Revival Through Repentance and Seeking God's Presence
Summary
In Exodus 33, we find a profound narrative that speaks to the heart of revival and the presence of God among His people. The Israelites, having sinned by worshiping a golden calf, faced the dire consequence of God withdrawing His presence. This withdrawal was more grievous to them than the loss of the Promised Land itself, leading them to genuine repentance. This repentance was not merely an emotional response but a deep, transformative sorrow that led to a change in behavior, as evidenced by their removal of ornaments that had led them astray.
Moses, understanding the gravity of the situation, took a significant step by setting up a tent of meeting outside the camp. This act symbolized a separation from the sinfulness within the camp and a move towards holiness and intercession. It was a call to those who felt the burden of the absence of God’s presence to come and seek Him earnestly. This tent was not the official Tabernacle but a temporary place where those who sought the Lord could meet with Him.
The narrative highlights the importance of individual burden and action in the process of revival. Often, it begins with one person or a small group feeling the weight of the spiritual state and taking steps to seek God earnestly. This is not about grand announcements or organized movements but about genuine, heartfelt intercession and a call to holiness. Moses’ action was a quiet yet powerful statement of the need for separation from sin and a return to God.
As Moses and others sought God, the Cloudy pillar, a symbol of God’s presence, returned, indicating God’s pleasure and willingness to engage with His people once more. This return of the Cloudy pillar brought a renewed sense of worship and expectation among the people, even those who initially stood at a distance. It serves as a reminder that revival often begins with a few but eventually impacts the many.
Key Takeaways:
- True repentance is transformative, leading to a change in behavior and a deep sorrow for sin that goes beyond mere remorse. It is a profound turning back to God, as seen in the Israelites' removal of their ornaments. [05:31]
- Revival often begins with one person or a small group feeling a burden for the spiritual state of the church. This burden leads to action, as seen in Moses setting up the tent of meeting outside the camp. [12:03]
- Separation from sin and a call to holiness are essential steps in the process of revival. Moses’ act of setting up the tent outside the camp symbolizes the need for consecration and a return to God’s ways. [22:43]
- The return of God’s presence, symbolized by the Cloudy pillar, brings a renewed sense of worship and expectation among the people. It is a sign of God’s pleasure and willingness to engage with His people. [38:21]
- Revival is not about organized movements or grand announcements but about genuine, heartfelt intercession and a call to holiness. It begins quietly, often unnoticed, but eventually impacts the broader community. [21:59]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Introduction to Exodus 33
- [01:36] - Understanding Revival
- [02:55] - The Israelites' Rebellion
- [04:30] - God's Withdrawal and Israel's Repentance
- [06:20] - Stages of Revival
- [09:09] - The Tent of Meeting
- [11:18] - Moses' Action and Burden
- [14:32] - The Role of Individuals in Revival
- [17:18] - Separation and Consecration
- [22:28] - The Need for Unusual Action
- [32:54] - Signs of True Concern for Revival
- [37:50] - God's Response to Intercession
- [41:16] - Expectation of More to Come
- [43:46] - Conclusion and Call to Action
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Exodus 33:7-11: "Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent."
#### Observation Questions
1. What action did Moses take in response to the Israelites' sin, and what was its significance? ([09:09])
2. How did the people of Israel react when Moses went to the tent of meeting? ([35:01])
3. What was the visible sign of God's presence returning to the Israelites, and what did it signify? ([38:21])
4. Who remained in the tent of meeting when Moses returned to the camp, and why might this be significant? ([41:16])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does the removal of ornaments by the Israelites symbolize in terms of their repentance and transformation? ([05:31])
2. How does the narrative of Moses setting up the tent of meeting illustrate the importance of individual action in the process of revival? ([11:18])
3. In what ways does the return of the Cloudy pillar serve as a sign of God's pleasure and willingness to engage with His people? ([38:21])
4. How does the concept of separation from sin and a call to holiness manifest in the actions of Moses and the Israelites? ([22:43])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt distant from God. What steps did you take, or could you take, to seek His presence again, similar to the Israelites' repentance? ([05:31])
2. Moses set up the tent of meeting outside the camp as a place of intercession. How can you create a "tent of meeting" in your own life, a space dedicated to seeking God earnestly? ([11:18])
3. Revival often begins with a few individuals feeling a burden for the spiritual state of the community. Do you feel such a burden, and how might you act on it? ([12:03])
4. The Israelites' repentance was marked by a tangible change in behavior. What is one specific behavior or habit you feel called to change as a sign of your repentance? ([05:31])
5. The return of the Cloudy pillar brought a renewed sense of worship among the people. How can you cultivate a renewed sense of worship and expectation in your daily life? ([38:21])
6. Consider the idea of separation from sin as a step towards holiness. What is one area of your life where you feel called to separate from sin, and how can you take practical steps towards holiness? ([22:43])
7. Moses left Joshua in the tent of meeting, expecting more from God. How can you maintain a spirit of expectation in your spiritual journey, anticipating more from God? ([41:16])
Devotional
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Quotes
Repentance is something so profound that it immediately has an effect upon our conduct and our Behavior. There is no value in remorse; it's repentance, it's Godly sorrow, not the sorrow of the world, that is a value in the sight of God. [00:05:38]
Moses took the Tabernacle and pitched it without the camp, a far off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. It came to pass that everyone which sought the Lord went out into the Tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. [00:09:09]
Some one man or some group of men suddenly begin to feel this burden and so feel the burden that they're led to do something about it. That is what happened here, you see. That is, I say, what has always happened. [00:12:03]
Moses took this Tabernacle, which had been formerly in the midst of the camp, and he pitched it without the camp, far off from the camp. Now here is something again which we must underline and emphasize, particularly because it is again one of those points that you get invariably in the history of Revival. [00:17:18]
Moses was anxious that the presence of God should return, so he sets up this place of prayer and of intercession. Now you notice the way in which it was done. It didn't seem to be an elaborate organization. He didn't make any statement; he made no speech about it. [00:21:59]
The first indication of a true and a genuine concern is that we are aware of our unworthiness and uncleanness. We've got to separate ourselves from ourselves. We've got to set up this Tabernacle somehow, somewhere outside the ordinary. It's got to be exceptional; it's got to be unusual. [00:32:54]
God recognizes this action, and he begins to grant encouragement to it. He gives tokens of the fact that he is well pleased with it. And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the Tabernacle, the Cloudy pillar descended and stood at the door of the Tabernacle. [00:37:50]
The first indication is always that something seems to begin to happen to the life of the church. There seems to be a new quickening. The worship of the church becomes warmer; something comes better, which had gone—a warmth and a tenderness. There is an encouragement, a new sense of expectation. [00:38:21]
The man who felt the burden first of all is given an intimation by God that God has heard him and that he's going to answer. Now that's invariable once more in all the histories of Revival. These men go through a period of Agony, then they come to a point when they feel it's all right. [00:40:24]
Moses having heard this intimation from God that he was heard and that God was going to answer, he went back to the camp to report to the people, to tell them what had happened, to say that the meaning of The Descent of the Cloudy pillar was that God was favorably disposed once more. [00:41:16]
Moses was expecting more to come. He didn't want any of it to be missed, so while he himself goes back to part to the camp, he leaves Joshua in the tent of meeting. What if God will do something further? Very well, they're expecting more. This is only the beginning. [00:43:46]
When the day dawns that you and I, we shall be on the tiptoe of expectation, we can be sure that God is moving and that something unusual is about to take place. Very well, my friends, we leave it at that stage. [00:49:33]
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