Text : Exodus 33:12-17

Introduction.

The people of Israel climbed Mount Sinai.
They were there for one year.
God made a covenant with Israel there.
They received the 10 commandments.
They built the Tabernacle.( chapter 25 )
Exodus 33:1 Moses is about to be gone.
Then Moses has 3 requests before God.

01. Exodus 33:12 Who will go with me to help me out?

Moses didn't have much experience in traveling through the desert.
Numbers 10:29-32 Hobab is invited to accompany the people.
Illustration: Luke 5: 4-7 "It is easier to fish when there is team-work."
II Timothy 4:11 "Mark is really helpful to my ministry."

02. Exodus 33:15 Moses asks for God's presence among them.

Exodus 33:3 God announces that He is not going to travel along with the people.Why?
For the Calf of gold.( Exodus 32 )
They've committed spiritual adultery.
Illustration: Luke 8:37 "The Gadarenes didn't want Jesus' presence.
Application: The world has set God aside.

03. Exodus 33:18 Moses asks God to see His Glory.

God's glory =His holiness,His power.It means to see God himself.
Moses was not prepared to see God.
His request was 1000 years ahead of time.
It became reality when Jesus came to this world. John 1:14

CONCLUSION:

Exodus 33:23 God makes an exception: "you will see me from behind."

01) We're mistaken when we think that it's possible to know God completely.

Isaiah 55:8-9 "my ways and thoughts are higher"
When we know a person deep inside we may control him or her.
When we know how to operate a machine well,we may control it.
We want to do the same thing with God.
But the truth is that we become humbler as we get to know God more and more.

02)What does"you will see me from behind " mean?
 
Kierkegaard says: "We should guide our lives towards the future,but we can only understand it when we look back."
Application: We never see God when He's nearby;we only recognize Him when he's already gone.
Illustration: Genesis 28:16 . Jacob at Bethel."Surely the Lord is in this place and I wasn't even aware of it."
God is with us (Emmanuel), but we only understand that later on.
In the New Testament,two people saw God's glory.
Jesus and Stephen.When? Shortly before dying. Are we willing to have the same experience? Exodus 33:15
"If you don't go with us personally,we won't move a step from this place.
We will stay here until you command us to go,until we see your presence among us.
We want to have this experience in our personal life and in our church as well.