Introduction

Revival, renewal, and redemption are all the works of the Lord; this leads us to three ways to remain faithful.

Our scripture today is Exodus 32 and Exodus 33. If you click on the passage you can read the passage in the bible, via Biblegateway.org.

Background

Moses is in charge of a unrulely group of peeps. You may know them as the Israelites, a.k.a. the children of Israel. They were slaves to the Eqyptians. One can read this story starting in Exodus 1, the Israelites were there because of Joseph and a famine that was in the land where Joseph was born. A new king who did not know Joseph was in charge and he was ruthless, seeking to kill the boy babies, but God protects the children of Israel.

And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:

And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. Exodus 1: 15-17.

Hence, Moses is born and saved, one can read his story in Exodus 2. Moses is saved, grows up in the house of Pharaoh. God is so good even when Moses runs ahead of God, God is in control and has a plan.

Read these verses with me, “And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.  And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.” Exodus 2: 24-25.

Next

God rescues the children of Israel from the Egyptians through a series of dramatic plaques. He calls Moses out of hiding in Exodus 3. Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh. Moses joins God in His plan and they usher in plaques. The last plaque cost Pharaoh his son so he let God’s people go.

The people are not thankful even when God rescues them time after time.

Fast Forward

Moses is up on the mountain, God calls him up on the mountain to give him the ten commandments. However, the people grow restless and demand a god. So, Aaron takes their gold and shapes an idol for them to worship, a golden cow.

And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 32: 4.

God is angry. Do you blame Him? He calls the people of Israel a stiffnecked people.

And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Exodus 32:9.

Revival

Moses pleads for the people in the book of Exodus, it actually says from that plea the Lord repented of his thoughts for the people in Exodus 32,

And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. Exodus 32:14.

Moses comes down from the mountain with the ten commandments, he sees for himself how far the people had strayed and he calls them to repentance in Exodus 32. They still had to suffer the consequence of their sins.

Thus

A revival, a time of confessing and repenting from their sins. They sacrifice and are renewed, more importantly, their fellowship with God is renewed.

Three ways to remain faithful:

• keep a short list of wrongs, forgive daily.
• confess and repent, be renewed.
• stay in God’s presence, read God’s word and pray daily.

Beloved, do you need to forgive, repent, confess something that is separating you from God today?

Whether it is an idol, a stronghold, procrastination, worry, or a lie, God says in 1 John 1:9 if we confess, He will forgive. In James 4: 7-8, if we resist the devil, and draw nigh unto God, He will draw near to us.

What are you waiting for?

Stay in God’s presence by reading His Holy Word and praying daily.

Father God, let us confess and repent from anything that is preventing us from being close to you today. In Jesus name, Amen

What is God asking of you?