Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-07-12
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
Lesson III, July Is, 1893.
THEME: Cons PRESENCE PROMISED.
Elk. 80 1923.


THEME: Cons PRESENCE PROMISED
Elk. 80 1923
10. And Moses said unto the Lord, See,
thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people
and thou hast not let me know whom thou
wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said
know thee by name, and thou hast also
found grace in my sight. 10, Now therefore,
1 pray thee, II have found grace In thy
sight, show me now thy way, that l may
know thee, that l may find grace In thy
sight: and consider that this nation Is thy
people. IA. And he said, My presence shall
go with thee, and Will give thee rest
IS. And he said unto him, If thy presence
go not with me, carry us not up hence. 10.
For wherein shall it be known here that
and thy people have found grace In thy
sightl is It not in that thou goest with U.S.
so shall we be separated, and thy people,
from all the people that are upon the face
of the earth. II. And the Lord said unto
Moses, / will do this thing also that thou hast
spoken: for thou hast found grace in my
sight, and know thee by name. Is. And
he said, beseech thee, show me thy glory.
10. And he said, l will make all my goodness
to pass before thee, and l will proclaim the
name of the Lord before thee; and will be
gracious TO whom l will be gracious, and
will show mercy upon whom L Will show
mercy. 20. And he said, Thou canst not see
my face: for there shall no man see me, and
live. 81. And the Lord said, Behold there
is place by me, and thou shalt stand upon
a rock: %. And it shall come TO pass, when
my glory passeth by, that l will put thee in
a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with
my hand while l pass by: %. And will
take away mine hand, and thou shalt see
my back parts but my face shall not be
seen.
GOLDEN TExT.-Lo, l am with you Away,
even unto the end of the world Matt. y 30.
Israel was given opportunity to repent.
Some (the tribe of Levi promptly respond
ed and took bold stand for the right; 9TH
ers went to their tents TO consider, others
incorrigible, persisted in their sins. IL is a
remarkable coincidence that in this first
fragrant violation of law 5000 persisted and
under the first great proclamation of grace
5000 were saved.
No sooner had Moses reprimanded the
people than he withdrew and prayed for
them, fasting forty days and nights until
the Lord hearkened and spared them and
the great body of Israel returned to their
allegiance.
While the people were forgiven, the Lord
indicated that his personal presence would
be withdrawn, and this is the occasion of
the prayer in our lesson to-day: Moses
intercession in behalf of the people and in
tercession in his own behalf.
LESSON NOTES.
V. IL. Thou sayeSt unto me, Bring up this
people, ana thou hast not let me know whom
thou wilt send with me. AS mentioned in
the last lesson, Israel had broken the cove
nant and could not claim Divine recogni-
tion and care hence Moses felt more than
before the weight of his responsibility
How characteristic his words: 1t is the
same Moses-somewhat advanced in grace
but still fearful. When tending his father
in-law's sheep, he said II can not, " now he
says II cannot without thee" Then he
said cannot go to Egypt lest Pharaoh Stay
me; now he is ready TO lead this tickle host,
If the Divine presence will accompany him.
Aaron had by sin, cut himself of from
Gods favor and Moses was left exceeding
ly alone.
From the latter part Of of the verse we
learn that God reveals himself TO individu-
ais calls them by name and metes out
their ways according to their need. God Is
not merely the ruler Of the Universe,
ordering events according to general law,
but his ways are planned for the individu-
al good of those who love him and seek his
care.
Moses had been given the strongest
proof Of Gods favor, and yet he desired TO
hold a closer relationship, to know more Of
Gods purpose and will. He desired to
understand, how Notwithstanding disobe
dience) Israel might still be q chosen people
inheriting the promises. His wish en-
braced three things: ID to know whom
God would send with him CO. to under
stand Gods method of dealing with those
who had broken his law (3,) to have friend
" relationship restored and continued.
V. II. My presence shall go with thee.
The answer covers every doubt and fear Of
the human soul. To be assured of the Di-
vine Presence gives peace. Every life
journey is over an unknown way, many
difficult questions will arise, but the Pres
ence relieves from anxiety and foreboding.
The Divine recognition gave Moses encour-
agement to speak still further, in which he
emphasizes reluctanceto countess the Lord
go with him; 'if thy presence go not with
me, carry us not up hence"
Moses felt 1t was better to die in the will
derness with God than to go to Canaan
without him. The nations round about
were idolators, and without the Divine
Presence there would be nothing TO distin-
guish them. Israel would become easy
prey TO enemies, temptation and sin.
V. IS. Shew me thy glory. Moses prays
for himself, he needs assurance; past bless
ings and Divine revelations will not suffice.
Moses did not desire vision 70 crafty the
natural eye only, but he desired sensible
manifestation of Divine glory. Mercy
yielded TO the prayer, and consented not
only to forgive the people and restore the
broken covenant, but to give a special reve-
lation Of Gods goodness and glory.
Knowing Gods way is a great help to
right thinking and right doing. The house
will be better built, IL the builder under
covenant was TO be renewed, and as Moses
was TO stand again as mediator between Je
hovah and the people he desired to speak
understandingly and intelligently of the
Being whose mind he was to interpret
While the answer to Moses prayer was
not given exactly as he asked, nevertheless
he was given as great a blessing as he was
capable of receiving. Not all prayer Is 1t
possible to answer, now. Moses in the flesh
could not behold the full glory of the Divine
Fifteen hundred years afterward he stood
nth Jesus on the Mt. of TRANSPORTATION
and talked with him in the fullness of glory
while the disciples could not behold, but
were as dead men In the glorious Presence
''Thou knowest not now thou shalt know
hereafter
V. 10. will make all my goodness pass
before thee. The goodness of God is the
centre of his glory, and a knowledge of this
was the greatest blessing the heart Of man
could conceive. To behold how God could
be Just and the justifier of those who believe
in Jesus-a revelation of the atoning sacri-
fee, was doubtless part Of that which was
vouchsafed 10 Moses.
II will be gracious to whom / will be
gracious" Not that favor was arbitrarily
bestowed, but that whatever manifestation
or grace was apparent, all was of unmerit-
ed favor. The words were spoken in this
form, doubtless, TO preserve Moses from