Matthew
Prayer is Foundational to the Kingdom of Heaven
At the end of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Matthew 7:24-25
Like Moses, we also must be building our lives on the Rock,
The Word of God, to see the Glory of our Father and Heaven
We, too, have a promise of a land
Getting there is a journey through this life, this world
Along the way we will face the same temptations the Israelites faced
This time it is not Moses leading us, but the Holy Spirit
It is very important that we have the same desire and passion as Moses
Like Moses, we must have a desire for God to show us His Glory
Jesus’ instruction on prayer encourages us to take our eyes off earth
And set our vision on Heaven where Our Father resides
It is the Glory of God and His Kingdom that keeps us from the temporary
So we might attain the eternal
If our prayers start with seeing Our Father’s Glory
The rest of our prayer will be filled with greater confidence
Matthew
Prayer is Foundational to the Kingdom of Heaven
Chapters 3-7…
The Kingdom of Heaven is announced.
Jesus, after being led by the Spirit into the wilderness
where He is tempted by the Devil,
began to preach the Kingdom.
From that time on Jesus began to preach,
“Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is near.”
Matthew 4:17
Jesus is announcing the Kingdom of Heaven
in the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 6 teaches us about prayer
and its Kingdom role.
Jesus says…
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
"This, then, is how you should pray:
"'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…
Matthew 6:8-9
The words “Do not be like them”
are in reference to the wrong way of prayer.
There is a wrong way to pray.
Those things are
addressed in Chapter 5
and the beginning of Chapter 6.
The first words of Jesus’ instruction on prayer
are to open our eyes.
To open our eyes to the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Father does not live in the earth,
but in Heaven and He is Holy.
Jesus is asking us to open our eyes
to the Glory of the Father and Heaven.
Moses once said to God…
"Now show me your glory."
Exodus 33:18
If we want to know why Moses said this…
We would have to read Exodus 33.
God had just told Moses…
The Lord replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin."
And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made.
Exodus 32:33-35
This is very serious stuff.
Then God said to Moses…
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way."
Exodus 33:1-3
Imagine being Moses…
God tells you to lead a sinful people to the Promise Land
and God says…
But I will not go with you,
because you are a stiff-necked people
and I might destroy you on the way."
No wonder Moses was insecure.
This picture is no different
than the picture we see today.
The earth is full of people under the wrath of God.
All deserve to have their names blotted out
of His Book because of sin.
Exodus 32:33
God had a promise to Abraham that He will keep…
A land overflowing with rich provisions
of “milk and honey”.
But God said…
But I will not go with you,
because you are a stiff-necked people
and I might destroy you on the way."
Exodus 33: 3
At this point in Exodus 33…
We are told Moses goes into a tent,
called the Tent of Meeting.
It was the meeting place for God and Moses.
The people were not allowed to go into the tent.
The people would stand outside their tents
and see a cloud come down on the entrance
of the Tent of Meeting.
At this point, the people would worship the Lord.
It is said…
The Lord would speak to Moses face to face,
as a man speaks with his friend.
Exodus 33:11
Yet, Moses never saw the face of God.
But," he said, "you cannot see my face,
for no one may see me and live."
Exodus 33:20
The dialog between Moses and God
reveals Moses’ insecurity.
Moses did not want to lead the people alone.
Exodus 33:12
Moses recognized God
and said He is pleased
and has the favor with God.
But Moses knew that walking in favor or grace
takes knowing what pleases God.
So Moses came to God as being teachable.
If you are pleased with me,
teach me your ways so I may know you
and continue to find favor with you.
Exodus 33:13
God promised…
The Lord replied,
"My Presence will go with you,
and I will give you rest."
Exodus 33:14
Moses said…
"If your Presence does not go with us,
do not send us up from here.
Exodus 33:15
Moses has one more concern…
What else will distinguish me
and your people from all the other people
on the face of the earth?"
Exodus 33:16
It is at this point Moses said…
Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."
Exodus 33:18
The next 4 verses God agreed to give Moses
a partial view of the Glory of God.
And to see this partial view…
He must be standing on the rock,
in a cleft of the rock.
This is a picture of prayer
and the call of God on each one of us.
Jesus said….
"I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6
Several times in the Old and New Testaments
references to God or Jesus being our Rock.
At the end of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said…
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine
and puts them into practice is like a wise man
who built his house on the rock.
Matthew 7:24-25
Like Moses…
We also must be building our lives on the Rock,
the Word of God,
to see the Glory of our Father and Heaven.
We, too, have a promise of a land.
Getting there is a journey through this life, this world.
Along the way we will face
the same temptations the Israelites faced.
This time it is not Moses leading us,
but the Holy Spirit.
It is very important that we have
the same desire and passion as Moses.
Like Moses…
We must have a desire for God
to show us His Glory.
Jesus’ instruction on prayer encourages us
to take our eyes off earth
and set our vision on Heaven
where Our Father resides.
It is the Glory of God and His Kingdom
that keep us from the temporary…
So we might attain the eternal.
If our prayers start with seeing Our Father’s Glory…
The rest of our prayer will be
filled with greater confidence.
Scripture Reading
Exodus 33 NIV
Then the Lord said to Moses, "Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants.' 2 I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 3 Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way."
4 When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments. 5 For the Lord had said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, 'You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.'" 6 So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.
7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the "tent of meeting." Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to his tent. 11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
12 Moses said to the Lord, "You have been telling me, 'Lead these people,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, 'I know you by name and you have found favor with me.' 13 If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people."
14 The Lord replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
15 Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"
17 And the Lord said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."
18 Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."
19 And the Lord said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."
21 Then the Lord said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen."
