I invite you to turn with me to Exodus 33. Exodus 33. We'll read the chapter together. The text for our consideration being verses 15 and 16 of this chapter. Reverend Camminga briefly mentioned this morning Exodus 32, which includes the episode of the golden calf before Mount Sinai which we are familiar with. And then in chapter 33 we pick up after that episode reading this Word of God. Then the Lord said to Moses, Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob saying, I will give it to your descendants. I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you on the way. When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn, and no one put on any ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, tell the Israelites, you are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you, even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you. So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb. Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the tent of meeting. Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshipped, each at the entrance to his tent. The Lord would speak to Moses face to face as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua, son of Nun, did not leave the tent. Moses said to the Lord, You have been telling me, lead these people, but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, I know you by name, and you have found favor with me. If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways, so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people. The Lord replied, My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. Then Moses said to him, If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth? And the Lord said to Moses, I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name. Then Moses said, Now show me your glory. And the Lord said, I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But, he said, you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live. Then the Lord said, there is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back, but my face must not be seen. Beloved congregation of our faithful triune God, it has been a time of celebration for us over the past few days as we have indeed celebrated the faithfulness of God to this congregation for the past 50 years. Indeed, a reason to celebrate. A reason to thank God. As we have been reminded through pictures, through stories and even through skits. There have been many changes over the years. Yet one thing that has remained the same is the faithfulness of God. Him whose Word is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His faithfulness is changeless as well. And we know that that's because our God is not a God who is far away, but He is a God who is near to all those who call upon Him in truth. He dwells with His people. He abides with His people through His Holy Spirit. We know from our 50th anniversary theme verse, Isaiah 25, verse 1, that God's faithfulness does not depend upon us. His faithfulness is not in response. It's not a response to anything that we have done. But His faithfulness has to do with Himself and who He is. And as we were beautifully reminded this morning, what He has planned from long ago. And while our celebration of this specific anniversary event is almost over, our celebration of God's faithfulness must always continue. Yet now as we consider the future, and in a sense the question, where do we go from here? What is it that is to be our desire? Well, I believe that the words of Moses in the text before us reminds the church and reminds individual believers and reminds us as a local congregation how we are to look to the future. And these words give us direction with regard to one of the petitions believers ought to always include in prayer. Notice the text again, verses 15 and 16. And Moses said to him, If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth? From this text, the sermon theme that I would like us to consider together is moving forward in the presence of the Lord. Now, Exodus chapter 33 is probably most well-known for the last part of the chapter where Moses, we read, is hid in the cleft of the rock. We are familiar with that wonderful hymn, He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock. But you see, there are two other very important themes here, already beginning in chapter 32. The themes of, first of all, God's presence, but also the theme of mediator. Moses as a mediator between God and His people. We want to consider both. But most of all, we want to consider God's presence. First of all, the Lord's presence is to be a desired presence. Boys and girls, very simply, we are to want God's presence with us. We are to want to be in God's presence. Let's consider the context first. The context, I believe, is interesting as it is both a little difficult to understand and maybe even a little bit upsetting in places. In the previous chapter, as I mentioned before, we find the episode of the golden calf. Moses had been up on Mount Horeb or Mount Sinai for a number of days for a long time and the people didn't think he was coming back. And therefore, the people pressured Aaron to make for them, as chapter 32 verse 1 says, God's who will go before us. Even the boys and girls, I trust, remember that story well. But what we need to keep in mind from that episode, you see, is that Israel broke covenant with God. Israel violated that covenantal arrangement that God had made with them when He said, I will be your God and you shall be My people. They replaced Him with an idol. And in effect, those who were guilty said that they would rather have in their midst a God that they could see, a God that they could touch, than the true God whom they could not see, they could not touch physically, yet who had revealed Himself and His power to them over and over again before they left Egypt and also as they had already wandered in the desert. As a mediator. Boys and girls, a mediator is one who goes between two parties. For example, a third person who goes between two people who are arguing, who are having a conflict together, and the third person tries to bring the two together to resolve the conflict, to bring them back to reconcile them together. As a mediator, Moses had already interceded to God on behalf of the people pleading for God's forgiveness, which he had to do over and over again, we know. In chapter 32, verses 31 and 32, we read, So Moses went back to the Lord and said, Oh, what a great sin these people have committed. They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin. But if not, then blot me out of the book you have written. But God did forgive. But He gives Moses the commission to go forward to the land flowing with milk and honey which He had promised to Israel long ago. However, the Lord says in verses 2 and 3 of chapter 33, I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way. Now this, of course, is where it might become difficult for us to understand what is going on. Why would God not go with His people? A few chapters earlier in Exodus, we find spread over a number of chapters. We find instructions with regard to the tabernacle. The tabernacle which pointed to God dwelling among, taking up residency, living with, abiding with His people. Now God said He would not do that. His angel, indeed, would fight for Israel and they would receive the land that God had promised them, but His presence would not go with them. Very simply, we are reminded here that that which is unholy cannot stand or survive in the presence of that which is holy. We think of Korah, Datham, and Abiram as they had rebelled against Moses and Aaron and really against God Himself. And the land opened up and swallowed them and their tents and their families up and all of their possessions. The holiness of God consumed the unholiness of these men. Sin must be forgiven. The offense must be removed. But we know from our study over and over again of justification that that's not enough. Indeed, our sin must be removed. But righteousness must be restored in order to stand in the presence of God. By their sin, the people deserved God's wrath, but they had also forfeited the favor of God's presence with all of its benefit and all of its comfort. Again, as a mediator, Moses had interceded with God for forgiveness, but Moses also wanted the assurance of God's presence. Verses 12 and 13, Moses said to the Lord, You have been telling Me, lead these people, but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, I know you by name and you have found favor with me. If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people. In other words, remember your plan from long ago. Moses pleads upon the promises of God that they are His people, but also that God has said that he knows Moses by name and that Moses has found favor with him. And the Lord responds in verse 14, My presence will go with you and I will give you rest. I emphasize you because you is singular here. The Lord says he will go with Moses, not all the people. But Moses is not content with that. Instead, he places himself as one of the people that he had said in verse 13 is God's people. I'm one of them. They and I are one. He does this in verse 15 of our text. If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. And the Lord responds again in verse 17 that He will do all that Moses has asked. Moses was clearly a temporary mediator between God and His people, pointing to our Lord Jesus Christ, our permanent mediator. Again, it's because God knew Moses by name and found favor with him that God answered Moses' request. And the people again found temporary favor with God. Beloved, that points forward to the fact that it's because of the blood of Jesus that our sins are forgiven. And it's because of the righteousness of Jesus that God dwells in our presence. Now that's a lengthy bit of context and we have by no means done justice to it. There's so much more that we could say about Moses as a temporary Savior and mediator pointing forward to the Lord Jesus Christ. But I want us to focus for a few moments on what Moses teaches us here about the beauty of the Lord's presence with His people. Again, first of all, God's people are to desire the Lord's presence. We are to want it. Very simply. Again, verse 15, Moses said, If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. Moses desired the presence of God with his people. Remember, Israel was longing forward to and looking forward to the promised land. But Moses is not content with simply an angel to go before them. He would settle for nothing less than the very presence of Almighty God Himself. Lord, if You won't go with us, if You won't dwell in our midst, in the land flowing with milk and honey, then please leave us in the desert. Moses knew that to live apart from God is certain death. He knew that their journey and the conflicts they would face with the enemy would not be sate if God's presence and His favor were not with them. Without the Lord to lead and to guide and protect His people, they didn't stand a chance. And the land flowing with milk and honey without the Lord was still a land of desolation. Young people, recently at the memorial service for Mrs. Howard's Isle, I made these comments. That for those who have everything that this life seems to offer, except Christ, they really have nothing. And their end is destruction. But for those who have nothing that it seems that this life has to offer, but they have Christ, they really have everything. And their end is eternal life. Moses knew that it's better to be in the desert with the Lord than to be in the land flowing with milk and honey without the Lord. It's only in His presence that we can confidently sing as we did a moment ago, My honor is secure with God. My Savior He is known. My refuge and my rock of strength are found in God alone. On Him ye people evermore rely with confidence. Before Him pour ye out your heart. For God is our defense. Beloved, our desire is to be that God continually be with us. That He lead us, guide us, direct us. Our desire is to be that our lives never be free, never ever, not even for a single solitary moment that our lives would be free from His presence. And we never desire that. Apart from Him, the way is not clear, it's not safe, and we are in danger because Satan is indeed like a roaring lion looking for the kill and unprotected. We are easy prey for Him. But our hope is in nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness and for the sake of Jesus Christ, God's promise for faithful believers and faithful congregations who delight in doing His will and who look to Him alone for their help and their strength, God's promise for them is that I will never leave you nor forsake you. Beloved, no matter how rough life's path may be, no matter what trials and disappointments we might face in our life, the Lord has said, I am with you always, even to the very end of the age. He is our refuge and our strength. A very present help in time of trouble. He has removed any reason to fear. Isaiah 41, verse 10, there the Lord says, So do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. You know, God proved this over and over again, especially as we consider Bible history. Boys and girls, God proved this with Israel crossing the Red Sea safely on dry ground while the very same walls of water came crashing down, wiping out, killing the Egyptians. God proved this with the walls of Jericho crumbling down without the Israelites so much as laying a finger on those walls. God proved that over and over again with the numerous battles the Israelites faced with nations who, humanly speaking, were larger and more powerful than Israel. I'm especially reminded, as Rev. Camelga said this morning, of Gideon and his small army of 300 versus, do you remember how many? 144,000. Do the math. That's one against 400. And we know who is victorious. God proved this with Daniel in the lion's den. With Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the fire furnace. He proved it with a martyr. So many who have given their lives over history, especially at the time of the Reformation. Indeed, they died. Some would say, where's the victory in that? Yet, they joyfully faced death because God was with them. God has given to us His Holy Word which is a lamp unto our feet and a light upon our path to guide us without mistake. The path is clearly lit up and He has given to us His Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. He's given to us the gift of prayer by which we might commune with our covenant God in response to His Word. Bringing before Him our praise and adoration as well as our needs and our requests. What precious gifts. You see, it's possible that we might be content temporarily without food or drink and maybe even without some of the physical necessities of life. But beloved, may we never be content without the very presence of the Lord. May it never be our desire to lean on our own understanding. But instead, by the leading and the illumination of the Holy Spirit, may we as God's people always trust in the Lord with all our heart and in all our ways acknowledge Him knowing that He will make our paths straight. It's not human strength and power that we are to rely on. We don't put our trust in the church, first of all, on the preacher or the elders or the deacons. They come and go. But our trust is to be first of all in the God under whom preachers, elders, and deacons are called to faithfully labor. It's not the desires of man that is to govern how we worship. It's not society's concept of inclusiveness and tolerance and acceptance that is to govern our Christian walk and life. But only the Word of God, which sets the standard for us. Moses knew that God's presence with His people meant God's blessing for His people. And that is to be our desire. But then the Lord's presence is also a defining presence. His presence defines those, gives definition to those who belong to Him. Verse 16 begins, Moses says, How will anyone know that you are pleased with Me and with your people unless you go with us? How will anyone know? You see, God's presence with His people defines His people as a people of grace. And defines that to the world. In the New Kings James Version, the verse is translated, For how then will it be known that your people and I have found grace in your sight, except you go with us? Beloved, God's grace is poured out upon His people. God's grace poured out upon His people is something that is indeed visible to the world. Whether they recognize it or not. Now it's true that at times we might try to hide God's grace in our lives because maybe we're afraid of how the world might react. Maybe we're afraid of their ridicule and their picking on us for whatever reason. And that's our sin, and we must confess that. But those who have received God's grace and witnessed His glory are to be a revelation to the world of God's grace and glory, just as Israel was to be a showcase. Just like when you window shop, you know? A showcase of God's mercy and grace to the heathen nations of the world. In fact, the nations did notice. In Numbers 14, verse 14, if you look there, you see again where Moses is pleading to God for the people because they had sinned. And he's pleading for forgiveness once again. And Moses, as it were, reminds God that the nations have heard that God is with His people. And as well, I'm especially reminded of Rahab and the spies when they came to check out Jericho. In Joshua 2, verses 8-11, we read, Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, I know that the Lord has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. Why? We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you. For the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. But even long before that, the Egyptians, as they were being tormented by the plagues, they experienced in their pain and suffering, they experienced the pleasure and favor of God for His people. If I remember right, it was the Edomites who refused to let Israel cross their territory because they were afraid to come in contact with God's people. Let me put it this way, beloved. Through Israel, the one true God revealed Himself as the God of the mountains and the valleys. As the God of the land and the sea. As the God of the sky and the heavens. He revealed Himself as the one true sovereign God over all things. And still today, God's presence with His church, through His Holy Spirit, defines His church as His favored people, His blessed people, a gracious people. That doesn't mean we are to act better than the world. We are not to be arrogant and proud over the world, but we are to be humbled because we deserve what those in the world who reject Christ will get. And that is to be cast away from God's presence of grace and glory forever and ever. It's true that the world really hates the church and attacks the church and desires to destroy the church. Even if the world acts like a friend to the church, the world really hates the church. The law of God, which is our standard of living, is constantly attacked as society fights to gain rights that completely disobey God's law and to force us, beloved, that's what's happening, to force us at times into compromising situations. Paul says that the wicked, those who are without excuse, suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Deep down they know there is a true God and that He is with His people and that He blesses His people, but in their ignorance and unbelief, they deny it. Yet, God's presence with His people is unmistakable in so many ways. In fact, at times it doesn't make sense to the world. When Paul prayed three times that the Lord would remove the thorn from His flesh, The Lord said, no. He said, my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness. That doesn't make sense. That's not reasonable to the world. It would make more sense to remove that form. They don't understand that God's grace is greater than our difficulties. In times of prosperity, God's people don't take credit to themselves, but they humbly thank God for His bountiful provisions. And you know what else? They share their wealth with those in need. Unheard of. As well, Christians support as best they can Christian education, which isn't cheap. When they could educate their children courtesy of taxpayers. Again, it doesn't make sense. But especially God's people demonstrate His grace as they express hope in death, as they have comfort in sorrow, as they have peace in times of difficulty, encouraged in times of sickness and are content with their lot in life. None of this makes sense to the world. But again, all of this is visible to those around us of God's grace. Visible even to those who do not believe in God. God's grace defines His people as belonging to Him. But along with this, and even overlapping with this somewhat, is the truth that the Lord's presence is a distinguishing presence. The last part of verse 16, What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth? Moses is talking about being separate from the people of the world who are not God's people. Indeed, God's grace defines God's people to the world. But also, God's people are distinguished from the world. God and His gracious presence with His people living in both the believer's heart and in the heart of the church by the power of the Holy Spirit. His presence is that which distinguishes believers from and separates believers from those who do not belong to Him. And although the world experiences what we call the common grace of God, yet God does not abide with the world in intimate, loving fellowship as He does with those redeemed by the blood of Jesus. The world does not find favor in His sight. As Paul says in Acts 17, for in Him we live and move and have our being. This is not true for those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ. As Pastor Donovan has reminded us through Ephesians, those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ are nothing more than dead men walking who have no true life. As we said earlier again, that which is unholy cannot stand in the presence of that which is holy. And that's why the Lord had said to Moses in verse 3, Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey, but I will not go with you because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way. God's holiness, as with Korah, Datham, and Abiram, would consume and destroy that which is unholy. Israel needed Moses to be a mediator for them. Again, he was only a temporary mediator, But Jesus Christ is the complete and final mediator for His church. And the result and the effect of His mediatorial work is eternal. Beloved, why are God's people distinguished from those who are not God's people? And how? Because of Emmanuel. Remember what that means? God with us. Our only hope is in Jesus Christ who purchased God's people with His own precious blood. We belong to Him, body and soul, in life and in death. And He says, you are Mine. All of this is beautifully stated in Isaiah 43. But now this is what the Lord says, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have summoned you by name, you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. The flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you and people in exchange for your life. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, give them up, and to the south, do not hold them back. Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory. Beloved, God Himself is the one who honors His people before the sight of the world, and He protects those who are His. We might not always recognize this as we would like in this life, but it's true. God has given His own Son in exchange for you and for me. As believers. Peter says of the church, in essence pointing to the beauty of the church in God's presence, but you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. And Paul clearly explains the future of the church, which is the bride of Christ, the church Christ loved and gave Himself up for, to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word and to present her to Himself as a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Beloved Jesus Christ and Him alone is the anchor of our soul into the very presence of God. An anchor that holds fast and we shall never be removed. Does that make your heart sing for joy, Is that a precious promise for you? Or do you take it for granted? Now beloved, may it never be that with our lips we thank God for setting us apart, but then we turn around and dishonor Him in worship. May it never be that we pray for His protecting hand, but then turn around and place ourselves in harm's way. May it never be that we would pray that God would keep us from sin and temptation only to turn around and place ourselves in compromising situations. May it never be that we would pray that God would bring sinners to Himself, but then we turn around and turn our backs on those He has placed in our path. Those who need to hear God's Word. May it never be that we thank God for making us a part of His church, but then turn around and try to blend in with and look like the world. Indeed, all of these things are things we ought to pray for. but not then to turn around and do the very opposite. Instead, may our prayer be, In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me. And may we strive in the power of the Spirit to live openly as those who belong to and live in the presence of the Lord. What does that mean? To live in the presence of the Lord? Again, Isaiah 43 was beautiful, but I think a text that we all know by heart is even more beautiful and more applicable. Psalm 23. The Lord is my shepherd I shall not be in want He makes me lie down in green pastures He leads me beside quiet waters He restores my soul He guides me in paths of righteousness For His name's sake Even though I walk through the valley Of the shadow of death I will fear no evil For You are with me Your rod and Your staff They comfort me You prepare a table before me In the presence of my enemies You anoint my head with oil My cup overflows surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever we all deserve to be cut off from God's love but in Christ Jesus those who believe by God's grace enjoy God's grace and His abiding spirit and may we as a church and may we as God's people desire to move forward only in the presence of the Lord may we continue to walk with the Lord in the light of His Word and through prayer led by His Spirit. Outside of His presence there's absolutely no hope. But in God's presence, beloved, there is life, there is blessing, there is eternal glory, there is strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. For Jesus' sake, our God has faithfully been our help in ages past. And He will be our only hope forever and ever. To God be the glory. Great things He has done. Amen. Shall we pray? Father, we thank You for yesterday. We thank You for today. We praise You for tomorrow. Whatever that tomorrow may be. Father, we do not go forward with blind eyes full of anxiety and worry because we know that you are with your people. You surround us. You protect us. And God with your people means God's blessing for your people, whether in sickness or in health, whether well-fed or hungry, whether in life or in death. Lord God, hear our prayer. Grant us your blessing as we move forward. And Father, never leave us or forsake us as you have promised. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.