The Lord spoke to Moses: “Go up from here, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt..
.. But I will not go up with you because you are a stiff-necked people..
Exodus 33::1a,3b CSB
Sojourning through the Shifting Sands of a Wilderness Encounter
What happened? Did the LORD GOD change His mind?
That’s what we might think when our journey following the Lord becomes difficult. But we know and neglect some of the warnings to this chosen people.
Yes, they are still chosen; but who will follow the Lord and Moses, obeying Commands of the Lord? Will we obey leaders chosen by the LORD who command us in our journey?
How did we arrive in this wilderness?
The Hebrews were slaves in Egypt. The Lord sends 10 plagues which finally convince Pharaoh to allow Moses to lead them away. (Most of us know this part.)
When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road to the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearby; for God said,
“The people will change their minds and return to Egypt if they face war.” So he led the people around toward the Red Sea along the road of the wilderness. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt in battle formation. –Exodus 13:17-18 CSB
Then the Lord spoke to Moses:
“Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you must camp in front of Baal-zephon, facing it by the sea..
.. Then I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this. – Exodus 14:1-2,4b
GOOD so far .. and most everyone knows of their escape by crossing the Red Sea.
BUT, now the trouble begins. (You probably know about the 40 years thing, too.)
Exodus 17:
17 וַ֠יִּסְעוּ כָּל־עֲדַ֨ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל מִמִּדְבַּר־סִ֛ין לְמַסְעֵיהֶ֖ם עַל־פִּ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַֽיַּחֲנוּ֙ בִּרְפִידִ֔ים וְאֵ֥ין מַ֖יִם לִשְׁתֹּ֥ת הָעָֽם׃
2 So the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water so that we may drink!”
We can hardly take time to detail all the complaints and all the rebellion, but a selective look after the triumph of crossing the Red Sea will set the scene of their 40 year punishment as our warning to obey to the Lord our God.
4 .. “Why did you ever bring us up from Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”
Scene at Mount Sinai
19 בַּחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י לְצֵ֥את בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם בַּיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה בָּ֖אוּ מִדְבַּ֥ר סִינָֽי׃
16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
Exodus 19:17 NASB
It is not a mere burning bush not consumed.
A PILLAR of FIRE from Heaven to earth!
NOT an insignificant spewing of fire and brimstone from within the bowels of the earth through the peak of a volcano. Sinai has neither exploded nor been consumed, but the Presence of the LORD IS AWESOME to behold!
LOUD TRUMPETS from above warning a consecrated people of God NOT to come near the place of the LORD as they have been warned and prepared.
18 Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the entire mountain quaked violently. When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him with thunder.
Then the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
And now what?
“Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt ..
And I will send an angel before you .. for I will not go up in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, and I might destroy you on the way.”
Exodus 33: 1-3 excerpt NASB
This is what the LORD would tell Moses later. Now, after seeing the awe of the Lord our God on Sinai, the faithful chosen of God must wait — the consecrated people of the LORD must wait for Moses to give them HIS WORD which must be obeyed.
To be continued...
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