Feast: The Handwriting Is on the Wall (2021)

#FT21-00

Given 20-Sep-21; 55 minutes

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When comparing the judgment and death sentence against Belshazzar in Daniel 5 to the handwriting that God erased (the record of our debt) by Christ's sacrifice, having been nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14), God's people must rejoice that Christ has already defeated Satan, and has invited them to reject the world's evil Satanic system and follow Him exclusively. Only God's saints have been blessed with a knowledge of the plan outlined by His Holy Days. When comparing the worldly emphasis of the Disneyland Succoth Vacation Extravaganza with the Holy Days kept by Israel, it is obvious that the veil is still barring their understanding. When Ezra kept the Feast of Booths after a long hiatus of neglecting this command (Nehemiah 8:1-13), peoples' understanding increased exponentially by having the Law of God daily. In Ezekiel 16, God demonstrates how much He loves His people and desires to perfect them, dressing them in splendor, an approbation more directed at the Israel of God than physical Israel. If we meet Jesus Christ's criterion, we will be ruling for eternity. All of the offices God has given to the body of Christ have been given to keep the body aligned following wherever Christ leads. If we fail to prize the gifts God has given us, we disqualify ourselves as a special treasure, a consecrated people, and a kingdom of priests. As Moses' specific purpose was predetermined before he was born (needing to be tweaked and refashioned during his tenure as God's servant), God's people will face some unpleasantries and tragedies on their way to perfection and glorification. The Feast of Tabernacles is a gift God has given to His chosen people, called, and predestined from the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:14).


transcript:

Please turn with me to Daniel 5. Daniel 5 is the famous handwriting on the wall chapter that John Ritenbaugh instituted as a tradition years ago as the opening message at the Feast of Tabernacles in the Church of the Great God.

Daniel 5:1-7 Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines drank from them.

They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone. In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened, and his knees knocked against each other. The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon. "Whoever reads this writing and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."

Daniel 5:13-14 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.”

Daniel 5:17-31 then Daniel answered, and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another, yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation. O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor. And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished he put down.

But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.

But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hands and owns all your ways, you have not glorified. Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.

And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put on a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

Now we will turn to another place in God’s Word where the apostle Paul refers to handwriting that is of the greatest concern to his elect now, and eventually to the world. That, as we know, is living the way of Belshazzar, in contempt for the holiness of God.

Colossians 2:1-15 For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers. He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

In commenting on the first few verses, John Ritenbaugh said, “To paraphrase Paul, in verses 4-6, ‘You better go back to what you did first when you first learned the truth. Continue walking in the way and not deviate from that path.’” In verse 8, John wrote, “The word translated as basic principles of the world, refers to elementary things. Compared to Christ in terms of being, every other being is lesser because he or she is created. In terms of teaching, every other instruction is elementary, basic, even demonic in terms of salvation. No other is suitable to save human beings.”

In verses 9-10, Paul again emphasis Christ primacy and superiority, including the facts that He is divine and over demons in authority. He adds in verses 11-15, that for Christians Jesus has already defeated the principalities and powers along with there purpose through their conversion.

Brethren, we gather here together this evening, under this God-commanded assembly before Him during the Feast of Tabernacles and the eighth day, representing what He intends to ultimately give to all men. We are here to rejoice (as Ryan McClure joyfully proclaimed in his message he gave from his home on the Sabbath, while he and his family were numbered among so many who are going through such severe trials). We are dealing with things we always expected but as they become a reality, we ask ourselves why?

Last year God performed, and I believe this firmly without a shadow of a doubt, an absolute miracle as we assembled in the middle of Covid-19 epidemic-disaster, and hardly anyone who faithfully came to the place where God placed His name, was sick. As a matter of fact, among the ministry, we probably had the least amount of anointings last year ever. I remember one year, it seemed like I was going from one room to the next, there was so much illness, because we need to be following God’s Word and quarantining ourselves when we are in the process of illness, but when we are not, we should be here.

Last year without a doubt there was spectacular miracle that took place. We left here with an incredibly high hand. Then in January Mike Ford died of Covid. Of course, as we witnessed through the testimony of so many that had known Mike from college days, he was the same fun-loving Mike, but they saw a man who was certainly much more different and in line with Jesus Christ spiritually. God decided he was done, and Mike was ready to be completely perfected through Jesus Christ. So now he waits in a place of safety while Christ finishes preparing his place.

Another of God’s beloved died of Covid last week, on the Day of Atonement. What better day to die than on the day of rest, as we watch Christ get everything finished. On Atonement, Charles Whitaker died. He too was a man of deep love and devoted to outgoing service to the brethren and is now waiting at his place, in the grave.

We come here this evening knowing that so many of us who God protected so miraculously last year are not among us. Or are virtually here because of this time and trial and suffering. Why? We now know we are going through a time of great distress. This is a good time to reflect, brethren. Because just as Richard said last Sabbath, we should be asking ourselves as we come before God: are we coming before Him clean? Have we deviated from the path? Are we truly striving by God’s Holy Spirit to be hanging on to God and not the world that He hates? Are we acting more like Belshazzar and profaning God’s holy things that He has put in place in faithful worship in order to give Him glory? Like at this Feast of Tabernacles, we are to give God glory. Or are we getting a preview of coming attractions so God can move us closer to Him and walking as He walks in a world that is apart from Him?

Brethren, I do not know, but it is probably a little bit of both things, and we should use this Feast to make sure our focus is right where it needs to be, on Jesus Christ who is the focal point of all these days. We need to somberly but joyfully consider that the handwriting of the penalty of our past sins is no longer against us, but how much are we working to become holy as God is holy in a world that is absolutely anti-God to its very core.

We are not to get involved in fixing a system that is only and ultimately rooted in Satan’s pride that began to infect us right from the Garden of Eden. A number of years ago, someone forwarded an email to me that had been sent out as an advertisement from the Arutz Sheva Israel National News. The banner headline read, “What is Your Family Doing for Succoth This Year?” |It went on to say, “Join us to celebrate Succoth at Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, California.” Under this was a cute little logo for this event that was entwined with blue ribbon that formed an outline. It almost looked like Aladdin Castle. Within the blue-ribbon outline was the word Succoth in bold letters. Above the center of the word was a small structure with an overlapping palm for a roof and a palm on the ground. Finally, under the word Succoth, were multicolored words that read, “At Disneyland Resorts.” The AD page showed pictures of the castle of the Magic Kingdom, roller coaster rides, a family of four holding cotton candy, a Mickey Mouse doll, laughing hysterically in front of the roller coaster and Ferris Wheel.

I clicked on the website for this extravaganza, just to see what it said, and it explained a number of highlights of Succoth at the Magic Kingdom. Among them were

Beautifully appointed accommodations at Disneyland’s Paradise Pier Hotel, mouth-watering Glatt culture cuisine, supervised by Rabbi Eliazer Eidlitz, a leading authority on extremely intricate laws of kashrus, Disneyland theme park, and exciting daily activities program including Shiduch programs designed especially for orthodox Jewish singles hoping to find their soul mate. Succoth at Disneyland Resort provides one of the most unique and fun-filled experience to find that special someone.

Tuesday, Festival Arena Disneyland Park has two spectacular shows. These concerts will be a once in a lifetime experience for old and young alike. The afternoon performance will begin at 4:30 P.M. while the evening show case will start at 8:20. Both shows are perfectly timed to allow our guests to enjoy the international renowned Disneyland Fireworks show either immediately after the afternoon concert or prior to attending the evening showcase. Either way, you will not be disappointed.

Medical conference offerings, CME and CLE, credits will be held in conjunction [you could actually gain medical credits with this conference] with Succoth. The topics include sleep disorders, diagnostic causes, and legal ramifications, causes of trauma, personal injury, workers compensation, and malpractice.

Do you think these people had a little bit of their focus off of what these days were about?

Huge Succoth, built on a dream land of Disneyland Resort, built following the strict kosher requirements, and built specifically for our event this year. World class lectures presented by scholars and teachers discussing an array of topics. Whatever your personal interest is, or style, whether you enjoy politics, humor, youth, and education, or Torah lecture, you will be captivated by our many speakers. This exciting lineup is facilitated by Gateways, who is dedicated to ensuring a vibrant Jewish future, our immersion-leading approach enables Jews of all backgrounds to engage the richness of Jewish values and traditions, while building and reinforcing their bond with Jewish people and Israel.

Notice who was missing in that. Jewish people and Israel, but somebody else is missing.

We have a wonderful daily schedule which is sure to make a creative and rewarding vacation. Daily activities include cooking demonstrations, movies, balloon making, art auctions, and much more.

Brethren, we want to make sure that God is not missing in this event. He has called us here to have a great Feast, to rejoice before Him, even when we are under the circumstance we are under this Feast.

Leviticus 23:39-44 ‘Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest. And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a statute forever in your generations. You shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.’” So Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord.

Turn to Nehemiah 8. By this point the ancestors of the remnant of the tribes of Judah, Levi and Benjamin had seen the administrations of Joshua, the judges, Samuel, Saul, David, Solomon, all the kings of Israel and Judah, following the split of Solomon’s reign. And then the captivity of Judah in Babylon. Now we come to the point where they are returning to rebuild the wall, following their Babylonian captivity.

Nehemiah 8:1-3 Now all the people gathered as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

Nehemiah 8:13-18 Now on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law. And they found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, and that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, Saying, “Go out to the mountain, and bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”

Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the Water Gate and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim. So, the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness. Also, day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner.

Reading through that I was thinking to myself that back in 1994, John Ritenbaugh began a tradition that every seventh year at the Feast of Tabernacles we go through from the Book of the Law, which is Deuteronomy. So in keeping with that, next year, God willing, we will be focusing on that book again. In the meantime, I would suggest that every one of us not only read through that, but the whole first five books of the Pentateuch because they are very beneficial to us now going through what we are going through.

The verses in Nehemiah does not mean that Judah had never kept the Feast of Tabernacles in all that time. There are several indications in God’s Word that they probably did. Especially under a good king like Josiah, who had found the book of the law and sought to do the will of the Lord with all his heart. However, they most certainly had not observed it in the most recent generations, and even if they had observed it prior to that, it had not been kept with the same fervor that those people in Nehemiah’s day had as they were once again released from a bondage that had kept them in slavery.

Brethren, do not forget the handwriting that was nailed to Jesus Christ for us. So, our sins are no longer part of our life from before our baptism. Through Jesus Christ we have been given this wonderful privilege to understand what the people keeping Succoth at Disneyland never would.

God said, “that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths.” “When I brought them out of the land of Egypt.” “I am the Lord your God.” Carnal men with the hardness of their hearts, even those who were chosen by God as His physical nation, as Israel was and will be again, have only short-term memories, and here it took another miraculous release to jar their memories, so that they really got to keep the Feast of Tabernacles the way they should. Not like the Magic Kingdom Succoth, because something was missing before that. We should know, and know that we know, that it must be much different for us as God will continue to drive home to us during these next seven days.

Please turn to Ezekiel 16. I know what we are going to read can be addressed to Israel in the Old Covenant, and the modern nations of Israel, but I would like to think about these verses personally, and consider ourselves within this context, as we go through with these very difficult days while we continue to rejoice as God Himself would rejoice. We will not be reading through the verses of Israel’s betrayal, because I want to focus on how much God loves those He has chosen. And what have done to deserve the love? Nothing.

Ezekiel 16:4-8 (New Living Translation) “On the day you were born, no one cared for you. Your umbilical cord was not cut, and you were never washed, rubbed with salt, and wrapped in cloth. No one had the slightest interest in you; no one pitied you or cared for you. On that day you were born, you were unwanted, dumped in field and left to die. But I came by and saw you there helplessly kicking about in your own blood. As you lay there, I said, ‘Live!’ And I helped you to thrive like a plant in the field. You grew up and became a beautiful jewel. Your breasts became full, and your hair grew, but you were still naked. And when I passed by again I, saw that you were old enough for love. So I wrapped My cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.”

Brethren, keep these very personal thoughts in your mind.

Ezekiel 16:9-14 (NLT) “Then I bathed you and washed off your blood, and I rubbed fragrant oils into your skin. I gave you expensive clothing of fine linen and silk, beautifully embroidered, sandals made of fine goatskin leather. I gave you lovely jewelry, bracelets, beautiful necklaces, a ring for your nose, earrings for your ears, and a lovely crown for your head. And so you were adorned with gold and silver. Your clothes were made of fine linen and were beautifully embroidered. You ate the finest foods—choice flour, honey, and olive oil—and became more beautiful than ever. You looked like a queen, and so you were! Your fame spread throughout the world because of your beauty. I dressed you in my splendor and perfected your beauty, says the sovereign Lord.”

Brethren, this was written to Israel, physical Israel, that He made a lamp to the whole world so that they could see it. But this is exactly how He thinks about those He has placed within the body of Christ. He is in the process of dressing us in His splendor, and we become more beautiful than ever. And through the finest of foods, He is perfecting our beauty within Himself.

I hesitated to read the rest of the chapter because Israel’s end was that they squandered God’s gift of love, puffed up with their own pride and their beauty. But we certainly need to be mindful of those things.

A question I always ask myself during this past year, especially when Mike got sick and died: Did we leave here with a high hand like Israel? We were untouched last year, literally. God put His arms around us and kept us perfectly safe in a place where the rest of the world was falling apart. There was hardly a sickness here and it was a magnificent, spectacular miracle that God performed for all of us.

Because God put us out there to seek His will as citizens of His glorious Kingdom, because God is perfecting the beauty of you, His very own beloved, He is separating us all from Satan’s systems of conspiracies that only produce destruction and death. How much are we getting caught up in this crazy world? This world is enmity against God. Do you know what enmity means? They hate Him, and all the systems that they are running come out of that hatred. Why do you want to get involved with trying to fix something that is part of what hates God?

We are here to learn God’s laws so well that you will be able to rule with a just rod of iron. Because God’s laws are becoming part of your DNA, and you shall be the living Word of God, just like Christ. We are here to learn, to act like men, be courageous, committed to giving our lives, if necessary, “pinning ourselves to stand our ground” a quote from Mike Ford said at the Feast of Tabernacles many years ago. It is something that we should very clearly hold on to.

We are here to understand that we are handpicked by God, and that all our time and energy must be expended in service to our God now. Not dealing with the slack hand, but diligently charging straight ahead, straight forward, while knowing that God is keenly interested in every detail of your lives, of all our lives.

We are here this week to learn it is our individual duty to take God’s favor and carefully consider our own personal responsibility and commitment to serve others now, and then later most certainly, if we are prepared, and if we meet the criteria that Jesus Christ can only do for His elect. We are going to be serving for eternity and those people in the Millennium are going to need some leaders.

Each was personally put here by God this week, to understand that our words, feelings, and thoughts have more power than you have ever imagined, and it is now a very personal responsibility as the beloved of God, to shun profane and vain babblings, which only generates strife, rightly dividing His holy Word of truth. God brought us, His beloved, here to see just as Joshua did, that he stands behind us in the battle, and constant contact with the commander is absolutely necessary to carry on the battle.

God brought strength to us, His wearied elect, this week as He drove home this election must continue to be driving through the reality, because it is the reality that is moving us forward through this contentious world.

We were brought here to recharge our strength, to faithfully understand that only each one of us in Christ are chosen of all men to be blessed, to be seen with the same love as the Father sees Christ Himself. To understand the intense concern He has for us all, for our wellbeing no matter what we may be going through. We are nothing without Christ, but because He chose us, we are now made alive and blessed in a new birth, and He will not allow us to go over our heads. Our lives are very specially directed by Jesus Christ Himself from heaven as He sits there next to the Father, from the glory of man to the glory of God, in order to make you ready for complete glory in the Family of God.

We are here this week to understand that all the offices within the body are given to keep the body in line with the Head, and that we are required now to be in the image of God, and our preoccupation must be following the Head wherever He leads us as the work of God, because we are God’s work in progress.

We are here this week to understand that the marriage contract has already been legally signed and the bride is now made ready for the presentation to the groom at the greatest wedding banquet of all time.

Some of the things I am reading to you are things that come out in the Feasts of the past, but they are all as true today, if not more true, just because we are living in a situation that we need to understand these things very clearly.

This preparation entails building on the already-established foundation of Jesus Christ, not being moved off that foundation by the slick marketing of evil that can wear down the saints and overwhelm them if we each individually fail to prize the glorious gifts God has given us to watchfully, carefully, and continually to build on the foundation, to be pillars that will not be shaken.

Christ comes quickly, and we do not want to have Him say, “You’re an unprofitable servant because you took My gifts and didn’t do what you should have with them.” Even in crisis moment like we are right now. We have been told by God that our physical insecurities are often His way of pointing us toward Him. Each has the power to trust God in finding the best way to live in the moment, as God shapes each one of us in the most dire moments of physical insecurity. Even amid fear and dismay, within in a world, and even in times within the church. As Bill [Onisick] said, it is not just Church of the Great God, it is in the churches of God that are scattered, that are going through much of the same problems we face right now.

He will provide for His unique children. We have been called individually as well as a group to be in Christ, with Christ and the Father in us. This is an honor and a privilege given now to God’s elect. Only a very few before God made the New Covenant had been given this same honor. But at this point in this message, it is important that we look at one of those people. I think there is something here that we can consider throughout this week, that will greatly encourage you to carefully think on these things and do them.

It is especially up lifting as we grow closer to the return of Jesus Christ, to go through these difficult times, and as our preparation for the Kingdom seems to be coming more overwhelmingly difficult, and the weariness within the jobs God has given us to do is weighing heavily, Jesus Christ is always there.

Please turn to Exodus 19. God had chosen Moses from before he was born for a job of leadership within His plan to remove His people from bondage. God patiently prepared his mind, heart, and body for the leadership role He had for him for eighty years before He was ready to use him as a chosen vessel.

Moses physically had been prepared to rule with the authority of a king. He had been humbled for sacrificial service through hardship and shame. God brought Moses to the place where he could be of use as His chosen vessel, in God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt. Brethren, it did not happen before Moses went to Pharoah, nor as they marched out with a high hand, nor as they crossed the Red Sea. It happened in the presence of God at Mount Sinai. For lack of time, we cannot read through these chapters, but I encourage you to read through and meditate on the awesome specific directions God gave to His people in the chapters around this.

In Exodus 19, we see Israel’s arrival at Sinai in the third month of their journey. Moses, as their leader, had already dealt with more problems and grumbling from those in his charge than we would ever care to imagine.

Exodus 19:1-13 In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. For they had departed from Rephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped there before the mountain. And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:

‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people, for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.

So, Moses came and called to the elders of the people and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” So, Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak to you and believe you forever.”

So, Moses told the words of the people to the Lord. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying,

‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch the base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.”

We see Moses going twice up the Mount Sinai for instructions and God’s intent to make Israel a special treasure unto Himself, but not within the boundaries of His holy mountain. Moses carefully instructed the Israelites in the following verses of their duty to prepare themselves for God’s descent to instruct them from Sinai, while maintaining their distance.

In verse 20, we see God calling only Moses up to Him within the boundaries set. I strongly encourage you to read and meditate on chapters 20-31 for yourselves, because it is something that we really need to understand about the awesome holiness of God, and the meticulous details of the honor and worship due God from those whom He has called into a covenant agreement with them.

It also clearly shows that He is the One who provides all our needs, even in that worship and preparations for it. However, for our purposes I would like to go to chapter 32.

Exodus 32:7-8 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out the land of Egypt!’

Exodus 32:15-16 And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written. Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.

Exodus 32:19 So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses’ anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.

Notice the hints that God gives us here that Moses’ thinking was not quite in line with His. This is a man that was prepared for a long time, but he was still not finished. In verse 7, God says, “Get down! For your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.” Knowing Moses as well as He did, He knew what would happen. He lost his temper, as he had forty years before when he took it upon himself to kill the Egyptian for beating a Hebrew. Only this time in a fit of anger he smashed the two tablets that were the work of God, with the writing that was written by God, as we are reminded in verse 16.

We see further hints of Moses’ mind in verses 31-33.

Exodus 32:31-33 Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made for themselves gods of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.”

Moses had been prepared by God as a great and compassionate man, but God gives us a few clues here that he had not quite finished the most important part of the process yet. His mind was still not completely in sync with God’s.

Exodus 33:12-14 Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give your rest.”

Exodus 33:17 So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.” Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

Brethren, chapter 34 is the record of Moses’ second forty days and forty nights on Sinai in the presence of God. But this second time Moses became more like God through His Spirit, and Him sharing the glory of God.

Notice the first signs of Moses’ change in verses 8-9.

Exodus 34:8-9 So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. Then he said, “If I have now found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let My Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your inheritance.”

Moses no longer saw himself as separate and above Israel with any kind of self-righteousness at all. But by the end of the forty days it was totally within his own heart that this truly was the work of God and God alone, and that He uses and prepares whomever He will to assist in His plans and purposes.

It was at this time that God shared His glory with Moses. Again, through His words but this time with His Spirit in him. Moses not only knew the words but the plan and purpose behind them.

Exodus 34:29-35 Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.

So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.

But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.

Brethren, that word translated as shone, in Hebrew, is the word kawran, and it means to radiate, to send out rays. It can even mean horns that grow from inside out. These were Jesus’ words to those who had been called to follow Him, as you can see in verse 1. Blessings poured out to those chosen to act on His words while being driven by the Holy Spirit dwelling within them and radiating in the glory of God, just like Moses, not only to the world, but more importantly to those within the Family of God.

Brethren, tomorrow and throughout our time here, we must remember that we have been given the privilege to know God now. Because of this we see the insanity of a world as it exists today, under Satan, and we have to deal with it with the difficulties that may come with the territory of being the chosen of God, and the enemy of Satan in this world. It surely seems to be a wearying task sometimes, but God has clearly given us direction and this week He will continue to move us forward—if we move with Him.

He has made it clear to us how close our relationship is within the Family of God now and our responsibility to courageously stand within the duties that He has given us, continuing to hold our ground, no matter what.

Paul tells us in II Corinthians 3:7-15 that the veil is still over the glory of God to the world and even to the Jews, Succoth is just a nice vacation. But as the apostle Paul says in verse 18.

II Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

God commanded us to be here this week and He will continue to give us through His words and His Holy Spirit what we are to do to continue His work, without growing weary and continuing to radiate His glory.

So, stay the course even when it gets so tough, so dangerous, and so much that even if our pastor John, Evelyn, Richard, Martin are all in a difficult place, some of the main people that we have looked to and relied on for so many years, God has put them in their place of safety, but He left us to still be a witness to this world. And we are here at this Feast of Tabernacles to remember we are here at the invitation of our Great God.

We are here because you are His beloved. You are here because He wants you all to understand He loves you. He will work with you. And regardless of what is happening with us, with the ministry, with the people out there getting sick, we are still going to stand together as one body, united in the body of Christ.

MS/cdm/drm





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