And the Lord said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it: And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way (Ex. 33:1-3). And he said unto Him, If Thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and Thy people have found grace in Thy sight? is it not in that Thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and Thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth(Ex. 33:15-16).
In response to the intercessory prayer of Moses, God had stayed His initial judgment against the Israelites. And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people, which Thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand (Ex. 32:9-11)? And the Lord repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people (32:14). The unrepentant amongst them had been slain—familial relationships and neighborly bonds broken under the weight of their terrible sin (32:26-28). For those who remained, an uncertain future lay before them. Stained by sin, trembling in fear and guilt, they silently awaited God’s verdict.
True to His word to Moses, God reaffirmed the Israelites' inheritance of His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He remained faithful, even in the face of their faithlessness (II Tim. 2:13). The land would be theirs, and He would continue to provide for their welfare and security. All their worldly needs would be met. BUT… He declined to restore the broken bonds of fellowship. They had made it clear that they did not value His presence, so He was sending them on—without Him.
When Moses heard the Lord’s proposal, He was horrified. And he said unto Him, If Thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. It wouldn’t have made a difference to Moses if God were offering him the keys to the Garden of Eden itself; no blessing was worth the price of losing fellowship with God. However long it took, and whatever it required of him, Moses was determined not to move forward without God personally at the helm. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ (Phil. 3:8).
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels(Mark 8:36-38).
Thought for Today: Only by following God’s direction will we ever perceive the path.
Christ Revealed:As the One who is ever-present. My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest (peace) (Ex. 33:14). He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Heb. 13:5; compare Matt. 11:28; John 14:27).
Word Studies:32:7 corrupted themselves = behaved sinfully; 32:9 stiffnecked = willfully disobedient; 32:12 mischief = evil intent; repent of = renounce
Pray for Staff:Gilbert Palafox • Government Officials: Rep. Linda Sánchez(CA), Rep. Bennie Thompson(MS), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen(NH), Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett • Country: Pitcairn Islands (48) South Pacific Ocean • Major Languages: English, Pitkern • Religious Freedom • 100% Seventh-Day Adventist • Prayer Suggestion: Confess wrongs you have committed to the Lord and to those whom you have hurt; ask for forgiveness (Matt. 5:23-24).
Optional Reading Matthew 28