The Israelites sinned against God again and again by worshiping idols.

After God saved them from Pharaoh with a mighty hand, He called Moses to Himself to give him the Ten Commandments. Moses stayed with God for forty days and forty nights. So the people said to Aaron, “We don’t know what had become of Moses? Make us gods who shall go before us.”

You can find the whole story in the Book of Exodus chapter 32.

Their sin cost them a lot. 3,000 of them died at the sword of their own bothers.

Then in chapter 33, God came up with a solution. He said to them through Moses, “You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you.” Verse 5.

So what is the solution? God decided not to go with them, instead to send an angle to go with them.

What was Mose’s response for God?

Listen:

“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?” Verse 15-16

DID YOU JUST HEAR THAT!

Moses was like, “If You are not going with us, we need none of Your gifts and blessings! No angel, no Promised Land! We need nothing but You!”

My! My! My!

My friends, for those who experienced it, God’s presence is addictive.

God’s presence is more than life itself. His presence is more than all His gifts combined and more.

Some say, “I have porn and masturbation addiction. Can you tell me how I can stop it? I mean, I try to pray and fast. But nothing works.”

Why?

These people don’t know God. They only know Him as a vending machine, not as a close companion who always stays with them. Prayer and reading/studying the Bible for them is to get something out of God, not to know God and to love Him.

Do you want God’s presence more than the things you can get from God?

If so, you’re bewildered by a false Gospel that teaches you how to get wealthy, healthy and lazy!

Come back to the sound doctrine that teaches you how to know God and love Him. Then you learn to say like Moses, “Take everything but Your presence from me.”

And listen to this: As you are falling in love, the love of sin starts to die in you. This is what mortifying sin means. This is how you mortify sin.

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death (mortify) the deeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13

“Put to death (mortify) therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming.” Colossians 3:5-6 ///