And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth. Exodus 34.6 Dear God, as I rise today, I will set my heart on the cry of Moses and ask for you to show me your glory. Give me divine understanding so that I can know and discern the directions you want me to take. I confess that I cannot move unless your presence goes with me, like Exodus 33-40. I acknowledge today that a promise without your presence is no promise at all. for my heart desires to be close to you therefore i will make the posture of my heart my priority and not material things i will desire the giver more than the gifts because i know that the blessings you give me lord are a byproduct of me seeking your heart thank you heavenly father that you desire to spend time with me and to walk with me through life's up and downs in this moment right now. I will lift my hands and worship you for your unfailing love and devotion for my life. My promise is before me, and more importantly, your presence is surrounding me. With this as my truth, I know I am unstoppable, because you will stop at nothing to bless me, because even with my mistakes, you still love me. In Jesus' name, amen. Pray.com app. Click the link in the description to get started. This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. Journey towards the promised land. In our last story, we witnessed the heart of Israel falling into slavery to idols and sin. They erected a golden calf in place of the God that freed them from slavery. God's anger boiled, yet he was still filled with steadfast love and patience and would not forsake them. In this story, we will learn about God giving Moses new tablets and letting him see his glory, and also the construction of the tabernacle as commanded by God, inspired by the book of Exodus. We're so glad you joined us on the Bible in a Year podcast today. The Bible in a Year podcast is an outreach of PowerPoint ministries and can only come to you each week through the support of listeners just like you. Your support today is so important that we want to thank you for your gift by giving you a copy of my book called The Jesus Book It is a powerful guide that shows how every book of the Bible points to Jesus and how his living word the truth of God word will transform your life So to get a copy of the Jesus book, simply go to jackgraham.org slash Jesus. That's jackgraham.org slash Jesus. And thank you for your support. In our previous reading, the Israelites broke the very first commandment of God and built a golden calf to worship. God determined to destroy them all, but Moses interceded and prayed, pleading with God, and God chose to relent. But there was a price to pay, and 3,000 Israelites died in the camp. Today, we'll find the people leaving their camp as God leads them on to the next leg of their journey to the promised land. God will promise to clear the way, but they must trust in Him as they walk alone. Listen as the people's hearts turn back to the Lord and they beg for His presence to be among them. We'll see how God responds, how they receive a second set of tablets with God's commandments, and how God instructs His people to construct His dwelling place, the tabernacle. Let's listen now to today's reading. It was a cool morning, and the sun was just peeking over the valley. Sun rays splashed against the morning clouds and lit the sky with a bright orange. God met again with Moses. This time they met as friends, walking in the stillness of dawn. Depart from here with the people to the land that I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God said. I will drive out those who dwell there to keep you safe. However, I will not be going among you Lest I consume you on the way for your stubborn attitudes and wicked hearts Upon hearing this, the people mourned They could not fathom their protector departing from them The one who parted the seas sent manna from heaven And drove out the Amalekites would be gone It was too much for them to bear The people removed their jewelry and fine ornaments as a symbol that they cared for their hearts more than their external selves, and they begged God to stay. Moses pitched a tent away from the camp where people could go to meet with God face to face. He called it the tent of meeting. Anytime Moses went to the tent, people would rise up to go stand at the entrance. When the glory of God descended to meet with Moses, the people would rise up to worship. Israel struggled in their faith with God, yet they loved him. Years of slavery under Egypt had confused their spirits, yet the thought of God departing from them was almost unbearable. When Moses drew close to God, the people desired to draw close to God as well, especially Joshua, the son of Nun. Moses came to meet with God once again. He came with a boldness Jacob once did on that lonely hill wrestling with God, clinging to him and imploring him for blessing. How many times have you told me that I have found favor in your sight? Moses asked. If I have truly found favor in your sight, please show me your ways. Moses spoke with intensity. For the thought of God not going with them to the promised land frightened him. Moses continued his case before God, saying, Please God consider your nation your people If your presence does not go with us the promised land means nothing The only thing that makes us a nation and a people is your presence God did not answer with rage or match Moses' intensity. Rather, he answered gently and said, My presence will go with you, and I will give you all rest. I will do this for you, for you have found favor in my sight. I know you by name, Moses. Moses crumbled before God. His heart melted at hearing God's words. He looked up to God with his eyes foggy from tears. Show me your glory, Moses whispered. God said to Moses, I will show you my goodness and have it pass before you, but you cannot see my face, for no man can see my face and live. So God placed Moses in a cleft between two rocks And God, in his glory, passed by Moses And he could see his back pass by For a brief moment, Moses was able to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord A small sliver of eternity glowed before Moses The maker of the cosmos, the destroyer of stars And the shepherd of humanity revealed a part of himself to Moses The true beauty was in God's restoration of his covenant with Israel. Again he wrote on the stone tablets his commandments and promises to his children. He would go before them, walk with them, and be their strength and shelter. Moses left the presence of God with the tablets. His face shone brightly because he had been with God and the people marveled. They built the tabernacle for God. They had master craftsmen pay attention to every detail given to them As Israel built the tabernacle It was almost as if they were mending their fractured relationship with God With their hands they had once made a golden calf to replace God But now they were using their hands to make for him a place to dwell Since the beginning of humanity It was always God's purpose to dwell with men and women And walk with them in unity To guide them and provide for them to give them purpose, meaning, and fulfillment. He did so in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. And even though they sinned, he still protected them. He did so with Abraham's family and walked with them through life. Even though they sinned, he still kept his promises and stayed beside them. And now he would dwell with Israel in the tabernacle. He would go before them and protect them. Even though they would sin, he would still keep his promises. for the Lord of God's people is not a story of bravery or heroism. It is a story of flawed people straying away from their God and God stopping at nothing to bless them. As we open today's reading, God tells Moses to take the people and go to the land that he would give them. God tells Moses that he will clear the way for them and keep them safe, but his presence will not go with them. The people are afraid, and despite their sinful wayward hearts, deep down they know that only God's presence can protect and satisfy their longing for connection to Him. They remove their jewelry and offer it to God a reminder of what they done when they offered their gold to a false god They wanted to discover forgiveness and atone for their sins For now, when they wish to meet with God, Moses must go with them outside the camp to a very special tent, the tent of meeting. God's presence will descend and meet with Moses and the people worship outside. There was one among them who desired fellowship more than the other, Joshua, the son of Nun. He stays by the tent, even as the others leave. Joshua will become an important figure in history, and God is working in his life already. Critically, Moses approached God and asked him to teach him his ways, a very important request. Here's what Moses said. So I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people. Lord, teach me your ways. Do we desire to know the ways of God? How often do we boldly and honestly ask God to teach us the way that we should go? Do we seek Him with all of our hearts? Do we seek not only His ways, but His will in our lives? Moses doesn't stop there. He asks God to commit His presence to His people as a sign that they are set apart from other nations. God honors the request and agrees to be with them as He always has been. Moses asked for one more thing, the boldest of all requests, show me your glory. Moses has met with God in the past, but he wanted more. He wanted to know the fullness and the greatness of God's glory. God says to Moses that he can look, but he cannot see his face or he will die. Moses is a sinner and cannot look into the face of a holy God. God protects Moses in a cleft in the rock as the glory, his glory, the glory of God passes by. There he gives Moses his commandments once again, and Moses chisels them into stone and takes them to the people. His brush with God's glory causes Moses' face to shine to the amazement of all the Israelites. Then God puts the people to work, building the tabernacle, his dwelling place, among them. This will for a time satisfy both their desire to have him near and God's desire to have communion and fellowship with his people. God desires to have a relationship with us, to live among us, to live in us. And that desire is fulfilled by sending his own son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior, to live in us so that a temporary house like a tabernacle or even a temple would no longer be needed because now with Christ within, his spirit alive in us, we are the temple of God. Dear God, thank you that you live in us, that your very presence goes with us everywhere that we go. We pray, O God, that we would live in your presence and seek not only to know your hand, but to seek your heart and to seek your glory every day of our lives. In Jesus' name, amen.
