So, we're going to be in our service this evening singing, firstly in Psalm 30, Psalm
number 30, that's in the Scottish Psalter version, that's page 239, verses 1 to 5.
Lord, I will thee extol, for thou hast lifted me on high, and over me thou to rejoice made
not mine enemy.
O thou who art the Lord my God, I in distress to thee with loud cries lifted up my voice,
and thou hast healed me.
O Lord, my soul thou hast brought up and rescued from the grave, that I to pit should not go
down, alive thou didst me save.
So on singing to the end of verse 5, Psalm 30, Lord, I will thee extol.
O Lord, I will thee extol, for thou hast lifted me on high, and over me thou to rejoice
with
I in this place to thee.
When thou Christ lifted up my voice,
and thou hast healed me.
O Lord, my soul thou hast brought up,
and rescued from the grave.
And I to live should not go down,
a life that didst me save.
For he that I with holy want,
sing praise unto the Lord.
And give unto infants,
when ye this holiness record.
For what a moment last is rough,
like in this paper lies.
Weeping may fall,
a night and dew,
and more does your God arise.
Let's now all join together in prayer,
as we call upon the Lord in prayer.
Our gracious and almighty God,
we thank you once again for the many ways in which we have known your blessing through this day already.
And we thank you, Lord,
that we come together once again,
by your grace and by your enabling,
the desire in our hearts to lift up our voices in praise,
lift up your holy name in adoration,
and to realize,
and to realize, Lord,
that your holiness,
even as we have been singing in these words,
is not meant to deter our coming for an audience with you,
but also only to direct our thoughts,
so that we realize, Lord,
who we come into the presence of.
We thank you tonight, Lord,
for all the promises that meet us as we come together to worship you.
We thank you for the way that so many have already been fulfilled in the history of your people.
For as we read in your words,
so many promises that you made to your people Israel long ago
came to be fulfilled as the years went by,
and you came to manifest yourself to them as a faithful God,
a God who kept covenant with his people,
a God who brought to fruition the things that you had promised to bring to them.
And we thank you, Lord, that that is the same for ourselves,
that you have especially come in these days of the New Testament age
to fulfill your promise that a Savior would come,
Emmanuel, God with us, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We bless you, Lord, tonight for all that has already been fulfilled in him.
You have provided for us an atonement for our sins.
You have brought your presence in such a unique way into the midst of your people.
You have come to pour out your Spirit on that great day of Pentecost,
as was long promised down through the ages.
And you have come, O Lord, to bring the gospel into the world,
a world that lay in darkness,
a world that needed the light of the gospel of your truth.
We thank you that that light has reached ourselves,
that it has come to our shores and come into our hearts.
O Lord, we pray tonight for that renewed sense of privilege in your presence,
and for that renewed sense of your presence with us.
We thank you, Lord, that we can anticipate this,
and that your promise to be with your people will also remain fulfilled and present
as you come to bless them and as you come to live in their midst.
Lord, bless us, we pray tonight, as a congregation of your people.
Bless those who join us online as well, from different parts of the world it may be.
Grant that we may all have a sense of a unity of mind and purpose as we come to worship you.
And enable us, Lord, to receive your word once again,
that word that is engrafted in the souls of your people.
Help us to receive it believingly and gladly.
Enable us to welcome yourself as we welcome your word.
And enable us to be like the Thessalonians of old,
who had a reputation reaching far and wide beyond their own location,
that they had embraced the Lord and his gospel,
that they were a people who lived to the praise of God.
We ask that this may be true increasingly of ourselves.
We thank you for your goodness to us,
for the ways in which your goodness is manifested to us.
And we thank you for that goodness day by day that we receive
in the various gifts that you give us,
even in what we regard as ordinary gifts of your providence.
Yet, Lord, we know that none of them is ordinary,
for we deserve none of them.
And you have in your grace and kindness come to bless us in our lives.
We thank you tonight for the gospel,
and we thank you for all that it contains by way of good news for us sinners.
We thank you for the way in which you have, Lord,
blessed that gospel abundantly down through the years,
even in this congregation.
We do pray that you would continue to bless that gospel among us,
and help us to hold it forth in the way in which we live in the world.
Enable us, Lord, to commend it to our fellow human beings around us.
We ask tonight for those who never come to attend the gospel.
And Lord, in our community there are so many of them,
that we pray that you would bless to them the fact that the gospel is available.
Help them to think of the great loss that is theirs when they don't avail themselves of this good news of Jesus.
And Lord, we ask that your spirit will be abroad in our communities,
as you have been in years and times gone by,
to bring to people a sense of their need, a sense of their sinfulness,
a sense of their need of coming to the Lord to receive his forgiveness,
and a sense of their need of a savior.
O Lord, our God, we pray that in our day too, you would do great things.
Manifest the power of your name.
Show us the glory of your being in the salvation of sinners.
And establish your church, we pray.
And establish your people and help them to be settled in the way of holiness.
Give them the strength they require against temptations that abound in this world.
We pray for ourselves, O Lord, as a congregation in that regard.
O help us never to be deflected from following you, from walking in the footsteps of faith.
Help us never to be deflected from whatever duty we owe to you.
And grant, O Lord, that day by day we may make it our purpose to live as the people of God,
as people who are known to be the Lord's covenant children.
We ask that you would grant to us, O Lord, as we seek to move ahead from times of confinement and restriction.
You label us, we pray, to avail ourselves of all the opportunities that open up for us,
so that we may serve you in our communities as a congregation.
Bless us in all our activities, we pray.
Bless your gospel to our youngest through to the oldest.
We ask, O God, that you would impress upon us time after time how suitable and how relevant your gospel is
for our needs at every stage of life.
We pray for those who are seeking after you but haven't yet come to close in with you
and to give themselves wholly to you.
Lord, we pray that your Holy Spirit will produce that faith in their hearts that will enable them to cleave to you.
We pray for any Lord who tonight may be concerned over their relationship with you,
concerned over their sins, concerned over eternity, concerned over their state of mind or heart.
Gracious Lord, we ask that you would, through the gospel, bring peace to them,
bring about to them, O Lord, that union with Christ which alone is able to give us a sure foundation.
And we ask that you would graciously bless the gospel tonight to any who are of such a mind.
Blessed to your people as well, O Lord, as we pray for the unsaved, so we pray for the saved alike.
We ask that you would grant us progress and sanctification in hope and an expectation of that eternal life,
which will be fully revealed at the coming of the Lord.
Lord, we ask that you would continue to establish us in the ways of holiness,
in the ways of seeking to bring praise and honor and glory to your glorious name.
Remember those tonight, Lord, who have struggles.
We pray for those who have struggles in their faith,
struggles in their view of themselves or of God or of the gospel,
who have struggles, Lord, in different ways otherwise than their lives.
Those who are struggling with temptations, those who are struggling with various addictions,
those who find the going difficult and difficult to maintain progress in these matters.
We pray for those who are struggling with mental health issues.
We commend them to you all, O Lord, also, and give thanks that you are the God of the mind as well as of the body,
that you are able even there to do wondrous things.
And we do commend such to you tonight, O Lord, and ask that you would bless them.
Bless to the bereaved, the distressed, those who are anxious over loved ones,
those who are unwell and may be approaching eternity.
Lord, prepare them for that, we pray.
Grant to those receiving treatment, those who have undergone surgery,
those who are living in care homes or spending time in hospital,
those who are being cared for at home.
O Lord, we commend them to you and ask that you would bless the brokenhearted,
the lonely, those who feel isolated,
those, Lord, who would love to have more of human company
and yet from day to day go without seeing many people.
O remember them and give them your own presence,
so that they may know that you are with them
and that they need not fear when the Lord is on their side.
We ask your blessing to be with the new ministry now opening up amongst us.
We give thanks, O Lord, for Reverend Calum Mordo,
and we pray that you would bless him and his family
and that this time, O Lord, grant as they settle among us as a congregation,
that they will know your good hand upon them
and that you would use them and use his ministry in the gospel
in a mighty way, Lord, in our midst.
And we ask that as we seek to serve the Lord here,
that he may know that the Lord is with him
and confirm to him the rightness of his move to come to accept our call.
And gracious Lord, grant to be his peace from day to day.
Remember our nation. Remember our community.
Grant, Lord, we pray that you would deliver us from the thralldom of darkness and of sin
and bring us into the broad, upright ways of righteousness and peace
and prosperity in the gospel.
Lord, we pray against all those who seek to stand forcibly against the gospel
and against the ways of the Lord, against the sanctity of human life,
against the Lord's day and its proclamation and its keeping,
and every other way, O Lord, in which we find your ways so much cast aside and despised in our land.
Be pleased, Lord, to listen to those who cry to you
and seek for days of reviving and refreshing,
which we know, O Lord, from your Spirit are alone adequate to change us from the ways of sin.
Receive our thanks, cleanse us from our sin.
And we ask it all in Jesus' name for his sake. Amen.
Let's now sing once again to God's praise in Psalm 31.
Psalm 31, and we're singing in the Sing Psalms version this time from Psalm 31 at verse 19.
Verse 19, your goodness, Lord, is very great.
Prepared for those who fear your name, you show your goodness openly to all who your protection claim.
Your presence hides and shelters them from those who plot to take their life.
And in your tent you keep them safe from evil tongues that stir up strife.
Verses 19 to the end of the Psalm.
Your goodness, Lord, is very great.
Prepared for those who fear your name,
Your sure配 your goodness open to me,
To all who your protection claim.
Your presence hides and shelters then,
From those who long to take their life
And in your tent you keep them safe
From evil towns that still have strife
The Lord be praised because he showed
The wonder of his love to me
When in the city I was trapped
Surrounded by the enemy
In my life my gosh he said
That I was hidden from your eyes
But when I called to you for help
In grace you listen to my eyes
Oh, the Lord on you they sing
The faithful will forget my God
But he will give the proud
Their due
His strong day high
Hope is the Lord
Let's now turn to read God's Word
And we find that tonight in Exodus
The book of Exodus chapter 33
And from verse 12
Reading through to verse 9 of chapter 34
So Exodus 33 and at verse 12
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 favor in my sight
Now therefore if I have found favor in your sight
Please show me now your ways
That I may know you in order to find favor in your sight
Consider too that this nation is your people
And he said
My presence will go with you
And I will give you rest
And he said to him
If your presence will not go with me
Do not bring us up from here
For how shall it be known
That I have found favor in your sight
I and your people
Is it not in your going with us
So that we are distinct
I and your people
From every other people on the face of the earth
And the Lord said to Moses
This very thing that you have spoken
I will do
For you have found favor in my sight
And I know you by name
Moses said
Please show me your glory
And he said
I will make all my goodness pass before you
And will proclaim before you my name
The Lord
And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious
And I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy
But he said
You cannot see my face
For man shall not see me and live
And the Lord said
Behold there is a place by me
Where you shall stand on the rock
And while my glory passes by
I will put you in a cleft of the rock
And I will cover you with my hand
Until I have passed by
Then I will take away my hand
And you shall see my back
But my face shall not be seen
The Lord said to Moses
Cut for yourself two tablets of stone
Like the first
And I will write on the tablets
The words that were on the first tablets
Which you broke
Be ready by the morning
And come up in the mountain
In the morning to Mount Sinai
And present yourself there to me
On the top of the mountain
No one shall come up with you
Let no one be seen throughout all the mountain
Let no flocks or herds
Graze opposite that mountain
So Moses cut two tablets of stone
Like the first
And he rose early in the morning
And went up on Mount Sinai
As the Lord had commanded him
And took in his hand
Two tablets of stone
The Lord descended in the cloud
And stood with him there
And proclaimed the name of the Lord
The Lord passed before him
And proclaimed the Lord
The Lord a God merciful and gracious
Slow to anger
And abounding in steadfast love
And faithfulness
Keeping steadfast love for thousands
Forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin
But who will by no means clear the guilty
Visiting the iniquity of the fathers
On the children
And the children's children
To the third and the fourth generation
Moses quickly bowed his head
Towards the earth and worshipped
And he said
If now I have found favor in your sight
O Lord please
Let the Lord go in the midst of us
For it is a stiff-necked people
And pardon our iniquity and our sin
And take us for your inheritance
Amen and may the Lord once again
Follow with this blessing
A reading of his word
Let's now sing again this time
In Psalm 103
Psalm 103
And that's in the Scottish Psalter
Singing verses 8 to 13
The Lord our God is merciful
And he is gracious
Long suffering and slow to wrath
In mercy plenteous
He will not chide continually
Nor keep his anger still
With us he dealt not as we sinned
Nor did requite our ill
For as the heaven and its height
The earth surmounted far
So great to those that do him fear
His tender mercies are
Through to verse 13
From verse 8
The Lord our God is merciful
And he is gracious
Long suffering and slow to wrath
In mercy plenteous
He will not chide continually
Lord keep his anger still
With us he dealt not as we sinned
Nor did we quite a ill
Oh, past the heaven in its height
He is a mountain of fire
So great to those that do him fear
His tender mercies are
But as far as he sits distant
From the west so far have he
From the sling of the king
In the sling of the king
In his land
All the rain in which he
He is
For shmity as the father
And to his children dear
Thy pity shows the Lord
To such as worshipping in fear
Let's turn together again
to the book of Exodus
and chapter 34
looking at verses 1 to 9
34 verses 1 to 9
but particularly
the words you find
from verse 5 onwards
The Lord descended in the cloud
and stood with him there
and proclaimed the name of the Lord
The Lord passed before him
and proclaimed the Lord
the Lord a God merciful and gracious
slow to anger and abounding
in steadfast love and faithfulness
keeping steadfast love for thousands
forgiving iniquity and transgression
and sin
but who will by no means
clear the guilty
visiting the iniquity
of the fathers
from the children
and the children's children
to the third
and the fourth generation
so on
Now we have a few verses
to note first of all
before we look
in more detail
at this part of the passage
and you first of all
notice the request of Moses
back in chapter 33
and at verse 18
Here is Moses looking for
the Lord's assurance
that he would go with them
on the journey
that they have begun
into the wilderness
onto the promised land
and here is Moses
in verse 18
there saying
Moses said
Please
show me your glory
What an amazing
and wonderful
request that was
how was the Lord
going to answer
such a request
and desire
on the part of Moses
well the next verse
tells us
the Lord said
to Moses
he said
I will make
all my goodness
pass before you
and will proclaim
before you
my name
the Lord
and then he mentions
the graciousness
of the Lord
so this is how God
answered the request
of Moses
Moses is saying
Lord please
show me your glory
and God replied
to that in terms
of his goodness
and that's a remarkable
thing that
the glory of the Lord
is not something
that you can hardly
see or approach
that does not mean
that God
is not glorious
and that God's
the glorious God
we should not think
of coming into
his presence
in any other way
but appreciating
and respecting
that holiness
and that glory
that belongs
to him
but the glory
of the Lord
as Moses
requested it
is now going
to be seen
by Moses
in terms
of the goodness
of God
and that's a reminder
to ourselves
every time
you see
the goodness
of God
in whatever way
displayed
in your own life
or in the world
that is God
manifesting
his glory
because the goodness
of God
as we'll see
is actually
set out
and proclaimed
by God
in such a way
that makes
Moses come
to appreciate
these great aspects
of God's goodness
mercy
grace
slow to anger
abounding
in steadfast love
keeping steadfast love
forgiving iniquity
and transgression
and sin
there is the
Lord's goodness
there is the
Lord's glory
displayed
in his goodness
the goodness
of the Lord
the God of grace
the God of salvation
the God
whose concern
it is
that sinners
should come to him
and be welcomed
by him
and then
you see
the response
also
sorry
the response
of Moses
following that
in verse 12
of chapter 33
you have a reference
there
to the name
as it's mentioned
where he says here
I know you
by name
Moses said
see you say to me
bring up this people
but you have not
let me know
whom you will send
yet you have said
I know you
by name
and if you trace
that out
you'll find
the name repeated
verse 17
the Lord said
this very thing
that you have spoken
I will do
for you have found
favor in my sight
and I know you
by name
and then verse 19
you find that same word
used
I will make my goodness
pass before you
and will proclaim
before you
my name
and then verse 5
of chapter 34
where you find the same
reference to the name
the Lord descended
in the cloud
and stood with him there
and proclaimed
the name
of the Lord
now why is that
significant?
well because
the name
indicates
the character
of God
those things
that are true
of God
that he's pleased
to divulge
to us
and you see
the correspondence
between God
saying I know
you by name
as he said
to Moses
and now he's
making his name
known to Moses
to pass on
to the people
in other words
God is not just
saying I know
what your name
is Moses
I know your name
is Moses
he's saying a lot
more than that
when God says to him
I know you by name
he's saying I know
your character
I know every single
thing about your character
I know the kind
of person you are
I know the very nature
of your being
and of your works
and so when God
is saying this
about himself
that he's going to
make his name known
that's exactly
what he's saying
when he proclaims
his name
as we'll see in a minute
he's really saying
this is who I am
this is what I am like
this is the God
you worship
this is why
you worship me
you know me
by name
I make my name
known to you
it doesn't matter
what names we have
sometimes
they may be significant
in terms of being
named after somebody
very often that's the case
named after
an ancestor
or somebody
significant
in the way
in which our parents
gave us names
but very seldom
do you find
our name
conveying
anything to do
with our character
because very often
we don't know
what kind of character
we're going to be anyway
when we are actually
come to be named
by our parents
but
that's not the case
of course
with God
the name
that God
carries
and the way
he knows
our name
is a way of God
highlighting for us
I know exactly
what makes you
what makes you tick
what really
exists in your heart
I know your mind
I know
everything you
actually have to say
and to do
I know your
very character
and
that's why God
is saying
he's going to
proclaim
his name to him
and now if you
come forward
to chapter 34
and verse 6
the Lord
passed by
before him
and proclaimed
the name of the Lord
proclaimed the Lord
the Lord God
in other words
God is proclaiming
meaning
God is revealing
to him
what his name
is
what his name
contains
what his character
is about
what he's like
and this is
as we said
it's in terms
of God's goodness
so if you like
the goodness
of God
the unfolding
of the name
of God
the inner meaning
of the name
of God
is actually
unpacked
for Moses
and for ourselves
in these verses
6 to 7
of chapter 34
as the Lord
then gets into
the detail
of who he is
and what he's like
and all of these
aspects
of God's character
and the name
of God
are important
to ourselves
this evening
we want to look
at two things
in a very short
compass
we look at
verses 1 to 4
Moses' preparation
to meet
with God
but then
from verse 5
verses 5 to 7
God's revelation
in his meeting
with Moses
so Moses' preparation
to meet
with God
and God's revelation
in his meeting
with Moses
look at the way
God
first of all
tells Moses
to prepare himself
cut for yourself
two tablets
of stone
remember the first
ones had been broken
when Moses came
down the mountain
and saw the idolatry
of the people
he broke
the first two
tablets of stone
on which the
Ten Commandments
were written
some people think
that was an act
of great anger
that was a rash
act on Moses' part
it's much more likely
to have been
an act of indignation
at what the people
had done
and that it was
a symbolic act
when he broke
these two tablets
of stone
on which the
Commandments
were written
he was demonstrating
the presence
of the people
the gravity
of their sin
what their sin
amounted to
they had broken
the law of God
they had smashed
the law of God
just as Moses
smashed the tablets
on which it was
written
and here is God
saying
I'm going to
write these
anew for you
I will write
the words
that were
on the first
but notice
saying
verse 2
be ready
by the morning
be ready
the meeting
with God
requires preparation
it requires
Moses to prepare
himself
not just to
prepare
these two
tablets
for God
to write on
but to prepare
himself
be ready
get yourself
ready
get yourself
into shape
get yourself
into order
and that
actually
requires a
deliberate
preparation
on Moses'
part
now it's like
that
for ourselves
too
one of the
outcomes
of having
a sense
of the
greatness
of God
in the midst
of his people
having a sense
of what the
name of God
is about
knowing God
for ourselves
as the great
and majestic
God that he is
the God
who is marked
by grace
and slow to anger
and all these
things we'll look
at in a moment
but as God
is marked
by these
as he impresses
these on our
hearts
every time we
come together
to meet with
God
every time we
come even
personally
individually
to have our
business with
God
in prayer
and in worship
we have these
words come to
mind
be ready
for this
prepare
for this
you're coming
to meet
with God
you're coming
to actually
have an audience
with God
you're coming
to hear
the voice
of God
you're coming
to experience
the presence
of God
through the
spirit of God
and God
is saying
to us
every time
we come
be ready
for that
now he's
given us
this wonderful
day
this Lord's
day
every Lord's
day that
passes
although of course
it's through
at some extent
in every day
and every time
we come
but the Lord's
day especially
let's look upon
the Lord's
day increasingly
a day that's
so badly
neglected
by our society
and
nevertheless
here we are
as God's
people
and we're
here tonight
and God
has required
of us
to be ready
to ready
our minds
to ready
our hearts
to prepare
to receive
his word
to prepare
to give
to him
the praise
and the worship
that we owe
to him
friends
think
every time
you come
to a Sunday
morning
to a Lord's
day morning
think of it
in this way
and I must
think of it
in that way
too
be ready
to meet
with God
prepare
your heart
and mind
as far
as possible
come
I know
that
many of us
have things
to do
even on a
Lord's day
morning
especially
with young
families
and so on
and it's
difficult
to have
time to
really just
think properly
of what we're
going to be
doing
in gathering
together
in church
and in worship
but it's
great to train
our children
in this way
as well
and that's
one of the
wonderful things
about seeing
the children
at our
services
morning or
evening
or both
that we're
really getting
them into
the way
of training
them to think
this is actually
coming to
meet with
God
we're coming
to be ready
to meet
with God
we have to
prepare to
meet with
God
we have to
just sit
and think
what it is
we're going
to do
when we
come to
church
that it's
an audience
with God
that we're
coming to
meet with
him
so he's
saying to
Moses
be ready
he has to
consecrate
himself
to prepare
himself
for this
important
meeting
that he's
going to
have with
God
but let's
look more
fully at
God's
revelation
in his
meeting
with
Moses
you see
in verse
five
there
there are
three
actions
on the
part
of
God
that
are
themselves
significant
it's
very easy
to
maybe
skip
over
them
in
reading
but
they
are
important
theologically
the Lord
descended
in the
cloud
the Lord
stood
with him
there
the Lord
proclaimed
the name
of the
Lord
three
verbs
three
words
of action
on the
part
of God
the first
is the Lord
descended
what does that
mean
why is that
emphasized
well of course
because it
just places
again in
Moses' mind
that God
is above
him
that he
is beneath
God
that God
is there
that he
is in his
greatness
arranging all
of this
but it's
especially
to just
bring to
Moses' mind
again
the Lord
has the
initiative
it's the
Lord who's
prepared this
it's the
Lord who
dictates this
it's the
Lord who
sets the
terms of
this
God
is saying
by
descending
like this
he's showing
Moses just
what it's
about
that he
God
has charge
of the
situation
he's made
the arrangement
he's taken
the initiative
and so he's
come down
in the
pillar
in the
cloud
and secondly
he stood
with him
there
that's a
remarkable
thing in
itself
there is
God
mentioned
there as
having
come
down
and now
he is
saying
the
Lord
actually
stood
with him
there
it's
anticipatory
I suppose
in some
way
of what
you find
in the
case of
Jesus
and the
Lord's
God's
Son
the Lord
Jesus
Christ
who came
and in
some cases
in the
Gospels
we find
him
referred
to us
standing
in a
certain
position
when he
comes
to meet
with
some
take
for
example
like
Zacchaeus
in Luke
chapter 19
where you
find
that Zacchaeus
having
gone ahead
and made
his way up
into the
sycamore tree
to see
Jesus
passing by
Jesus
came
to the
spot
and he
stood
he stood
and looked
up to
Zacchaeus
now
that's a
deliberate
reference
on the
part of
Luke
to what
he saw
happening
Jesus
stopped
Jesus
stood
the same
with
Bartimaeus
crying out
Jesus
son of
David
have
mercy
on
me
Jesus
stood
and
he
asked
commanded
the
disciples
to
call
Zacchaeus
to come
to him
when
God
stands
he
does
so
waiting
for
our
response
that's
why
Moses
here
meets
with
God
standing
before
him
when
God
comes
down
when
God
comes
by
his
spirit
into
such
an
occasion
even
as
this
tonight
this
is
how
you
and
I
are
to
think
of
it
the
God
who
has
taken
the
initiative
to
come
and
actually
be
here
by
his
spirit
and
he
is
standing
he
is
waiting
here
for
your
response
and
for
mine
to
his
presence
to
his
call
to
his
word
he's
not
inactive
he's
actually
in a
posture
of
waiting
standing
to
see
what
you
and
I
are
going
to
make
of
it
and
then
thirdly
he
proclaimed
he
spoke
there
is
how
we
ourselves
too
must
think
of
God
he
proclaims
himself
what
he's
like
what
the
word
Lord
means
what
his
name
is
about
so
there's
the
Lord's
actions
but
then
we
move
on
to
the
Lord's
words
because
there's
not
much
at
all
about
what
Moses
saw
but
there's
a lot
about
what
Moses
heard
and
Moses
heard
this
declaration
this
proclamation
by
God
himself
of
what
he
was
like
and
we'll
go
through
these
words
very
briefly
each
of
them
deserves
a
much
wider
treatment
than
we
can
give
it
tonight
but
we
see
them
very
frequently
in
our
studies
of
scripture
anyway
the
first
one
is
merciful
the
Lord
the
Lord
a
God
merciful
the
name
of
the
Lord
what
the
Lord
is
like
this
is
the
first
word
the
Lord
uses
the
God
who
is
merciful
and
the
word
that's
used
there
is
a
very
human
word
if you
like
all the
words
of course
are
human
words
but
I
mean
human
in the
sense
of
being
applied
in a
very
emotional
loving
caring
way
this
word
you can
find it
for example
in
Hosea
that
wonderful
passage
in
Hosea
chapter
11
which
speaks
among
other
things
of
the
Lord
bringing
Israel
as a
child
and
coming
to
teach
Israel
to
walk
he's
talking
spiritually
of course
then he
goes
on
verse
8
how
can
I
give
you
up
O
Ephraim
how
can
I
hand
you
over
O
Israel
he's
talking
to
the
same
people
the
people
of
Israel
they
are
just
embroiled
in
idolatry
they've
gone
the way
of
the
Canaanites
they've
turned
their
backs
on
the
Lord
they're
worshipping
these
idols
and
God
is
saying
how
can
I
give
you
up
how
can
I
hand
you
how
can
I
give
you
what
you
deserve
in
other
words
how
can
I
make
you
like
Adma
how
can
I
treat
you
like
Zeboam
these
were
two
cities
along
with
Sodom
that
God
destroyed
in
the
destruction
of
the
cities
of
the
plain
at
the
time
that
Sodom
was
destroyed
and
he
says
how
can
I
make
you
like
this
my
heart
recoils
within
me
my
compassion
grows
warm
and
tender
that's
used
here
of
God
in
terms
of
a
mother's
love
for
her
child
or
take
another
example
of
that
word
in
Isaiah
chapter
49
verse
15
here
is
what
God
is
saying
to
his
people
then
can
a
woman
forget
her
nursing
child
that
she
should
have
no
compassion
on
the
son
of
her
womb
even
these
may
forget
yet
I
will
not
forget
you
behold
I
have
engraved
you
on
the
woman
forget
her
nursing
child
that
she
should
have
no
compassion
on
the
son
of
her
womb
and
in
the
Hebrew
text
of
the
Old
Testament
the
word
compassion
is
very
close
in
its
spelling
to
the
word
womb
where
a
child
is
conceived
and
develops
prior
to
birth
in
other
words
what
God
is
saying
is
this
is
what
I
am
like
in
my
being
merciful
I
am
actually
like
a
mother
whose
care
for
an
unborn
child
is
of
such
a
quality
sadly
we're
not
in
a
world
that
appreciates
that
these
days
are
we
but
what
God
is
saying
is
can
a
woman
forget
her
child
of
her
womb
well
they
may
forget
but
I
will
not
forget
you
in
other
words
the
Lord's
mercy
is
the
Lord's
wonderful
cradling
loving
of
his
children
looking
after
them
compassionately
looking
after
them
so
lovingly
as
a
woman
looks
after
her
unborn
and
newly
born
child
that's
the
mercy
of
God
you
know
some
people
will
tell
us
I
don't
know
how
you
can
believe
in
that
God
that's
described
in
the
Old
Testament
that
God
that
just
seems
to be
so
severe
so
wrathful
so
full
of
anger
and
indignation
that
God
who
commands
certain
things
that
really
just
are
quite
unacceptable
there's
no
sense
of
compassion
there's
no
sense
of
love
or
tenderness
with
that
God
I
can't
believe
in
that
God
well
this
is
that
God
this
holy
God
who
is
abundant
in
mercy
whose
mercy
in
human
terms
can
be
described
no
better
than
the
love
of
a
woman
for
the
child
of
her
womb
this
is
our
God
this
is
who's
looking
after
you
this
is
the
quality
of
his
mercy
of
his
care
of
course
God
in
terms
of
mercy
as
Psalm
130
reminds
us
it's
not
something
that
God
owes
to
us
if
you
were
to
mark
iniquity
which
God
could
who
could
stand
but
there
is
forgiveness
there's
mercy
with
you
so
that
you
may
be
feared
the
Lord
God
merciful
and
then
he
says
gracious
the
favor
of
God
the
undeserved
favor
of
God
you
see
if
we
deserved
any
favor
from
God
then
God
would
owe
something
to
us
if
we
were
able
to
work
ourselves
up
into
some
sort
of
merit
case
then
God
would
actually
be
obliged
to
show
us
mercy
and
grace
but
of
course
grace
is
only
meaningful
when
you
realize
that
we
are
undeserving
of
it
grace
is
favor
to
the
undeserving
that's
what
grace
is
really
all
about
and
then
slow
to
anger
reluctant
to
intervene
and
judgment
even
when
it's
deserved
we
again
remember
to
go
back
to
Hosea
chapter
11
how
can
I
make
you
like
admins
a
bone
how
can
I
hand
you
over
my
heart
recoils
within
me
my
compassion
grows
warm
and
tender
I
will
not
execute
my
burning
anger
I
will
not
again
destroy
Ephraim
for
I
am
God
and
not
a
man
the
holy
one
in
your
midst
I
will
not
come
in
wrath
in
other
words
God
is
saying
to
Israel
in
these
days
of
Hosea
if
I
were
a
human
being
I
would
not
let
you
off
with
us
if
I
was
a
human
being
I
would
destroy
you
I
would
wipe
you
out
I
would
get
rid
of
you
but
I
am
God
and
not
man
and
therefore
I
will
have
compassion
slow
to
anger
how
many
days
have
you
and
I
been
thankful
that
God
is
slow
to
anger
that
God
does
not
rise
up
instantly
when
we
sin
against
him
when
we
are
conscious
that
we
have
sinned
against
him
that
he
doesn't
rise
up
immediately
to
destroy
us
which
is
really
ultimately
what
we
deserve
for
our
sin
he
is
slow
to
anger
it's
not
like
us
human
beings
so
often
just
lose
it
in
a
moment
that
doesn't
mean
that
God
has
no
anger
in
his
being
in
his
attributes
we'll
see it
in a
minute
that
he
has
but
he
is
slow
to
anger
and
abounding
in
steadfast
love
and
faithfulness
well
steadfast
love
is
God's
covenant
love
and
kindness
and
it's
translated
as you
know
elsewhere
in the
older
versions
as
loving
kindness
and
loving
kindness
is a
good
way
of
translating
I
think
because
it
reminds
us
that
God
in
his
love
for
his
people
is
a
God
who
acts
in
love
towards
them
he
doesn't
just
love
them
in
the
sense
of
having
good
thoughts
about
them
and
that
passes
off
into
our
own
love
as
well
and
what
our
love
should
be
it's
not
love
just
mentally
it's
not
just
love
in
the
thoughts
of
your
mind
saying
to
someone
I
love
you
have
to
actually
demonstrate
that
and
your
love
is
demonstrated
when
you
give
something
of
yourself
especially
evidence
of
that
the
greatest
action
of
God's
covenant
loving
kindness
is
Calvary
is
the
giving
of
his
son
the
giving
of
Christ
to
the
death
of
the
cross
in
his
love
for
his
people
abounding
in
steadfast
love
and
faithfulness
both of
these are
covenant
words
steadfast
love
and
faithfulness
in
other
words
the
Lord
keeps
faithfully
to
his
promises
keeps
faithfully
to
his
covenant
he's
never
ever
diverted
from
his
loving
purpose
for
his
people
we
heard
this
morning
of
how
in
the
psalm
sometimes
you
find
the
psalmist
coming
to
express
to
God
a
sense
of
being
left
or
of
being
abandoned
a
sense
of
perhaps
that
the
world
is
really
better
off
than
he
is
or
it
seems
like
that
to
him
until
as
we
heard
this
morning
from
psalm
73
especially
as
psalm
37
to
the
Lord
redirected
the
thoughts
of
the
psalmist
to
realize
that
actually
everything
he
needed
he
had
with
God
and
every
time
he
thought
that
he
was
not
being
remembered
by
God
nevertheless
I
am
still
with
you
never
leave
me
you
never
forget
me
you
never
stop
providing
for
me
that's
the
God
we
worship
tonight
that's
one
of
the
reasons
for
our
thankfulness
that
God
is
faithful
and
then
moving
on
because
the
time
is
passing
he
then
says
forgiving
iniquity
and
transgression
and
sin
now
there
are
passages
in
the
Bible
we've
come
across
some
already
Psalm
51
is
one
of
them
Psalm
32
another
one
dealing
with
forgiveness
confession
of sin
forgiveness
and
here
in
this
passage
you
have
the
three
great
Old
Testament
words
for
sin
there
they
are
translated
there
iniquity
transgression
and
sin
and
it's
worth
a
moment
just
reflecting
on
what
these
words
mean
transgression
iniquity
sin
iniquity
meaning
essentially
outward
twistedness
it's a word
in Hebrew
that means
being all
twisted up
and you know
that's what
we're like
when God
comes to
show us
what our
heart is
like
and we
come to
confess
our sin
to God
part of
what we're
conscious
of
one of
the things
we're
confessing
to him
is our
twistedness
that is
this is
what we
are as
sinners
our
heart
isn't
straight
it's all
twisted up
it needs
to be
straightened
out
and this
is what
God
in forgiveness
does
forgiving
iniquity
and then
transgression
and the word
transgression
means
rebellion
essentially
that's what
it is
our sin
is rebellion
against
God
every
every single
time
you or
I
knowing
God's
word
knowing
God's
will
knowing
God's
command
fail to
actually do
that and
deliberately do
not do
what we're
required to
do
that's
transgression
that's
casting the
law of
God
aside
that's
breaking
the bounds
that God
sets for
us
it's
willful
defiance
of
God
and you
see that's
why
sin is
such a
serious
issue
it's not
something you
can treat
casually
it's not
something that
doesn't really
matter very
much
it's a
confession of
this inner
twistedness
of this
deliberate
defiance
and rebellion
against God
and thirdly
he uses the
word sin
itself
forgiving
iniquity
and transgression
and sin
and that's
the Old
Testament word
for falling
short
missing the
mark
not meeting
the standard
of God
that he
requires of
us
this is why
it's important
as only as you
really get into
the workings
of sin
and come to
appreciate what
the Bible says
about sin
that you then
really begin to
appreciate the
wonder of
forgiveness
that this is
what God
forgives
this is the
kind of
person
that God
comes to
be compassionate
to
this is the
kind of
person
all that's
in here
in myself
that God
actually comes
to say
of us
I will be
merciful to
you
I will forgive
your iniquity
I will actually
deal with your
twistedness
I will handle
your rebellion
I will not
condemn you
for it
because my
concern
is to save
you
to forgive
you
to wash
you
to make
you clean
you see
if we were
going to
follow a
certain form
of teaching
that would
try and
make ourselves
righteous in
the presence
of God
and earn
good marks
from God
in order then
to be accepted
that's what we
saw our study
in Philippians
some time ago
Philippians 3
Paul's
confession there
what he used
to be
the righteousness
of the law
is what he
sought to
achieve
by his own
efforts
by what he
was doing
or what he
was not
doing
piling up
as he
sought
a whole
column
of merit
of deservedness
that God
would certainly
account him
then righteous
until Jesus
met him
and destroyed
every sense
of his own
sufficiency
and his own
self-righteousness
instead he
says I
now thank
God
I count
that sort
of thing
as rubbish
so that I
may when
Christ be
found in
him
not having
a righteousness
of my own
which is of
the law
but the
righteousness
that is of
God by
faith
the righteousness
of Jesus
that is what
God deals
with
and this is
how God
deals with
it
he deals
with sin
with iniquity
with sin
and transgression
and iniquity
and he provides
for us
righteousness
he sweeps
all of these
off our record
when we come
to Christ
but then he
says not
not
who will by
no means
clear the
guilty
visiting the
iniquity
of the father
and the
children's
children
to the
third and
fourth
generation
the fact
that God
has said
all is about
himself
about his
loving kindness
his steadfast
love
his graciousness
that emphasis
on love
has not ruled
out
the wrath
of God
and it's a
great mistake
to think
that that's
the case
God's wrath
has not
gone away
although God
has dealt
with it
himself
in the
person of
Jesus
who took
that wrath
to himself
on the
cross
of Calvary
so what
God is
saying here
is that
he will
by no means
clear the
guilty
the person
who goes
on in
sin
the person
insists
on their
own way
the person
who thinks
that some
or other
things will
work out
all right
even if they
don't change
their way
of life
God's
not going
to clear
them
there's no
clearing
of the
guilty
except
by way
of forgiveness
through Jesus
Christ
and this is
not God
being vindictive
this is just
sin being
sin
visiting the
iniquity
of the
father from
the children
and the
children's
children
to the
third and
fourth
generation
you see
in those
days
very often
there'd be
three or
four generations
in one
house
that's
why
the
householder
if he
rebelled
against
God
well the
effects of
that would
be known
amongst
his
children
they would
come to
experience
something of
God's wrath
of God's
displeasure
but it's not
God being
vindictive
that's just
the way
sin spreads
when it's
held on
to
and Moses
response
let me just
finish with
this
Moses
response
is so
significant
Moses
bowed his
head
towards the
earth
and worshipped
and he
said
if now I
have found
favor in
your sight
Lord please
let the
Lord go
with us
in the
midst of
us
for it
is a
stiff-necked
people
and pardon
our
iniquity
and our
sin
and take
us
for your
inheritance
well in the
Old Testament
an inheritance
was something
held
inviolably
you could
not actually
take the
inheritance
of somebody
who had been
given that
inheritance
without doing
violence
to the whole
process of
something being
passed on
and what
Moses is
saying here
is take
us for
your
inheritance
take us
as a
people
and make
us your
inheritance
make us
your
inviolable
property
and of
course you
remember how
the New
Testament
puts that
in the way
in which
Peter wrote
in his
first letter
1 Peter
chapter 2
and verses
9 to 10
you are a
chosen race
he said to
those he
wrote to
you are a
chosen race
a royal
priesthood
a holy
nation
a people
for his
own
possession
that you
may proclaim
the excellencies
of him
who called
you out of
darkness
into his
marvelous
light
this is not
your prayer
this evening
and in an
ongoing way
that as a
people
as a
congregation
a people
with a new
ministry
beginning in
our midst
an appreciative
people
a worshipping
people
a God
honoring
people
as we
seek
to be
you
yourself
individually
can say
this too
surely
Lord
take us
as your
inheritance
take us
as your
people
possess us
in such a
way that we
will never
be lost
that we
will always
be under
your loving
care
and may God
bless these
thoughts
honest word
to us
we're going
to conclude
tonight
from
Psalm 17
there's a
mistake in
the print
in your
bulletin
sheet
and that's
my fault
because I
passed on
the wrong
Psalm reference
to Lizzie
before she
made up
the bulletin
so if I
can turn
your mind
to Psalm
17
in the
Sing
Psalms
version
page 18
of the
Psalm
books
and we'll
sing from
the middle
of verse
4
from every
evil
path
by your
word
I'm
preserved
my feet
have held
to all
your ways
from them
I have
not swerved
I call
on you
O God
for you
will answer
me
O turn
your ear
towards my
prayer
and hear
my earnest
plea
we'll sing
on to the
end of
verse
marked
8
from every
evil
path
the
I have not swerved.
I call on you, O God,
for you will answer me.
O turn you in towards my prayer,
and in my earnest plea.
This way you set us love,
and sing with you my time.
All those who free are held to you
when foes against the sky.
And shadow of your wings
hide thee in times of strife,
and as we love the Lord your light,
preserve and hard my life.
After the benediction, I'll go to the door here to my right.
Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit,
be with you now and evermore.
Amen.