Exodus 34:29-31
Hello and thank you for listening to Hope for Today. We are honored to be with you again today. The program you are listening to is produced by Heralds of Hope, we are a small ministry from the United States. Two things we focus on are Bible distribution and Bible teaching. We teach the Bible via this program and another program called The Voice of Hope. Our method is exegetical Bible teaching and using this method we have taught through several books in the Bible.
In Bible distribution, last year 2023, we shared just over 100,000 copies of God’s Word. We can’t do this alone, and we are very thankful for many of God’s people who have contributed to Heralds of Hope for this ministry. As you can see the Bible is important to us. Because it is eternal and because our lives have been changed for the better because of its teaching. We hope you also have this same testimony.
For the last year, we have been in Exodus but now we are coming to the end. We trust you have enjoyed this journey. Next week will be our last lesson in Exodus and from here we will go to the New Testament book of II Corinthians. We look forward to the change and hope you will continue to join us.
Today our title is “Being in the Presence of God” taken from the end of Exodus 34. Pastor J Mark will share this lesson with us now.
In the heart of everyone is the desire for fellowship with God. Somehow from the innermost part of our beings, we cry out for the presence of God. We are like one of the ancient philosophers who cried out and said, “Oh, that someone would come, man or god, and show us God!” Yes, we long for fellowship with God.
Certain religions have stages or degrees through which one must pass in order to come into the presence of God. Only a select few can reach those stages and those qualifications. For a common person like you and me, it never becomes possible. But those are not true religions. With the revelation of God in His Word we learn that it is not difficult to come into the presence of God. The reason is God has taken the first step toward us by giving us His Word. In His Word, we learn the way to come into His presence.
Moses was a man who knew what it meant to be in God’s presence. The Bible speaks of him as one who spoke face-to-face with God.
BEING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD is revealed in Exodus 34:29-31.
29. And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
30. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
31. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.
This text tells us of the EXPERIENCES Moses had when he was in the presence of God.
First, we shall see,
He Experienced Unusual Beauty
We are told that when Moses came out from the presence of God his face shone. He did not know it, but he had absorbed something of divine beauty. Some of God’s glory had soaked into his face until it shone like the shekinah glory of God. He had an experience of unusual beauty.
His face shone so much that when he came down from the Mount, Aaron and the children of Israel were afraid of him. They were afraid to come near to Him. He was unapproachable by Aaron and the elders. The beauty of His face, having been in the presence of God, separated him from the rest of the people. He had an unusual beauty.
It was rather awesome, no doubt, to look at a bit of glory like the glory of God. When any person spends time with God, he partakes of God’s beauty in his inner being. I have met a few such people. They radiate something of the beauty of God. Not exactly like Moses, from a face that shines, but because they have spent time in the presence of God, they have an inner beauty. It is what the Bible calls in other places “the beauty of the inner man.” It radiates so that a person can see there is beauty of countenance and character in one who has spent time with God.
So, it was with Moses. He spent time with God. He absorbed something of divine beauty from being in God’s presence.
Second, we shall see,
He Received Unusual Commandments
I want you to understand that when Moses went up to Mount Sinai and received the law from God this was a special favor. No one else has ever been favored like that. Moses received from the hand of God the Word of God. The Ten Commandments, the Decalogue, as it is sometimes called, contained the highest moral standards of any people and time. Moses was particularly and uniquely favored to receive these unusual commandments.
Being in the presence of God prepared Moses to become the mediator between God and Israel, between God and man. He became their intercessor or mediator. He received from the LORD and gave to Israel. Moses gave to Israel in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with Him on Mount Sinai. Receiving such unusual commandments made him an unusual person. His unusual character was the result of having spent time with God.
When any person spends time with God he will learn of God’s unusual commandments. Jesus gave us unusual commandments too. You can read them in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7, what we call The Sermon on the Mount. God still reserves special people for special places, and He can communicate to those special people important truths of Himself. When Moses was in the presence of God, God gave him unusual commandments.
Third, we shall see,
He Shared an Unusual Fellowship.
Moses had fellowship with God: he spoke with the LORD God face to face like a man speaks with his friend. There could be an immediate response. He had that kind of relationship and fellowship with the LORD.
Moses went into the tabernacle of the LORD to speak with Him and when he did, he took the veil off of his face until he came out. In other words, he was there before the LORD with an open face. Remember, when he came down from Mount Sinai, he had covered his face because his people were fearful of the glory of it. Whenever people come into the presence of God, they are open-faced. Nothing can be hidden from the LORD. Moses didn’t try to hide anything. He had this unusual fellowship with God.
He also had unusual fellowship with his people because he was their mediator, he stood between Israel and God. He could speak with God, then come out and speak with the people. He was God’s spokesman. That is an unusual fellowship. Moses had that because he was in the presence of God.
When any person spends time with God, he will have fellowship with God and with man. Some people simply withdraw from society. We call them hermits. They live alone in some barren wasteland. They spend all their time alone, they say, in communion with God. But that is not the best way. Moses fellowshipped with the LORD, but he also fellowshipped with the people. So, when one spends time with God he will have fellowship with God and with man.
We can conclude that anyone who spends time with the LORD will absorb some of His beauty. Heavenly glory will affect his countenance, it will show on his face. He will understand the unusual commands of the LORD and he will enjoy God’s fellowship in unusual depths.
Wouldn’t you like to spend more time with God? What experience have you had with the LORD? Is He real to you? Real enough that you absorb some of His glory, understand His will, and revel in His fellowship? Take time today to spend in His presence!
Thanks, J Mark for this lesson about being in the presence of God. Moses had an amazing experience. And those questions at the end are good and we hope you have answered them with a big yes, of course we want more of Him.
Before we finish let’s think for a minute about how we come into God’s presence now. Praise Him we don’t have to model the instructions given to Moses, but he has given us a new way. There is a precious verse in Hebrews that teaches this and every time I meditate on this verse I am filled with wonder. It says, “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,” in other words we have boldness to come into the presence of God. But how can this be safe? How can we do this without losing our life? Listen “by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.”
This is very important for us and a big change from the Old Testament. Since Jesus came, we now have access to God’s presence through the blood of Jesus. We do not have to travel to Jerusalem. Instead of going to the temple, we can meet Him in our closet. We can go into His presence from anywhere and at any time. Imagine growing up a Jewish person and then hearing one of the disciples teach this about Jesus. You would have had to completely change your thinking.
Instead of the high priest going into the Holiest of Holies once a year, through Jesus, we have access anytime. Through Him, we have no time limit. Earlier in Hebrews 4 we were even encouraged to “come boldly to the throne of grace.” As an Israelite, you would have been scared of dying if you got close to God’s presence and now you are encouraged to go any time the exact opposite of what you were taught earlier.
This is a huge change from the Old to the New Testament, it is one we are very thankful for, and we should continue to be amazed by it. Do not take it for granted or treat it as a common thing. We keep the same awe and respect for God and come into His presence through His son Jesus Christ. There are no limits from God’s side, we are always welcome and can stay as long as we like. This is incredible!
It’s also very serious. God has done His part now the decision is yours. How much will you give? Do you allow Him to have everything? Being in God’s presence is a question you alone can answer.
Thanks again for being with us. Here is our contact information if you would like to contact us for any reason. Our email is [email protected]. If you don’t have an email, send a letter, our address is Hope for Today, Box 3 Breezewood, PA 15533. Or you can connect with us on our website. Our website is heraldsofhope.org. On our website, please look around and check out our other programs and resources. Again, our website is heraldsofhope.org.
Lord willing, we will be together again next week for our last lesson in Exodus. Till then Go with God and may all of us live out Hebrews 4:16 by “coming boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
*This episode is an exposition by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.