lord – Punished

9"Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; 10and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.

B) God’s Mercy had Grace have to be received in order to escape Judgement

C) So Quite possible this is what the Lord is saying – Condition placed on those who hate Him vs those who love Him

 

I personally think it is saying something else= It says that this kind merciful loving forgiving gracious God is going to visit the iniquity

A)He is going to keep visiting the iniquity or the sinners for Gen after GEN

B) Visiting How? Thru His spirit to bring Conviction – It all relates back to his goodness & grace

  1. If I sin the Lord is going to visit me – convict me deal w/ me / allow my sin to be found out - What ever it takes

C) He comes visiting seeking Repentance –

  1. If my son Aaron sins – the Lord is going to visit Him – Convict deal

His Son so on & so forth

D) In other words God is saying I am never going to give up on the Salvato’s I am not going to wash my hands of them

  1. I am going to quit knocking on the door -

E) But rather the Lord is saying I am going to keep on knocking on the door / keep on rattling the cage – hopes that they will repent & turn to me

  1. That is what I think – Ex. 34 and Duet.5 are talking about

Now if those people keep resisting the Lord & doing their own things

A)In the end He is going to repay those who hate Him – that is what Hell is about

 

So the Lord declares His name to Moses – 2nd Result of true Revival – discovering more of the Goodness & Grace of God

A)Deeper hunger for Him & a better understanding of Who He is

B) The 3rd Result of Revival is seen is Moses Response v.8 8So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped

9Then 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."

C) Humble Worship – Blown away

D) In times of revival worship doesn’t have to be encouraged it just happens

1)Psa. 45 My heart is overflowing w/ a good theme – pen of a ready writer

 

Now in v.10 –28 there is a reiterating of the Law – not going to read –we have already studied in earlier passages

A)But why does the Lord do this – reiterate the Law at this point –

B) Answer is there are things that can get in the way of me seeing the Glory of God – Glory is here – Like Lights – My hands

  1. The Light is blocked why – my hand – my flesh is in the way

C) Lord reiterates the law at this point to say – Now don’t let sin Creep in

4th thing that happens – Greater appreciation for and desire to live in the Word of God – v. 28 8So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

 

5th – 29-35 The Glow !!!!

A)Moses countenance was changed – He Glowed

B) Physical countenance –

C) Acts 2 Boldness

D) Interesting Moses wore a veil not to Hide – the Glow / but the fade

  1. Go back into to see the Lord - unveil get some of the Glow back

E) Good lesson – want to Glow – Keep coming to the Lord

 

2 Thoughts done – Jn. 12 – Now is the time – Glorified – death

A)Cross – all of these attributes of the Lord clearly seen at the Cross

B) 2nd In the Name of Jesus – according to His nature – not a Secret code