Well, let us turn to God's Word
in this portion that we've just read, Exodus chapter 33, and
I want to draw your attention for a while to the 17th verse,
that verse at which we finish the public reading, Exodus 33,
17. And the Lord said unto Moses,
I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken, For thou hast
found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. And the
Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also, that thou
hast spoken. For thou hast found grace in
my sight, and I know thee by name. What we have in this chapter
and the previous chapter concerns the great sin of the children
of Israel The golden calf had been made by Aaron. Whilst Moses
was there in the mount, they'd gone weary waiting for Moses
to return, 40 days in the mount. And Aaron makes the calf, and
as they worship this image, or they attempt to worship God by
means of the image, He says to them there in verse 4 in the
32nd chapter, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee
up out of the land of Egypt. Whilst we have the record of
the great sin that they were guilty of and how Moses is sent
down from the mount and he has the tables of the law, the tables
of the covenant in his hand and they're broken there at the foot
of the mount. The same time as we read these
chapters we see Moses as that one who was very much a mediator
on behalf of the people and he prays for them and he prays for
them several times in these chapters. There in the 32nd chapter, verse
11, Moses besought the Lord his God and said, Lord, why dost
thy wrath wax hot against thy people which thou hast brought
forth out of the land of Egypt? with great power and with a mighty
hand. Wherefore should the Egyptians
speak and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them
in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth?
Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy
people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and
Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swearest by thine own self,
and sayest unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars
of heaven. And all this land that I have
spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit
it forever. And now the Lord hears that prayer,
the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto the
people. God would have destroyed them,
but Moses stands, as it were, in the breach. And as I say,
it's many times that we find him praying. And now God answers
his prayer. We just saw that. He turns from
his fierce anger, and here in the word that I read for a text, again, Moses reminds the Lord,
or the Lord, he reminds the Lord previously, I should say at the
end of verse 12, Yet as thou said, I know thee by name, and
thou hast also found grace in my sight. He's praying there
in verses 12 and 13 and the Lord responds here in our text to
this particular prayer. I will do this thing also that
thou hast spoken for thou hast found grace in my sight and I
know thee by name. And really I want as it were
to take us a theme or a text Last five words, I know thee by nigh. What a blessing for God to declare
such things to a mere man and a sinful man. That God should
have such a knowledge. It's a saving knowledge. I know
thee by nigh. And so first of all, to say something
of the fact that God is the one who of course knows his people.
And what a knowledge God has of his people. The reason why
he is answering the prayer of Moses here, the reason for an
answer is found in God himself. The reason is really the sovereign
grace of God. That's why he's answering. I
will do this thing, he says, that thou hast spoken. Why? For
thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name. All the reason for the answer
is not because of Moses and his mediation and his repeated prayers
in these chapters. The reason is found in God and
in the goodness of God. Now, of course, there is that
sense in which God is the one who knows all things. He is that
God who is the creator of all things, and He is the one who
is omniscient, as He is omnipotent, all-powerful, so He is omniscient,
He is all-knowing. there is nothing that is hid
from him. And we see him reminding the
idolatrous children of Israel in the days of Isaiah of that
very simple truth. There in Isaiah 46, verse 9, he says, Remember the
former things of old, for I am God, and there is none else.
I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the
beginning. and from ancient times of things
that are not yet done. He is the eternal God. He is
that God who is omniscient. And I'm sure we're all familiar
with the language of David in the 139th Psalm where he speaks
much, of course, of this attribute in God. Oh Lord, thou has searched
me and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting
and mine up-rising, Thou understandest my thought afar off, Thou compassest
my path and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my
tongue, But, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast
beset me behind and before, And laid Thine hand upon me. Such
knowledge is too wonderful for me, it is high, I cannot attain
unto it. And those words there in the
sixth verse, how David is overwhelmed as he contemplates, as he muses
upon his God, and the knowledge of his God is too wonderful,
that God should know all things, God should know everything. There is that knowledge in God
then with regards to all his creation, all his creatures,
Be they those whom He has a purpose to save, be they those whom He
has foreordained to destruction. He knows everything. Nothing
is hid from His all-searching sight. But of course, what we
have here in the text is not that general knowledge of God. This is that gracious knowledge
that God has with regards to His own. Thou hast found grace
in my sight, he says, and I know thee by name. There's a certain
intimacy here. And also we have to recognize
that this knowledge that God is speaking of is so discriminating. when the Apostle writes to Timothy
he declares the foundation of God standeth sure having this
seal the Lord knoweth them that are his he knows his own in a
very special way quite different to that general omniscience and
we often refer to the words in that golden chain that we have
in Romans, whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate. And
so it goes through ultimately to the glorification of those
people begins with God's foreknowledge. And that foreknowledge is not
just a foresight of what they will do. He doesn't just foresee
how they will conduct themselves and on the basis of that foresight
make his choice. No, he knows them in that intimate
way. And the strange thing is, of
course, when we think about God's knowledge of his people, he even
knows their sins, he knows their sinful character. in that 139th Psalm that we just
referred to. What does David say? Thou understandest
my thoughts are far off. Before ever we think, God knows
and He knows all our evil thoughts. There's nothing that we can hide
from Him. again the Psalmist in Psalm 94
11 says the Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are
vanity all man is a fallen creature a sinful creature we're full
of vanity the world is full of vanity doesn't Solomon declared
it there in the book of Ecclesiastes vanity of vanities all is vanity
all the thoughts of man are Vanity. Again, a wise man. Solomon, again
there in Proverbs 24, 9, the thought of foolishness is sin,
he says. All our foolish thoughts, how
sinful they are. What is our mind by nature? It's
enmity against God. It's not subject to the law of
God. neither indeed can be. We're in that state of alienation,
and every evil proceeds from out of the hearts of men. And
the Lord knows. He knows all the sinful character
of His people. And yet, we see also in Scripture
that God has a gracious purpose towards these sinners. What are
God's thoughts? God's thoughts are very different
from the thoughts of foolishness. Why? He is a God who is all-wise. I know the thoughts that I think
towards you, he says. Thoughts of peace and not of
evil, to give you unexpected end. Those comforting words that
the prophet Jeremiah proclaims, and he's proclaiming it at a
time of great calamity amongst the Jews, about to be taken away
into captivity. The kingdom had fallen, Jerusalem
had been taken. The temple had been desecrated,
had been taken away into exile. They languished there 70 years.
And yet that's God's message, the thoughts that I think towards
you are thoughts of peace, he says, and not of evil, to give
you unexpected end. Oh, how impressive then are God's
thoughts when we compare them to man's thoughts. God knows
everything about his people. He knows all the circumstances
of their lives. He knows every situation that
they find themselves in. He knows their trials, their
troubles, their difficulties. He knows all their enemies. He knows all about the assaults
of Satan. He knows all about those troubles
that arise from their fallen natures. He knows all their feelings.
He knows everything. Why He is the One who has made
us. He knoweth our frame, we read
in another psalm, he remembereth that we are dust. And as God
is the one who knows everything about his people, so he is also
able to help them. He knows how to deliver them
out of all their troubles. We have that word in 2 Peter
2.9, the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation. He will never allow them to be
tempted above what they are able. With the temptation He makes
a way of escape that they are able to bear it, says Paul. It's the same as what Peter is
saying in that verse. The Lord knoweth how to deliver
the godly out of temptation. He himself is that one who is
a very present help in every time of trouble. And so God has
this remarkable knowledge, such a gracious knowledge of this
man. Thou hast found grace in my sight,
and I know thee by name. Why, his name is amongst those
written in the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the
world. and this impressive knowledge
that God has is also so intimate those words at verse 11 the Lord
spake unto Moses face to face as a man speaketh unto his friend it's said again in the twelfth
chapter of the book of Numbers there in Numbers 12.6 He said, Hear now my words, if
there be a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will make myself
known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently. and not
in dark speeches, and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold.
Wherefore then, were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
How this man is so favoured of God, because the Lord speaks
to him face to face, mouth to mouth. And when we come to pray,
we are those surely who are seeking to speak in that intimate way
with God to pour out all our souls to make all our requests
known and as we come to Him in our prayers are we coming in
that spirit of expectation that the Lord will come to us and
address us and draw near to us and speak to us face to face
do we know anything of the intimacy that is being spoken of here
in the text this evening God is the one who knows his people.
This is Moses, and of course we have much more than ever was
enjoyed in the Old Testament in that we have all the fullness
of the New Testament. The law was given by Moses, grace
and truth came by Jesus Christ. What remarkable faith this man
Moses had. here we see how God answers him,
God answers his prayer the Lord said unto Moses I will do this
thing also that thou hast spoken Moses had spoken to God, he'd
made his request known over and over and God will do the thing
that he has spoken Does he not say again there in Isaiah, in
Isaiah 43, concerning the works of my hand, command ye me? What an invitation is there that
God's people should come and speak with him, and address him
in their prayers. Concerning the works of my hand,
command ye me. And so the Lord says to this
man, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken. Moses is asking God for his personal
presence, that's what he wants. He wants this intimacy with God. There in in verses 15 and 16. If thy presence go not with me,
carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known
here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? Is
it not that thou goest with us? So shall we be separated, I and
thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the
earth. We want this presence of God,
to know that God is there with them. He prays many times, as I've
said. And now he's greatly emboldened,
really, in all his prayers. And we're to be bold in our prayers
when we come to God. Boldness, access with confidence
by the faith of Jesus Christ. Oh, we can be bold in Christ
when we come and we see how Moses does pray and he prays again
and again we referred just now to the prayer that we have there
towards the beginning of chapter 32 verse 11 following but then
also when we come to the end of that chapter verse 31 Moses returned unto
the Lord and said all these people have sinned a great sin and have
made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive
their sin, and if not, let me, I pray thee, out of thy book
which thou hast written." Now he comes and he'll pray and he
prays again and when we come to this 33rd chapter he prays here in verses 15 and
16 but previously we see how he prays at verse 12 see thou
sayest unto me bring up these people that thou hast and thou
hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me yet thou hast
said I know thee by name and thou hast also found grace in
my sight now therefore I pray thee if I have found grace in
thy sight show me now thy way that I may know thee, that I
may find grace in thy sight, and consider that this people
is thy nation." There's a remarkable boldness, but he is continually
pleading what God has said to him. And isn't that the way we're
to pray? We're to pray over the Word of
God. As we read the Word of God, should He not move us to pray
to God, to call upon Him to do the things that He declares here
in His Word? Why does He give us exceeding
great and precious promises that we might plead them before Him? Now, the situation was severe
here. They had sinned. Oh, they had sinned grievously
in what they had done in the matter of the golden calf. And the Lord will disown them.
we go back to the beginning of the 32nd chapter what does the Lord God say to
them rather the beginning of this 33rd chapter I should say
what does God what does God say to them or say to Moses the Lord
said unto Moses depart and go up hence thou and the people
which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the
land which I swear unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying,
Unto thy seed will I give it." Now observe exactly what the
Lord is saying here. He doesn't say the people which
I brought up out of the land of Egypt no use is the third person, it
is the people which thou which thou hast brought up out of the
land of Egypt they're not God's people anymore
they're Moses' people and how different all that is to what
God said when he brought them to Sinai. He's going to enter
into covenant with them. And there, all the preparation
is laid before us in chapter 19. Verse 3, Moses went up unto
God. The Lord called unto him out
of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of
Jacob, and tell the children of Israel, Ye have seen what
I did. unto the Egyptians, and I bear
you on eagles' wings and brought you unto Myself. Now therefore
if ye will obey My voice indeed and keep My covenant, then ye
shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me. Above all people, for
all the earth is Mine, and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of
priesthood and holy nation." All are God's people, He's brought
them there, He's going to enter into covenant and then of course
how the Lord God comes down upon the mount and speaks the words
God spoke all these words chapter 20 saying I am the Lord thy God
which hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the
house of bondage and then the commandments follow and what
have they done? what have they done? they have broken the first
of the commandments and the second of the commandments thou shalt
have no other gods before me God said They shall not make
unto thee any graven image. They've done the very thing that
God has commanded they should never do. And God is disowning
them and rejecting them. And Moses is here and this is
the burden of his prayer. He's praying for these sinful
people. So blatantly have they disobeyed
the commandment. They've broken the covenant.
That's why as he comes down from the mount he breaks he breaks
the tables there at the foot of the mount the covenant is
broken and now we see him praying there
at the end of chapter 32 and that's 32nd verse yet now if
thou wilt forgive their sin and if not may I pray thee out of
thy book which thou hast spoken how he breaks down in his prayer
really that seems to be indicated he begins to say a thing and
only half says what he seems to have intended he prays in
half sentences he comes with broken words and yet that's prayer
is it not so often the case that our best prayers are probably
what we would think are our poorest prayers when we can scarce find
words adequate And we come, as it were, with our groanings,
with our sighs, our breathings. We can't really express what
we would desire to set before God in prayer. Though to speak,
thou be not able. Always pray, never rest. Prayer's
a weapon for the feeble. Weakest souls can wield it best. And yet, ultimately the prayers
of this man are heard and they're answered. I will do this thing
also that thou hast spoken, says the Lord God. And what has he spoken of? He's
spoken of desiring the presence of God in the wilderness. And
God is going to lead, God is going to direct, God is going
to guide them in the way. there in verse 13 he says show
me now thy way if I have found grace in thy
sight show me now thy way that I may know that I may find grace
in thy sight and God says verse 14 my presence shall go with
thee and I will give thee rest all God you see is able to do
exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think what does
Moses go on to say after the words of our text tonight verse
18 he prays on I beseech thee show me thy glory and God answers
I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim
the name of the Lord before thee, and I will be gracious to whom
I will be gracious, and I will show mercy on whom I will show
mercy." Well, he asks to see the glory
of God, and God answers by making all His goodness, all His goodness
pass before him. What does the Lord do? Well,
we have it then in the following 34th chapter. Verse 6, the Lord
passed by before him and proclaimed, The Lord God merciful and gracious,
long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy
for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and
that will by no means clear the guilty. visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upon the children and upon the children's children
unto the third and the fourth generation. And Moses made haste
and bowed his head toward the earth and worshipped. And he
said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my
Lord, I pray thee, go among us for it is a stiff-necked people
and pardon our iniquity and our sin and take us for thine inheritance
oh the Lord is that one who does hear and answer all the prayers
of his people he knows them and the reason why he will answer
them as I said is to be found in himself the God that he is
he is that God who is good and that God who does good. Oh, let us come then and again
seek to present our prayers and our petitions to Him tonight. We do not pray in vain. We know that. I thought again
today when I heard about John Eubank, who is making a good
recovery. God willing, he should be returning
home the end of next week. We're not praying for him, and
the Lord has heard our prayers, as He's heard us previously.
Only a few weeks ago we were thanking God that we prayed concerning
the situation with those NHS workers whose careers were under
threat because of compulsory vaccination and yet we see the
Lord answers our prayers. He answers all the devices of
men in answer to the prayers of His people. May the Lord help
us to pray again tonight and adored encouragement from a God
who hears and answers every prayer. Let us now sing a second praise
before we turn to prayer. We're going to sing the hymn
394, the tune Winchester New 439, Prayer makes the darkened cloud
withdraw. Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob
saw. Gives exercise to faith and love.
Brings every blessing from above. It's the hymn, what various hindrances
we meet in coming to the mercy seat. 394, tune 439. as we meet in coming to the mercy
seat. Let him who knows the work of
prayer but wishes to be often heard. Trembates the darkened cloud
with gloom Trembles the battered Jacob's womb His exercise in
faith and love Brings every blessing from above And Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees. Success was found on Israel's
side, But went through here in ancient times, That Romans cannot
equate. play. And fill your fellow creatures
here with the sounds they all know your care. The awkward breath, the stately
sting, The Lord has done for me.