WIST NOT #2

GOD’S GLORYDATE: 8/3/2014 am

TEXT: Exodus 33; 34:28 – 35; II Corinthians 3:7

INTRODUCTION

Are you interested in having your skin glow?

The men may not, but apparently glowing skin is a great interest to women

There is all kind of products available to give your skin a natural glow

I was amused as I read different articles on homemade facials to help women

One recipe called for you to mash a whole banana, add a teaspoon of honey and a drop of orange juice, mix and apply to your face for about fifteen minutes

I thought to myself, if it doesn’t make the skin look better … at least it will make you attractive to bees and monkeys

That’s not the type of glowing skin I’m talking about

Instead, I want to preach about the kind that glows from the Glory of God  As we continue to look at the phrase “wist not”

“wis” means To … Know, think, or suppose … Something

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God’s Glory – Exodus 34:28-35 We come to Moses, after 40 days on Sinai,

… coming down with the 10 Commandments

I want to look at our little phrase in relation to God’s Glory

If you remember the story, when Moses came down, his face shined with the Glory of God

v.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” Moses was unaware of what had happened to him while in the presence of God

“Moses wist [knew] not that the skin of his face shone”

I’m not talking about a natural glow, but a supernatural glow

The Bible says that “the skin of his face shone”

The word “shone” means to shoot out rays of light

The face of Moses was radiant with the Glory of God  Ill. The famous preacher, Henry C. Trumbull, in his book of memoirs had a chapter entitled, “What a Boy Saw in the Face of Adoniram Judson.” The great missionary Judson [Burma] was home on furlough. He passed through the town of Stonington, Connecticut. Trumbull, just a young boy at the time, was playing on the wharves when Judson arrived and he was struck by his appearance. He had never seen such a light on a human face. He

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God’s Glory – Exodus 34:28-35 ran up the street to the preacher’s house and asked if he knew who the man was. The preacher hurried back and recognizing Judson became so absorbed in conversation with Judson that he forgot all about young Trumbull.

The years would pass, but Trumbull could never forget the influence Adoniram Judson’s radiant face had on him!

Ill. I remember as a young Christian seeing someone who actually had just come off a 40 day fast and was talking to a group of believers. Wow! is all I can say, they really “shone”. I saw it with my own 2 eyes. That event will always stay in my mind. (Stephen Acts 6:15) It would seem that these folks had glowing skin much like Moses had

Let’s look at the circumstances surrounding the glowing face of Moses … and learn how to have a glowing face ourselves (Or at least a glowing heart)

Let’s pray and think on this thought – “God’s Glory”

~~~Prayer~~~

If we truly want to shine with the Glory of God  Then first, I want you to notice that Moses was -  

I. “ALONE IN THE PLACE” OF GOD Exodus 33:21 - “And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by Me…”

This was the place where God wanted to meet Moses

In Exodus 34:2 we see that the place was Mount Sinai

God was calling Moses to meet Him on the mountain

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God’s Glory – Exodus 34:28-35 The time Moses and God spent together, reminds us of …

The time, we are to meet God, and spend time with Him

God said to Moses in v.2 - “And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to Me in the top of the mountain”

(There’s that morning concept again)

Just as Moses was to present himself to God,

Believers, are to present themselves before God

Even the host of heaven present themselves before God

Job 1:6; 2:1 – “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD,”

Some may call it a Quiet Time, others Private Devotions

Whatever you call it, there is the need to meet God, and spend time with Him  It was the practice of our Saviour, to meet His Father, and spent time with Him

Matthew 14:23 – “And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, He was there alone” 

As Believers we need to spend time with our Father

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God’s Glory – Exodus 34:28-35 I want you to notice 4 things about this time that Moses spent with God on the mountain

First, we see that it was a -  A. ‘Personal’ Meeting with God 

In v. 2 God said to Moses - “present thyself”

This was a very personal meeting between God and Moses

Believer must take this time seriously

I’m saying that every Christian (none excluded) should do 2 things  1. First, every Christian should make time to meet

God

I’ve heard people say, they wish they could pray more,

… But that they’re so busy they don’t have time

If a person is too busy to spend time with God, they are too busy

The truth is that we make time for what is important to us

The reason many don’t – It’s not that they “can’t”

It’s that they “won’t”!

Personal time with God is just not that important to them

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God’s Glory – Exodus 34:28-35

Because if it was, you would do it

Folks always find time to do those things that they feel are important

Every Christian should make time to meet God

2. Secondly, every Christian should take time to meet God

Somewhere in our daily lives, we should take the time to spend time with God

No matter how busy or how hectic our lives, we must take time to spend with God

Come apart with God, or you will come apart (unglued) Every believer needs to spend time with God  

We not only see that this was a ‘Personal’ Meeting

But we also see that it was a -  B. ‘Private’ Meeting with God 

God said to Moses in v.3 - “And no man shall come up with thee”

This was to be a private meeting between God and Moses

Moses was to meet God in solitude

He was to be alone with God  

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God’s Glory – Exodus 34:28-35 Believers are to take the time to be alone with God

Jesus had this in mind when He said in Matthew 6:6 –

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret…”

The word “closet” speaks of privacy

Jesus was teaching us to get alone with God  It’s true that we can pray as we drive to work or go about our day

But as with Moses … and as Jesus taught,

There needs to be a time when we retire from all activities,

For the single purpose of being alone with God  1. This should be a place without distractions

2. This should be a place without disturbances

That’s why early mornings are perfect

It’s our Personal and Private meeting with God

Furthermore, it was a -  C. ‘Purposeful’ Meeting with God 

As we look at the time Moses spent with God

We learn why we need to spend time with God Page | 7

God’s Glory – Exodus 34:28-35

What should take place during this time?

1. First, it was a time of adoration

v.8 – “And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped”

The word “worshipped” literally means to depress

It’s speaking of prostrating, paying homage, and reverence, humbling ourselves

Our time with God is to be a time of adoration

It’s a time to Humble ourselves and lift our Hearts  2. Secondly, it was a time of conversation

-- In v.1 we read - “And the LORD said unto Moses,”

-- In v. 9 we read - “And he (Moses) said”

It was a time of open dialogue between the two

The time that we spend with God is a time to talk with God

 3. It was also a time of confession

In v.9 Moses says - “…pardon our iniquity and our sin”

Moses seeks God’s forgiveness, for both himself and the children of Israel

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God’s Glory – Exodus 34:28-35 We need to meet God to confess and find cleansing

 4. Lastly, let me say that it was a time of petition

In v. 9 Moses asks - “If now I have found grace in Thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray Thee, go among us”

Here we find Moses asking God to do something

This should be a time when we bring our needs, requests, and petitions to God

 It was not only ‘Personal’, ‘Private’, and ‘Purposeful’

But it was also a -  D. ‘Prolonged’ Meeting with God 

We read in v.28 - “And he was there with the LORD forty days and nights”

Moses really spent time with God

40 days and nights to be exact!

This was not a rushed meeting

This was no brief pause, but an extended period  One of the reasons Moses face Glowed …

Was that he met God and spent time with Him

We not only notice Moses …

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God’s Glory – Exodus 34:28-35 “ALONE IN THE PLACE” OF GOD

But we also see Moses becoming -  

II. “ACQUAINTED WITH THE PERSON” OF GOD While Moses was alone with God,

He received a glorious revelation from God

vs. 5-7a - “And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD” “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,” “Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin …” 

As we look at this Revelation we see that it was -  A. ‘Divine’  

It was the “L ORD ” Himself

That “descended in the cloud and stood” with Moses

Not an angel, not some apparition

It was the “LORD” that “proclaimed the name of the LORD”

The word “proclaimed” means to call out

The Lord called out His own name to Moses

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God’s Glory – Exodus 34:28-35 It was God making Himself known to Moses  1. The Lord wants to make Himself known to us

One of the reasons God wanted to spend time with Moses …

Was to reveal Himself to him in a personal way  

2. Most only know God theoretically, not experientially

They only know about Him,

But have never become acquainted with Him

They have never experienced Him as the God He is and Desires to be in our life Humor: A first grader was drawing a picture and his teacher asked him what he was drawing. “God,” he replied, “I’m drawing God.” The teacher said, “Nobody knows what God looks like.” Without hesitation the little boy said, “They will when I get done.” 

3. God wants to be more than just something we acknowledge

He wants to be real in our life!

He wants us to know Him in an intimate and personal way

He’s God and He wants us to know it!

As He made Himself known to Moses in a real and personal way,

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God’s Glory – Exodus 34:28-35

He wants to make Himself known to us in a real and personal way

 There was not only a ‘Divine’ Revelation

But it was also -  B. ‘Diverse’  

We read in v. 6 that the “LORD passed before” Moses and proclaimed - “The LORD”

God called out to Moses and said –

“I am Jehovah, I am the self-existent One”

What a wonderful revelation of Himself

But that was only the beginning

He also proclaimed that He was - “The LORD … God”

He was telling Moses that He was …

The Almighty self-existent one  Then to add to that, He declares Himself to be -

“merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin”

It was Diverse, in that; it showed the many aspects of God  

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God’s Glory – Exodus 34:28-35 1. God not only wants us to know Him

But also all that He can be in our life

He not only wants us to know that He is God

But also what kind of God He is

He is a God that is sufficient for every need

Ill. I think of the Romans and their Polytheism. There was Jupiter, the king of the gods; Juno, the queen of the gods; Neptune – god of the sea; Pluto – god of death; Apollo – god of the sun; Diana – god of the moon; Mars – god of war; Cupid and Venus – god and goddess of love; Mercury – messenger of the gods; Saturn – god of time; Janus – god of doors, and that is just a few of the gods they worshipped. Their gods were limited and departmentalized.

 2. Yet, our God, the One and Only True God, is all we

need - in Himself

He is much more than a God Who created the heavens and earth

He is the God that is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth, and the One who forgives sin

And that’s just the beginning

He wants us to learn about, and become acquainted with, Him

Why? … That we might know what kind of God He can be 

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God’s Glory – Exodus 34:28-35 3. Our God is indeed great and He wants His children

to know that!

Spending time with God is essential if we are to become acquainted with Him in a real and personal way

The only way you can really get to know someone is by spending time with them

If you spend a lot of time with a person you’ll learn

… How they feel and think and do things,

If we are to know God, we must spend time with Him

 It’s no wonder that the face of Moses radiated with the Glory of God

He had been with God, and in that time, he had seen God in a great and glorious way

“ALONE IN THE PLACE” OF GOD

“ACQUAINTED WITH THE PERSON” OF GOD

The last thing we see about Moses and God’s Glory is

How he was -  

III. “AFFECTED BY THE PRESENCE” OF GOD No one can truly meet God and not be changed

The experience of meeting God on the mount was evident

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God’s Glory – Exodus 34:28-35

“the skin of his face shone”

He was aglow with the glory of God!  Look at how spending time with God affects us

First, we see -  A. The ‘Experience’ of God’s Glory 

We find in Exodus 33:18 Moses’ prayer –

“And he said, ‘I beseech Thee, shew me Thy glory”

Moses wanted to see God’s glory

God delights in showing Himself glorious

So God allowed Moses to see His glory  I love Exodus 33 beginning at v.12

Its here that God tell Moses that He will put him in the cleft of the rock and pass by

v.20 tells us that no man can look upon God and live

God covered Moses with His hand … and only allowed Him to see His back parts

Exodus 33:19-23 …

The Lord passed before Moses … and Moses gets a glimpse of God’s glory  

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God’s Glory – Exodus 34:28-35 Do you desire to see God’s glory?

How blessed are the times God brings us into His presence

And gives us a glimpse of His glory  There was The ‘Experience’ of God’s Glory

Last there was -  

B. The ‘Expression’ of God’s Glory

vs. 29-35 …

When Moses came down from the mountain

His face was glowing with the glory of God

In fact, it was so much so, that the people could not look upon him

He had to put a veil over his face

Moses bore the effects of spending time with God 1. When we spend time with God it will always leave

its mark

I am not saying that our face will glow with God’s glory as did Moses’, but it will affect our lives

Turn to II Corinthians 3

Paul discusses the glowing face of Moses

In v.7 he describes how – Page | 16

God’s Glory – Exodus 34:28-35

“…the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance…”

 2. In the context of that discussion Paul says in v.18 -

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same

… image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord”

Paul is telling us that as we look upon the glory of the Lord …

We are changed by that glory and we begin to bear in our own lives a reflection of that glory  Paul tells us that as we spend time with the Lord we began to reflect Him in our life

Have you ever noticed how children pick up the ways, and even words, of those they admire?

Even adults occasionally pick up mannerisms and ways from people we spend a lot of time with

When we spend time with the Lord we will pick up His manners

We find ourselves starting to act like Him! 

I love Acts 4:13 which says –

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God’s Glory – Exodus 34:28-35 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus”

Everyone knew they had been with Jesus!

As believers we need to spend time with the Lord

When we do, there will be something about our life –

Maybe even our face – that will reveal we have been with Jesus

When we get …

“ALONE IN THE PLACE” OF GOD

We will become …

“ACQUAINTED WITH THE PERSON” OF GOD

This will cause us to be …

“AFFECTED BY THE PRESENCE” OF GOD

CLOSING PRAYER AND INVITATION

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