4 And when the people heard this bad news, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. 5 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you. Now therefore, take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do to you.’ ” 6 So the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb…..12.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.’ 13 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.” 14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” 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.” 18 And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”
Exo 33:4-6,12-18
Q & A：
- Have you come across anyone who you would consider as a stubborn or stiff-necked person just as how God was upset with the Israelites who left Egypt but still chose to live independent of God? Can you identify anything in your life that you may have idolized to take higher priority and result in not having Jesus to be the Lord of your life? (Exo 20:2-5; 2 Tim 3:1-5)
- Explain what it means “for one who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption” by drawing from your personal experience in making decisions where you had to face the consequences of the challenges. Do you tend to carry out your own agenda in life and expect God to bless it or bail you out if needed, but without consulting God or seeking His presence or blessing to be with you? (Gal 6:7-8; 2 Cor 6:14-15; Gal 2:20; John 15:7; 1 John 5:14-15)
- Discuss what the prayer of consecration is and how Jesus demonstrated to us in praying for God’s will in His Life in the Garden of Gethsemane. Discuss how God speaks to us and what are the safeguards He puts in place for us when we are faced with a major decision. (Matt 26: 36-45; Prov 16:3, 9; Prov 3:5-6)