Text:
Exodus 34:1:
And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.
Theme:
Give God Something To Work With
Introduction:
The Book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible and the second book of the Pentateuch, the five books of the law of Judaism, is the one of the primary texts of this study.
The Book of Exodus documents God’s leading of the children of Israel out of their Egyptian captivity, into their 40 year passage through the wilderness, and to the Land of Canaan.
The main character is Moses whom God chose to lead the people of Israel.
In the 34th chapter of the Book of Exodus, we find initially and in our text the act, intention and enactment of Divine reconciliation.
The Law given to mankind through Moses and the tables on Mount Sanai.
Clarity given by God to His creation as to what is expected
Upon returning to the valley and the camp, Moses found the people in direct contradiction to the guidance and leadership of God
Ungratefulness, disrespect and disregard of the provision and favor of God
Moses in anger and frustration, broke the tablets by throwing them down. The Law of God broken before their very eyes.
Disobedience and self-righteousness even at the level of Moses, friend of God
Moses was invited back to the mountain by God
God gives Moses ANOTHER CHANCE!
• Before Moses may have known that he was wrong, God gives Moses ANOTHER CHANCE
• Before Moses had even gotten his spirit right dealing with the people, God gives Moses ANOTHER CHANCE
• Before Moses had the chance to ask forgiveness, God gives Moses ANOTHER CHANCE
It is at this juncture that the 34th chapter of the Book of Exodus embarks…
Moses to go back to the mountain to reckon with God about the situation…broken tablets!
God makes requirements of Moses in his coming back
Exodus 34:2-3, “And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.”
• Go to Mt. Sanai in the MORNING How many people would be lost after this requirement only?
• Go to the top of the mountain Gotta go all the way…not just halfway…not just enough!!!
• Go by yourself Don’t bring anyone with you…face God alone
• Don’t let anyone be on the mountain No lookouts…no friends…no spies…no curious ones
• Don’t even let animals be eating in the area No responsibilities…no distractions
However, in our text we find a most peculiar requirement…
“Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first”
From this requirement we will study along the theme of…
• Give God Something To Work With
Body:
FIRST
This requirement of Moses by God is peculiar because the first time God gave Moses the Ten Commandments all Moses had to do was receive them.
Exodus 32:15, “And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.”
Moses had to bring the stones already cut this time
SECOND
This requirement of Moses by God is peculiar because God doesn’t need any “help”
Isaiah 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.”
Don’t ever think that God NEEDS us
• God is OMNISCIENT He knows ALL
• God is OMNIPRESENT He is EVERYWHERE
• God is OMNIPOTENT He has ALL POWER in the his “hand”
THIRD
This requirement of Moses by God is peculiar because …Why did God expect Moses to be able to “hew stones”
Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
God is always requiring of us what we do not EXPECT of OURSELVES
• Wants us to DO more…than our abilities leads us to perform
• Wants us to BELIEVE more…than our faith allows us to see
• Wants us to TRY more…than our strength makes us feel
• Wants us to BE more…than our flesh makes us think
All of these peculiarities are our couched in the understanding that…
We must GIVE GOD SOMETHING TO WORK WITH!!!
WHY???
• SIN was the reason for Moses breaking the first tablets
• SIN was the reason for Moses having to be BACK to Mt. Sanai
• SIN was the reason for God having to create another set of tablets
• So…SIN can be seen as the reason why we must GIVE GOD SOMETHING TO WORK WITH
• SIN is what put us at the wrong place at the wrong time
• SIN is why we opened our minds to what God had delivered us from
• SIN is how we desired and reached and grabbed on to the wrong thing
• So…SIN can be seen as the reason why we must GIVE GOD SOMETHING TO WORK WITH
• Let’s keep it real as God did when He said to Moses, “which thou brakest”
• Moses is the one who broke the tablets to cause them to have to reconvene for fixing
• So…SIN IS the reason why we must GIVE GOD SOMETHING TO WORK WITH!!!!
• Is it punishment….NO
• Is it payment….NO
• Is it retribution…NO
• It is SACRIFICE for CHANGE!!!!
Sacrificing of our EFFORT
Sacrificing of our ATTENTION
Sacrificing of our SUBMISSION
We must GIVE GOD SOMETHING TO WORK WITH
HOW???
• God doesn’t NEED us
• God can’t USE us as we are
• God won’t ACKNOWLEDGE if He is not honored in our calling Him
• Gotta give God true SACRIFICE
Psalm 51:17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”
Psalm 9:1, “I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
John 4:23, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”
We must GIVE GOD SOMETHING TO WORK WITH
WHEN???
I can so testify of the times in my life when I realized that I had to GIVE GOD SOMETHING TO WORK WITH
• When I wanted to be SAVED…I had this requirement…
Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
• When I wanted to be DELIVERED…I had this requirement…
2Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
• When I wanted to be HEALED…I had this requirement…
Acts 14:9, “The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,”
• When I wanted to be STRONG…I had this requirement…
Nehemiah 8:10, “… for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
• When I wanted to be HELPED…I had this requirement…
Psalm 121:1, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.”
We must GIVE GOD SOMETHING TO WORK WITH
Conclusion:
But it’s alright for me to have to give to God first…because God GIVES BACK!!!!!
He might not give me what I WANT…but it is what I NEED
He might not give me WHEN I want Him to…but He is ON TIME
He might not give me WHAT I GAVE HIM…it is MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANK YOU, for requiring of me!
It makes me appreciate what I get back
It makes me step out on the faith that I profess
It makes me act on the relationship that I must have with God
It gives GOD the GLORY FIRST before I get my provision!!!!
THANK YOU, for requiring of me and making me to…
GIVE GOD SOMETHING TO WORK WITH
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