Tag: I will do

45. “Wilderness” – 9.f. ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’

 

Exodus 33:12-17  Moses said to the LORD, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”

For Moses, it wasn’t enough to know that he and Israel would make it to the Promised Land. In his estimation, the Promised Land was nothing special without the special presence of the LORD. “Moses is now concerned to obtain both a guarantee of that presence for his people, and also the enjoyment of a closer experience of it for himself.” Moses was determined to have God’s presence with Israel as close as possible. Moses was bold in drawing near to God, but he based the boldness on the grace God had already shown to him. This was a good ground for drawing near. Moses was almost obsessed with God. He was still on earth, but he connected everything to God in heaven. God seemed to answer Moses’ prayer, but Moses did not rest. He continued to press God for affirmation of the promise. This shows how boldly Moses sought after God for the sake of his own relationship with God and for the benefit of the nation. 

Moses knew that nothing the LORD could give them would make them truly different from the nations. Only the strong presence of the LORD Himself could do that. Moses wanted something for Israel that would show that they were not just like all the other nations, and that could only be the unique, powerful presence of their God. “‘Now,’ said Moses to God, ‘I am asking for this something extra, because I am concerned. Here we are thy people. How are all the other nations to know that we really are your people? They are looking on at us, they are laughing at us, mocking us and jeering at us, they are ready to overwhelm us. Now, I am asking for something,’ said Moses, ‘that will make it absolutely clear that we are not just one of the nations of the world, but that we are thy people, that we are separate, unique, altogether apart.’” God honored the bold intercession of Moses, and He promised to restore His relationship with Israel. (Guzik)

Do we seek and desire to know the promises of God? Do we proclaim them in our prayer(s)? Do we honor and glorify God by speaking to Him about His promises? Do we trust His promises? Do we rely on His Promises? Do we believe them without a doubt? 

If the answer is “yes” then all of our days will be filled with awe and wonder at the grace and mercy He has given, and our lives will be lived so that honor and glory are given to Him in every thought, word, and act we do.

18.k. “Not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.”

John 14:13   Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 15:7   If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Luke 22:44   “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

Psalms 40:8    I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

John 6:38    For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Can you imagine what it would be like to know the exact day and time that you were going to die an agonizing death with immense pain and suffering?  As the day approaches every waking moment is consumed with what is coming.  Wouldn’t you do everything within your power to advert this from happening?  Wouldn’t you seek help and intervention from your family and close friends?    What makes the willing surrender of Jesus to suffer immensely and die on the cross so amazing is that He did not say no.  He certainly did not want to go through this but out of His love for us He willingly obeyed, willingly submitted, willingly suffered, willingly listened to the mocking, and willingly died.  He willingly paid the price for OUR sin

Prayer is not about bending God’s will to get what we want. The purpose of prayer is to seek God’s will and then align our desires with His.  Alignment with God’s will.  Do you ever wonder how this happens?  How do we know God’s will? Jesus said “Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do”.  Some may say this verse confirms Jesus’ will because He said to ask and He will do.  Do you ever wonder how many prayers seek personal will over the will of God?  

When next you dwell in imagination upon the delights of some favorite sin, think of its effects as you behold them here! See its fearful effects in the garden of Gethsemane, and desire, by the help of God, deeply to hate and to forsake that enemy, to ransom sinners from whom the Redeemer prayed, agonized, and bled.  (Matthew Henry)

Ask for the ancient paths

“For we who have believed enter that rest”

Psalms 95:11  Therefore I swore in my wrath, “They shall not enter my rest.”

Numbers 14:23     shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it.   Say to them, ‘As I live, declares the LORD, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you:  your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me,  not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

Deuteronomy 1:34-35    “And the LORD heard your words and was angered, and he swore,  ‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers,

Hebrews 3:18     And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?

Jeremiah 6:16     Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

Hosea 4:4-11     And it shall be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.  They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply, because they have forsaken the LORD to cherish  whoredom, wine, and new wine, which take away the understanding.

Matthew 11:28-29     Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Revelation 14:13     And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

The contrast of those who willingly disobey and those who choose to follow Jesus Christ is clear.  The line in the sand, as it were, is the choice – either ‘We will not walk in it.’ or “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls”  and  again in “Come to me,” / “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me“.   God promises rest for those who come to Him, ask, and seek to learn from Him.  Likewise He promises the opposite for those who choose not to.  This is either all in or all out.  There is no in between.  Be mindful of the choice being made – it has an eternal consequence.

Trust in the Everlasting arms of God

“I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.”

Psalms 90:1   Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.

Exodus 33:14     And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.  For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”  And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”  Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”  And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

1 Timothy 6:11     But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

Psalms 71:3     Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

Psalms 91:9     Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge—

Deuteronomy 33:27     The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

Ezekiel 11:16     Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: Though I removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while in the countries where they have gone.’

1 John 4:16     So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

There is quite a bit to think about in these scriptures. “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here”.  Knowing we are in he purpose and plan in God reveals itself in comments like this.  Placing God in position of God over our life and yielding to His purpose for His plans gives peace to our soul.  Day after day, week after to week, month after month, and year after year in His presence becomes our dwelling place refreshing our knowledge and understanding of Him. We face each day in the presence of the rock of our salvation, our refuge, our hope, our fortress…  I wonder why there are days I live in the this world and worry about things I have no control over nor can I change. This worry leads often to being defeated and without hope over the situation.  These moments seem to just pop up least expected and, then, when I should be comforted in the power, might, strength, love, purpose, plan of the creator of all there is I give over to thoughts of worry.  He is bigger than anything we face no matter how gloomy it looks.  Is He enough – No – He is much more than enough, He is greater than what I can imagine and can do infinitely more than I ask.  Give your day to Him and live in His presence and be an encouragement to those who are floundering.