In the first sermon titled, “Access Granted,” we saw how the death of Jesus Christ on the cross tore the veil from the temple. This gave God’s people full access again into the divine presence of God, even after being banished from the Garden of Eden due to sin and later having only limited access through sacrificial offerings.

In the second sermon titled, “The Revealed Presence,” we looked at the many ways God reveals himself to us through his omnipresence, his in-dwelling presence, and the life of Jesus Christ. We have been created for the pursuit of God in order that we may experience the fullness of God. This is seen in James’ charge to, “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:8).

This week we begin by examining some passages in Exodus 33:1-3, 12-15. In them, we find that Moses has an encounter with God which reveals some life-changing truths about pursuing God’s presence and how to go about doing so.

First, we see that Moses pursued God’s presence desperately. The Israelites had rebelled against God by worshiping a golden calf while Moses was on Mount Sinai. God tells him, “I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people” (Exodus 33:3), Moses pleads with God saying, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here” (Exodus 33:15). Moses understood that God’s presence is a necessity and not an accessory. Without God’s presence, we are like a fish out of water; for as the body needs oxygen to survive, our soul needs the presence of God to thrive.

Secondly, Moses pursued God’s presence genuinely. It wasn’t enough for him to get to the Promised Land without the presence of God. Like the Psalmist who wrote, “My heart says of you, ‘Seek his face!’ Your face, Lord, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8), Moses’ desire for God’s presence surpassed any desires he may have had for God’s promises. This truly reveals that our inner belonging as believers is to seek God. If we only seek the hand of God (what he can do for us), we will miss the face of God (the fulness of his presence). However, if we seek the face of God, then we will also experience the hand of God accordingly.

Lastly, Moses pursued God intimately. Moses intentions on pursuing God’s presence become clear in Exodus 33:13 when he asks God, “Teach me your ways so I may know you.” The word “know” used here by Moses translates to more than a surface knowledge, but rather an experience of God on a deeper level. Generations later, king David noted that even though the people of Israel may have known God through his deeds, Moses knew his ways (Psalm 103:7).

David learned from Moses and made it his life passion to pursue God similarly. He writes, “I have set the Lord always before me.  Because he is at my right hand I will not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8).  When we have a constant awareness of God’s presence in our day to day life, we become undaunted. David adds, “You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence” (Psalm 16:11).  It’s in our desperate, genuine, and intimate pursuit of God’s presence that we get to know him personally as he leads our every step and satisfies our every need.