Exodus 33:1-11

            This chapter refers to the judgment of God as a result of the worship of the Golden Calf, Moses intercession for the people of Israel, and God's conditions for His continuing with Israel.

Verse 1-3, 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: {2} 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: {3} 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.

I.    The people are commanded to proceed without God.

A.  This is the most severe judgment.

1.      One of the great judgments of hell is the absence of God.

2.   The worse time for the saint is when God won't answer our prayers.

B.   God will fulfill His promise to Israel.

1.   God will always keep His word.

2.   God will send an angel (messenger) before them.

C.   God will not go with them.

1.   He cannot stand to dwell in the midst of sin.

2.   If He went with them, he would kill them all.

3.   The rebellion of Israel kept the people from enjoying a personal relationship with Him.  (The same is true for us.)

Verse 4-11, And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments. {5} For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. {6} And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb. {7} And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. {8} And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. {9} And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. {10} And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. {11} And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

II.   God decides what to do.

A.  The ornaments - a sign of joy and pleasure.

1.   An outward sign of an inward condition.

2.   Not for God, but for the people around us.

a.   Long hair on women, short hair on men.

b.   Deut 22:5 - Clothing can be an abomination.

3.      Verse 5 - God was going to decide a spiritual question based on an outward appearance.

4.      Therefore the things we do are very important.

5.      Verse 6 - The people humbled themselves

B.   God moves His dwelling place (verse 7-11)

1.   For protection of the people - It's the same for us.

2.      This tabernacle is not the tabernacle Moses saw in the Mount.

3.      Some think it's Moses' dwelling place.

4.      Placed outside the camp of Israel.

a.   Those that serve God must forsake all of their family and all of their possessions.

b.   This is a very personal decision, not a group decision.

5.   All worshipped in their tent door, but some sought the Lord at the tabernacle.

a.   Many did what their neighbors did, but they all remained a stiff necked people.

b.   Let us judge ourselves by God's standard, II Cor. 10:12.

6.      There was a manifestation of God's presence outside the camp.

a.   Some saw the glory of God afar off and worshipped.

b.   Some sought the Lord outside the camp.

c.   Which group are we in?

7.      Luke 4:24-27 - God will get His glory.  Many blessings outside of Israel because of rebellion.  Elijah fed by widow of Sidon, Naaman the Syrian healed of leprosy.

a.   Luke 19:32-40 - At triumphant entry into Jerusalem, Christ declares the stones will give Him glory if men do not.

b.   Many religious organizations on this earth give God glory because God's churches do not.

C.   Verse 11 - God speaks face to face.

1.      Moses enjoys a close fellowship while others seek God (verse 7) and some worship afar off, (verse 8).

2.   God spoke as a friend (discuss intimate problems and future plans).

3.      Joshua stayed.  This helps us understand why God chose him as the next leader and why he was able to give a good report (Numbers 14:6).