Rebellion & Intimacy

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Rebellion - Intimacy

 

 

Wednesday 01/24/18 

Message – Rebellion & Intimacy

Series: Thru the Bible – Exodus 32-34

***Video is HERE***

 

Rebellion & Intimacy

Exodus 31:18

  • God gives Moses two tablets of stone with the law, written by His Own finger.

Exodus 32:1-6

  • Rebellion, Idolatry and infidelity
  • Aaron participates in rebellion and leads Israel in it
  • In their rebellion they attributed God’s deliverance from Egypt to the power of the golden calf and they called it their ‘god’.
  • Aaron built an altar unto this calf and proclaimed a feast day the next day to their new “Lord”.
  • Their rebellion took the form of eating, drinking and playing

Vs. 7-10

  • God gets ticked
  • Tells Moses to get off the mountain (Your people – YOU brought out)
  • God says they have corrupted themselves through their rebellion – to pervert or spoil themselves by turning aside QUICKLY out of the way I commanded.
  • God tells Moses exactly what they have done…the enormity of their rebellion and said (God sees and hears – He is aware).
  • “Let me alone” (seems to almost mean “get out of my way”) so that my wrath may burn hot against them – and start over with you.
  • Instead Moses gets further in the way.
    • Exod. 32:11-14,  “(11) Then Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, and said: “LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?  (12)  Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people.  (13)  Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ”  (14)  So the LORD relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.”
    • “Repent of the evil” can have many meanings but this is a great example for illustrating biblical interpretation.
      • We use the absolute to determine the questionable
        • God is love
        • God is good
        • God changes not…etc.
      • This “could” be a case where man’s words are from his own human perspective and God’s reply from His Own.
        • We see this in the book of Job several times.
        • This still may be the case here – though less obviously since both Moses and God used the same words – though the meaning behind them “may” have been different.
      • This phrase “Repent of the evil” means, in place of the destruction He spoke concerning His people the Lord instead took pity. It can also mean that the Lord simply relented, concerning the destruction He thought spoke concerning His people.
        • Both probably played a role and relent is a suitable word for this since, the word relent means – “to become less severe, harsh, or strict.” and because one of the absolute things we know about God is that does not change His mind concerning His Own words – though He may decide to act in mercy and relent from indented and justified judgment. Many times this is due to someone who IS right before God, interceding for the unrighteous – providing a bridge between them. Here Moses was a human who was right with God and HAD delegated authority concerning them. So in his “righteousness” and stewardship he was connected with God, yet in his humanity and his delegated authority over them, he was connected with Israel and so was well suited to be their intercessor.
          • 1Sam. 15:24-29,  “(24) Saul answered Samuel, “I have sinned. I have transgressed the LORD’s command and your words. Because I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them.  (25)  Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the LORD.”  (26)  Samuel replied to Saul, “I will not return with you. Because you rejected the word of the LORD, the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel.”  (27)  When Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore.  (28)  Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingship of Israel away from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.  (29)  Furthermore, the Eternal One of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not man who changes his mind.”
          • Joel 2:11-14, “(11) The LORD raises His voice in the presence of His army. His camp is very large; Those who carry out His command are powerful. Indeed, the Day of the LORD is terrible and dreadful–who can endure it?  (12)  Even now–this is the LORD’s declaration–turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.  (13)  Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in faithful love, and He relents from sending disaster.  (14)  Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave a blessing behind Him, so you can offer grain and wine to the LORD your God.”
          • 2Sam. 12:13-23, “(13) David responded to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Then Nathan replied to David, “The LORD has taken away your sin; you will not die.  (14)  However, because you treated the LORD with such contempt in this matter, the son born to you will die.”  (15)  Then Nathan went home. The LORD struck the baby that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill.  (16)  David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted, went home, and spent the night lying on the ground.  (17)  The elders of his house stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them.  (18)  On the seventh day the baby died. But David’s servants were afraid to tell him the baby was dead. They said, “Look, while the baby was alive, we spoke to him, and he wouldn’t listen to us. So how can we tell him the baby is dead? He may do something desperate.”  (19)  When David saw that his servants were whispering to each other, he guessed that the baby was dead. So he asked his servants, “Is the baby dead?” “He is dead,” they replied.  (20)  Then David got up from the ground. He washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes, went to the LORD’s house, and worshiped. Then he went home and requested something to eat. So they served him food, and he ate.  (21)  His servants asked him, “What did you just do? While the baby was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate food.”  (22)  He answered, “While the baby was alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.’  (23)  But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I’ll go to him, but he will never return to me.”
          • 2Kings 20:1-6, “(1) In those days Hezekiah became terminally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Put your affairs in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover.'”  (2)  Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,  (3)  “Please LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and wholeheartedly and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.  (4)  Isaiah had not yet gone out of the inner courtyard when the word of the LORD came to him:  (5)  “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of My people, ‘This is what the LORD God of your ancestor David says: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Look, I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the LORD’s temple.  (6)  I will add 15 years to your life. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for My sake and for the sake of My servant David.'”

Vs. 15-28

  • Then Moses gets ticked
    • Remember Joshua had become Moses’ assistant and had therefore gone up with Moses to the mountain further up than even than Aaron, Hur and the elders – See Exod. 24:9-15
    • On their way down, Joshua hears the shouts of Israel and assumes it to be a shout of war. Moses having hear from God knew it was Israel rejoicing in their rebellion with singing!
    • When Moses saw what God told him about with his own eyes he became enraged!
      • Cast down the tablets which broke from the force of his throw
      • He melted the calf, ground it into powder, scattered it in their water and made the Israelites drink it.
      • Moses turns to Aaron for an explanation – “What did they do to you that you surrendered to their terms and led them into this egregious sin?”
      • Aaron tries to pull the attention off himself and soft-pedal the issue – “you know the people’s hearts are all set on doing evil” “They asked me to make them a god since we don’t know what happened to Moses. So I asked for their gold – I threw it into the fire and this calf came out.”
      • Moses saw that the people were out of control since Aaron allowed it.
      • So Moses draws a line in the sand – “Whoever is on the Lord’s side – come stand with me.” …and the Levites all came.
      • Moses prophetically speaks a judgment on Israel due to their rebellion, telling those Levites to take a sword and go throughout the camp and without mercy kill even your brother, friend and neighbor – 3,000 men fell that day.
      • Moses recognized their dedication to God in honoring Him above their friends and kin (Perhaps what Jesus was drawing upon when He described love for God as hating your father, mother, brother or friend.)
      • The next morning Moses tells the people their sin of rebellion was enormous and that he would approach God on their behalf – and seek atonement for it.

Exod. 32:31-35,

“(31)Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold!  (32)  Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”  (33)  And the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.  (34)  Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.”  (35)  So the LORD plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made.”

Exodus 33:1-6

  • God gives new terms
    • Exod. 33:1-6, “(1)Then the LORD said to Moses, “Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’  (2)  And I will send My Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.  (3)  Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”  (4)  And when the people heard this bad news, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments.  (5)  For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you. Now therefore, take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do to you.’ ”  (6)  So the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.”

 

Vs. 7-11 – FAR outside the camp

  • First tabernacle of meeting
    • Exod. 33:7-11, “(7)Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the LORD went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp.  (8)  So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle.  (9)  And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.  (10)  All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door.  (11)  So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.”

Vs. 12-23 – Moses Intercedes

Exod. 33:12-23, “(12)Then Moses said to the LORD, “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.’  (13)  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.”  (14)  And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  (15)  Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.  (16)  For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”  (17)  So the LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”  (18)  And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”  (19)  Then 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.”  (20)  But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”  (21)  And the LORD said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.  (22)  So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.  (23)  Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

 

There is more information in the audio/video of the actual message. I hope you listen, learn and enjoy!

…Blessings! 

 

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Blessings!

 

Pastor Mark

View posts by Pastor Mark

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!