Relationship – God in us: Exodus & Leviticus

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Genesis chapter 15.

Genesis 15 · chapter mention

We will be looking at Exodus and Leviticus, but we will be starting off in Genesis 15.

So get your Bibles at the ready.

Genesis 15.

You'll see by the title there this morning we're looking at relationships.

Somebody sent me a message when they saw that and said it was great that I was fitting in well with the day and what a romantic I was to be thinking of relationships.

Well, let me make a disclaimer here.

I made no connection between what I am saying and hadn't a clue that it was February the 14th and that it was Valentine's Day.

I'm a complete disaster in the area of spontaneity.

So my poor wife, I shall try to do better.

Nonetheless, we're still going to be looking at relationships.

We can delete what's on the recorder.

Don't worry.

In case they remind me next year for the same mistake.

So here we go.

We'll pray and ask for God's help.

Father, we thank you for all the good things you bring to us every day.

There are times we struggle with ill health.

There are times we struggle with circumstances that we are in.

But yet in the midst of it, you are always God.

In charge.

Lord over all.

With us.

Not forsaking us.

So would you please help us to understand better this relationship that you've called us into.

What it looks like.

And how we should live with you.

Father, please encourage us all this morning, we pray.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, it was a night that they would never forget.

After 430 years of brutal slavery,

God had rescued Israel from the cruel oppression of Pharaoh.

But if we've been following the story,

that rescue would not be a surprise.

Because 600 years beforehand,

God had made this promise to Abraham.

Have a look at Genesis 15, verse 13.

Genesis 15:13

Genesis 15, verse 13.

Genesis 15:13

So this is 600 years before the release from Egypt.

Then the Lord said to Abraham,

Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own,

and they will be enslaved and will be ill-treated for 400 years.

So he promised that there would be slavery.

But he also promised this, verse 14.

But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,

and afterwards they will come out.

Literally, they will be redeemed,

and with great possessions.

But rescue was not only the beginning of the plan.

Have a look at Exodus chapter 6, verse 6.

Exodus 6:6

Exodus chapter 6, verse 6.

Exodus 6:6

Exodus chapter 6, verse 6.

Exodus 6:6

Exodus chapter 6.

Exodus 6 · chapter mention

So rescue was in God's mind at the beginning.

But there was something more.

Chapter 6, verse 6.

Therefore say to the Israelites,

I am the Lord,

and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.

I will free you from being slaves to them,

and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm

and with mighty acts of judgment.

And here comes the reason for the rescue.

I will take you as my own people,

and I will be your God.

Can you see that?

They are rescued for relationship.

I will be your God.

You will be my people.

I will belong to you,

and you will belong to me.

Israel, this great nation,

had been released from the brutal oppression of Pharaoh

and have now been brought out under the loving rule of God.

They have been rescued for relationship.

And in some ways,

it's a looking back to the Garden of Eden.

Do you remember how it was then?

Adam and Eve living in relationship with God,

enjoying God in the Garden of Delight.

And now God is saying to this nation,

not just to two people,

but to a whole nation,

I am going to be in relationship with you

in a new land,

in a new place,

where you can know me

and enjoy me.

You see, God's aching desire

is to rescue people like us

so that we also can live in relationship with him.

He rescues us from our slavery to sin

so that we can enjoy him.

He frees us from the oppression of Satan

so that we can live under God's good rule.

That's the big story of the Bible.

Now, if we're to live in relationship with God,

well, it's a relationship that really matters.

And we have to know how to learn

or how to live rightly with God.

Have a look at Exodus chapter 19

Exodus 19 · chapter mention

as we move on through the story.

Exodus 19.

At this stage, they've been released from Egypt

and they're now travelling through the desert

and they've come to a mountain

which is called Mount Sinai.

And here God comes and speaks

through Moses to the people.

So chapter 19, verse 3.

Moses went up to God.

So he went up this mountain

and the Lord called to him from the mountain

and said,

This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob

and what you are to say to the people of Israel.

You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt

and how I carried you on eagle's wings

and brought you to myself.

Do you see again?

It's that theme that's repeated.

I've rescued you

and I'm committed to you.

This relationship that God is in with the people

is not going to be an in-out kind of relationship.

It's a relationship where God says,

We're not going to break up.

We're going to be committed to one another.

And that means there's going to be responsibility.

So look at verse 5.

So if you obey me fully

and keep my covenant,

then out of all the nations

you will be my treasured possession.

Although the whole earth is mine,

you will be for me a kingdom of priests

and a holy nation.

These are the words

that you are to speak to the people.

I am going to give you a way to live,

says God.

I'm going to show you

how you are to live in relationship with me.

But there's a problem.

These people can't get close to God.

Look at verse 10.

And the Lord said to Moses,

Go to the people and consecrate them.

Get them ready to meet God.

Consecrate them today and tomorrow.

Make them wash their clothes

and be ready by the third day

because on the third day

the Lord will come down from Mount Sinai

in the sight of all the people.

Put limits for the people around the mountain.

and tell them,

Be careful that you do not go up to the mountain

or touch the foot of it.

Whoever touches the mountain

shall surely be put to death.

But what's going on?

God had said so clearly,

I will be your God

and you will be my people.

You are going to be my treasured possession.

I rescued you for myself.

But if you try and get close to me,

you are going to die.

But what kind of relationship is that?

It's an invitation to say,

Come to me.

But if you do,

it's going to be very dangerous.

Well, I think God wants us to understand

who he is.

God is not our best buddy

who we ignore and we can forget.

God is not our mate

who we can treat as we please.

No, God is different

to every other kind of relationship

and he demands that we treat him rightly.

So look at verse 16.

On the morning of the third day,

there was thunder and lightning

with a thick cloud over the mountain

and a very loud trumpet blast.

Everyone in the camp trembled.

Then Moses led the people out of the camp

to meet with God

and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

Mount Sinai was covered with smoke

because the Lord had descended on it in fire.

The smoke billowed up from it

like smoke from a furnace

and the whole mountain trembled violently

and the sound of the trumpet

grew louder and louder.

And Moses spoke

and the voice of God answered him.

Here is God in his supreme power

an absolute purity.

Picture the scene.

This fire coming down.

This smoke coming from the mountain.

The mountain itself begins to shake.

You don't mess with this God.

You dare not come to him with disrespect.

We cannot treat God as we want

and expect to get away with it.

You see, the problem is

we have domesticated God.

We have reduced our Creator God

into something manageable.

We like the idea of a relationship with God

but we want to control

how that relationship should work.

So we like the idea of a God

who is all-powerful

but not so powerful

that he will confront me

and challenge me.

Or we like the idea of a God

who is pure and just

but not so pure

that he won't agree with what I want.

If the truth be told

we want a grandfather type God.

A God whose job it is

to give us treats

and soothe us with gifts

when things don't go our way.

We want a God

who won't tell me how to live.

A God who will ignore my sin

but will always accept me.

But God will not let us do that.

Verse 23

Moses said to the Lord

The people cannot come up Mount Sinai

because you yourself warned us

put limits around the mountain

and set it apart as holy.

You see, God is different to us.

We are not co-equals.

He is not our mate

our best buddy.

He is our creator

and our Lord.

So there are three things

we need to know about God

if we are to live

in relationship with him.

Here is the first one.

God commands

that we worship only him.

Look at chapter 20

verse 1

And God spoke

all these words.

I am the Lord your God

who brought you

out of Egypt

out of the land of slavery.

This is what I have done for you.

I am the God

who has intervened

into your lives

and rescued you.

I freed you from slavery.

I have brought you

out of your cruel bondage.

So because of what

I have done for you

this is how you should relate to me.

This is how you should treat me.

Now I hope at the beginning

of what we call

the Ten Commandments

you can see an order here.

Do you see the pattern?

God always rescues first

and then shows us

how to live in relationship with him.

God does not say

follow this command

and then I will rescue you.

No, God says

because I have done this for you

because I have freed you

and made you my people

this is how you should treat me.

And it's no different for us.

God always acts in grace to us

first.

He says

because of what I have done for you

it's not your performance

it's what I have done for you

this is how you should live

in response.

So what does God command?

Verse 3

You shall have

no other gods

before me.

Do not replace me

with your own gods.

Remember

I'm the God who created you.

I'm the God

who has given you

life and breath.

I'm the God

who sustains you

and provides you

with every single thing

that you have.

So don't go making

other gods

and pretending

that they look after you

and that they save you.

Jesus himself

would say the same thing

when he was asked

what is the greatest commandment.

Jesus replied

love the Lord your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your mind.

I'm the God

who rescues you

so give to me

your undivided loyalty

and devotion.

worship

only

me.

Now as Moses

was receiving

this command

what do you think

the people were doing

down below

when Moses was up

on the mountain?

Remember what the command was?

You shall have

no other gods

before me.

What do you think

the people were up to?

Well have a look

at Exodus

Exodus 32 · chapter mention

chapter 32.

Exodus

Exodus 32 · chapter mention

chapter 32

and verse 1.

So we've got to remember

the scene

we've got to keep

this in context

Moses is up the mountain

talking to God

all the people

are down below

and they can't get

close to God.

and what do we read?

Chapter 32

verse 1

When the people

saw that Moses

was so long

in coming down

from the mountain

they gathered

round Aaron

and said

come

make us gods

who will be

before us

who will go

before us.

As for this fellow

Moses who brought

us up out of Egypt

we don't know

what's happened

to him.

Aaron answered

take off your

gold earrings

that your wives

your sons

your daughters

are wearing

and bring them

to me.

So all the people

took off their

earrings and brought

them to Aaron.

He took what

they handed him

and made it

into an idol

cast in the shape

of a calf

fashioning it

with a tool.

Then they said

these are your

gods

O Israel

who brought

you up

out of Egypt.

Isn't it ironic?

Now we look

at these

bunch of people

down around

the mountain

carrying on

like this

and we think

no I would

never do

anything like

that.

That's not me.

But we must

remember an idol

is not just

a carved

statue.

An idol

is anyone

or anything

that takes

the place

of God.

So that means

your children

can be an idol.

Your job

can be an idol.

An activity

a desire

an object

your career

anything

that takes

the place

of God

is an idol.

Just like Israel

we worship

other things.

We give

our loyalty

to our kids

our devotion

to our work

our praise

to our heroes.

We replace

God with

something else

but God

will not

stand for that.

Look at

chapter 32

verse 9.

God looks

down from

the mountain

and here's

what he says

verse 9.

I have seen

these people

the Lord

said to Moses.

They are a

stiff necked

people.

That is they are

stubborn and rebellious.

now leave

me alone

so that my

anger may

burn against

them

that I

may destroy

them

then I

will make

you into

a great

nation.

But Moses

sought the

favour of

the Lord

his God.

O Lord

he said

why should

your anger

burn against

your people

whom you

brought up

out of

Egypt

with great

power

and with

a mighty

hand?

why should

the Egyptians

say it

was with

evil

intent

that he

brought

them

out

to

kill

them

in

the

mountain

and to

wipe

them

off the

face

of

the

earth?

Turn

from your

fierce

anger

relent

and do

not bring

disaster

on your

people.

Well if

we were to

go on

reading through

the story

we would

see that

God does

not ignore

their

rebellious

behaviour.

He does

punish the

people

but

he does

relent

and the

vast

majority

are

saved

but

God

is

still

unwavering

in his

command

to the

people.

Chapter

34

verse

14

So after

this whole

episode

God

comes back

to it

again.

Verse

14

he says

to them

do not

worship

any other

God.

for the

Lord

whose

name

is

jealous

is a

jealous

God.

You see

God does

not want

to share

us

with

anything

else

or anyone

else.

We

belong

to him

so he

deserves

our lives

he deserves

our

worship.

We

sometimes

think of

jealousy

as something

that's

negative.

But

jealousy

can also

be

something

positive.

So think

of a

married

relationship.

If you're

in that

married

relationship

you don't

want to

share your

husband or

wife with

another

person.

So suppose

you're a

wife and

your husband

comes home

one day

and brings

another

woman into

the home

and says

I want

to share

my love

with this

woman as

well.

She's going

to move

in with

us and

we're going

to live

together and

well we

can be

committed

to her

too.

What would

you say

to that?

Oh

that's

okay.

I've no

problem with

that.

We can

share our

loyalty and

love

together.

Of course

you wouldn't.

There would

be a

righteous

kind of

anger.

there would

be a

jealousy

that rises

up within

you because

you are

jealous for

your husband's

love because

you're committed

to each other

and you are

not going to

share that

love with

someone else.

Now how do

you think the

creator of the

world should

respond when

his creation,

his people,

who he loves

and who he

sustains,

who he

provides for,

who he

rescues and

they give

their love and

loyalty,

to someone

else?

How do

you think

God will

respond?

Oh it's

okay.

That's

alright.

Live how

you like.

Just pretend

that these

other gods

rescued you.

Just pretend

that these

other gods

provide for

you.

It's fine.

Make your

own gods.

It's all

okay.

No,

God is a

jealous God.

I am

your God

who rescued

you.

So give

me your

undivided

loyalty

and devotion.

Worship

only

me.

You see,

if we are

going to

live in

relationship

with God,

there is

no room

for another.

It is

God who

is first

and he

shapes

every other

relationship

that we

may have.

So he

commands that

we worship

only him.

Second,

God desires

that we

can live

with him.

Look at

what God

commanded

Moses a

little earlier.

Just go

back to

Exodus

Exodus 29 · chapter mention

chapter 29.

Exodus

Exodus 29:44

29

verse

44.

Here's

something else

God had

said to

the people.

verse 44.

He says,

I will

consecrate

the tent

of meeting.

Now the

tent of

meeting,

you can

read about

this through

Exodus.

The tent

of meeting

is sometimes

referred to

as the

tabernacle.

Basically

it was a

very carefully

designed

mobile

tent.

Very

intricate

and specially

designed

by God.

And this

tent was

where God

would live

amongst

the

people.

So

verse 45.

Then I

will dwell

or I

will live

among the

Israelites

and be

their God.

They will

know that

I am the

Lord their

God who

brought them

out of

Egypt so

that I

might dwell

or live

among them.

I am the

Lord their

God.

Now when

we think of

what the

people did

next,

Christ.

So we are

in chapter

29.

Remember

what they

just did

in chapter

32.

They went

making a

gold calf

to replace

God.

Now you

would think

in the

knowledge of

all of

that God

would get

wise about

what they are

like and

he would

pull out

of the

deal and

you go

I am

not moving

in with

that lot.

Look at

the way in

which they

behave.

There is

no way I am

going to be

in relationship

with them.

But that is

not what

happens.

Have a look

at Exodus

Exodus 40 · chapter mention

chapter 40

at the very

end.

Exodus

Exodus 40:1

chapter 40

verse 1

Exodus 40

Exodus 40:1

verse 1

Then the

Lord said

to Moses

set up

the

tabernacle

the

tent

of

meeting

on the

first day

of the

first month.

Then move

down to

verse 33

Then Moses

set up

the courtyard

around the

tabernacle

So he's

setting up

the tent

as God

had designed

in the altar

and he put

up the

curtain

at the

entrance

and so

Moses

finished

the work.

Then the

cloud

the cloud

represents

the presence

of God

coming down.

The cloud

covered the

tent of

meeting

and the

glory of

the Lord

filled

the tabernacle.

You see

God

comes down

into the

midst of

these people.

God is

moving in

with these

bunch of

rebels.

Now logically

it's the wrong

kind of response

isn't it?

After

everything

that the

people

had done

God

should be

keeping

his

distance

from

them.

But we're

not dealing

with somebody

who's like

us.

If somebody

offends us

and upsets

us we

pull back

we withdraw.

But God

is so personal

and so

intimate and so

concerned for

his people

that he

actually moves

in with

them.

He's moving

in with a

bunch of

failures.

You see

God

not only

wants to

rescue

his people

he longs

for this

relationship

he longs

to reside

with messy

broken

people

like us.

It shouldn't

happen

but yet

that's what

God does

for us.

Later on

in Numbers

Numbers 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2

you can look

at it later

on

we read

about a

great detailed

plan of how

the whole

camp should

be set up.

And the

whole camp

is set up

around this

tent of

meeting.

So wherever

they go and

settle

God's tent

the tent

of meeting

is always

in the middle

of the camp.

Surrounding

it is

everybody

else's

tent.

And even

when they

get up

and they

start

travelling

somewhere

else

God's

tent

is always

in the

middle

of all

the people

as they

move

along.

God

living

among

failures.

it is

as if

God

is

ramming

home

to

these

people

even

though

you

fail

even

though

you

worship

other

gods

I

will

be

your

God

and

you

will

be

my

people

I

am

committed

to

you

I

rescued

you

and

I

am

going

to

show

you

how

to

live

in

relationship

with

me.

This

is

the

kind

of

God

that

we

have.

God

but yet

how do

we live

in

relationship

with a

God

who is

so

personal

but yet

so

jealous.

A

God

who is

demanding

our

worship

but then

strikes

people down

when they

don't

worship

him

properly.

God

may want

to live

among

us

but he's

so powerful

and so

pure

it's

not

safe

for

us

to

live

with

him.

So

how do

we get

over

this

tension

and this

obstacle

how can

we get

to live

in

relationship

with

this

God?

Well

third

God

provides

the means

or the

way so

that we

can

enjoy

him.

Go

to

Leviticus

Leviticus 16 · chapter mention

chapter

16

and

here's

where you

need to

start

talking

to your

children

over

lunch

and

find

out

what

they've

been

learning

in

Leviticus.

You

see this

tent of

meeting

was a

place where

the people

could come

and meet

God.

But you

couldn't

just go

walking

in there

high

fiving

and

presuming

everything's

okay.

The

whole

book of

Leviticus

is to

show us

how

we can

actually

get to

meet

this

God

and

how

we

can

live

in

relationship

with

God.

And

right at

the heart

of

Leviticus

is

Isaiah 16 · chapter mention

chapter

16.

Right

at the

centre

it gives

us

the clue

it gives

us

the

detail

of

how

we

can

meet

with

him.

Have

a look

at

verse

1

of

chapter

16.

The

Lord

spoke

to

Moses

after

the

death

of

the

two

sons

of

Aaron

who

died

when

they

approached

the

Lord.

Do you

see what

happens

when they

try to

get close

to God?

They

die.

God

is too

powerful,

too

pure.

And

when you

try to

get close

to him,

you die.

We

cannot live

in his

presence.

So what

are they

going to

do?

Well,

God

provides a

special

sacrifice

which

happens

once

a

year.

And

it's

called,

as maybe

the heading

in your

Bible

has,

the

day

of

atonement.

And

that's

what

chapter

6

is

all

about.

Read

through

it.

It

has

this

atonement

all

the

way

through.

About

20

times

in

one

chapter.

Atonement

simply

means,

if you

look at

the

screen,

God's

wrath

being

turned

away

from

us

so

that

we

can

be

at

one

with

God

so

that

we

can

enjoy

him,

relate

to

him.

Now

in

this

sacrifice,

we'll

go through

it quite

quickly,

this

sacrifice

required

two

goats.

The

first

goat

that

they

were

to

take,

well

this

goat

was

to

be

killed

for

the

sins

of

the

people.

In

a

dramatic

way,

it

was

teaching

all

the

people

that

somebody

had

to

die

in

place

of

them.

But

then

they

took

the

second

goat

and

this

second

goat,

well

it's

not

killed.

Have a

look at

verse 21.

Something

different

happens.

Chapter

16

verse

21.

He

is to

lay

both

hands

on the

head

of the

live

goat

and

confess

over

it

all

the

wickedness

and

rebellion

of the

Israelites,

all

their

sins,

and put

them on

the goat's

head.

He

shall

send

the goat

away

into

the

desert

in the

care

of a

man

appointed

for the

task.

The goat

will carry

on itself

all their

sins

to a

solitary

place

and the

man

shall

then

release

it

in the

desert.

Do you

see what

happens in

this symbolic

way?

The sins

of the

people

are

transferred.

They are

taken away

from them

and it

is carried

away

out of

sight

so that

the people

can be

at one

with

God

so that

they can

get close

to him

and enjoy

him.

But the

problem

is

it was

never

fully

realised.

If we

read on

through the

story of

the Bible

they could

not really

get close

to God.

How could

they ever

get close

to this

God?

How could

God ever

be contained

in a

tent?

How could

a goat

literally

deal with

the people's

sins?

It was

impossible.

It never

worked.

But God

did it

all to

prepare for

one who

would come

and make

it all

truly

possible.

Remember

how John

put it in

John's

Gospel

chapter 1

verse 14?

when Christ

when Jesus

came

he said

the word

became

flesh.

The word

that's

God

became

flesh

and made

his dwelling

among us.

God

did

physically

move

into the

world

in the

person

of Jesus

Christ

no longer

in a

tent

but as

a person.

God

came to

live

amongst

this

world

and

he

became

known

as

one

who

ate

with

sinners.

He

came

to

the

broken.

He

came

to

the

failures.

He

came

to

the

screwed

up

and

the

messed

up.

He

moved

into

and

lived

amongst

rebels

like

you

and

me.

But

more

than

that

he

came

into

the

world

to

deal

with

our

failures.

No

longer

symbolically

but

in

faith

we

now

look

to

Jesus

and

as

it

were

we

place

our

hands

on

the

head

of

Jesus

and

our

sins

are

literally

transferred

from

us

to

Jesus

and

Jesus

carries

our

sins

all

of

them

to

the

cross

and

pays

the

debt

that

deserves

to

be

paid

so

that

people

like

you

and

me

can

be

at

one

with

God

as

far

as

the

east

is

from

the

west

so

far

as

he

removed

our

transgressions

from

us

never

to

be

remembered

again

taken

away

so

that

we

can

be

at

one

with

God

but

that's

not

the

end

not

only

does

he

take

our

sin

away

but

now

God

moves

in

remember

what

we

said

at

the

very

beginning

John

John 14:23

chapter

14

verse

23

Jesus

said

if

anyone

loves

me

that

is

if

anyone

trusts

me

he

will

obey

my

teaching

as

evidence

of

someone

who

obeys