Keep sharing good news without ads.
Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/stuart-thompson/the-presence-of-the-ever-existing-one/
Exodus chapter 6 I'm just going to read two verses here. Initially we'll come back to this portion as we progress but from verse 2. And God spake unto Moses and said unto him I am the Lord. And I appeared unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the name of God Almighty but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.
Now as I said we'll come back to that. Keep your hand there if you would. Or a marker we'll go into the New Testament please and read together in Philippians chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4 verse 5 let your moderation be known unto all men the Lord is at hand while we're in the New Testament just for reference 2nd Timothy chapter 4 as well this really will link as we look at the subjects before us with what we read in Exodus.
But 2nd Timothy chapter 4 and verse 16 the Apostle Paul as he writes here in this portion likely the last written words from the Apostle is he's facing martyrdom. And he says that my first answer no man stood with me but all men forsook me.
I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge notwithstanding the Lord stood with me and strengthened me. Back into the Old Testament. Now please. Genesis early chapters of Genesis chapter 2. Genesis chapter 2 verse 3 says.
And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
Now that will suffice just to read right now a couple of comments to try and get you engaged with where my mind is that in the consideration. And then we'll read other portions to continue on Exodus 6 where we first read.
And the third verse there was really the verse that caught my attention just in daily reading of late. And there in verse 2 the Lord said to Moses I am the Lord. And reverently speaking still you could stop and say well yes kind of self-evident.
And then in the next verse he talks about how he had made himself known to Abraham and Isaac and to Jacob but by the name God Almighty but by the name Jehovah have I not been known to them. And you will likely appreciate most of you here familiar today in your English version the word Lord in capital letters and uppercase is the means whereby the translators sought to distinguish in the translation of the Old Testament whenever the word was Jehovah.
So you have the Lord saying to Moses I am the Lord. But then he says by the name Lord by the name Jehovah was I not known to these patriarchs that had gone before Moses in the development of some of that history that we heard a little earlier on today.
So immediately I stopped and I thought wow how can this be. You know I can't quote all the verses off the top of my head. But I knew that there were times back in the Genesis when that name had been used in reference to these various men in their experience.
What does this name Lord uppercase Jehovah really mean. It stands then in distinction to the name God. It stands in distinction to the name that you'll see elsewhere in the Old Testament Lord spelt with the capital L but ORD.
In the smaller case there is a distinction. What is it saying to us. Do we appreciate today that it is the name that particularly then emphasizes the eternal being of the Lord God of heaven and earth the creator of all things.
It is the name that means the Lord that is was and ever will be the existing one. So no matter what point in history any individual that has feared God and and been and come into relationship to him through faith no matter what point in history such a person is you and I here today this is the one to whom we are essentially linked the ever existing one.
And so I want to look at that concept of the Lord ever being but ever being present. And how. There are three things that I want to look at today particularly how that relates to you and I there will be the subject of his presence in temptation that is when you and I are being tempted.
His presence in contention when there is difficulties between believers in the assembly circumstances of that sort. And the last one that I want to emphasize is his presence in affliction which is really the context of which Exodus chapter 6 has introduced this name his presence in temptation.
You know how the Bible begins in the beginning God last Lord's day at the conference in Cedar Falls our brother Gordon Williams brought to us in the afternoon there the Psalm 23. And as he read it it just struck me my mind had been along these lines.
How does that Psalm start out the Lord is my shepherd. Such familiar words probably some of the most familiar words from the Word of God in your Bible and as often as the case in the Old Testament the little word is is isn't in the original text and it just appealed to me this way the Lord is the Lord.
As David set his pen to write those words that man realized that it wasn't just some kind of theological as we would have said this morning trying to get the the truth to trying to get our arms spiritually around the great subject of Ephesians chapter 1 the Lord wasn't some distant and removed and maybe somewhat recognizing the predicaments of David but not removed and irrelevant to David as David wrote he said the Lord is my shepherd the Lord the existing my shepherd.
He was fully confident that his circumstances of life and I think a brother Gordon Williams not verse by verse but at different times he brought to our attention circumstances that David found a minute himself in at times whether by his own cause or by the cause of others.
But he had learned to recognize the existing with me the Lord ever is ever was ever will be. And our Bible though begins with those words in the beginning God and I appreciate from the notes in the beginning.
If you have a Newberry study Bible you perhaps have taken the opportunity to look through what he calls the titles of God there in the beginning part of his notes and in reference to the name God I love this way he just puts this the first great cause the mighty.
So it's so suitable when we have some appreciation of what the Genesis begins with the tremendous subject of the creation. In the beginning God created the mighty that's his work. But when you come into chapter 2 it's not until you get into chapter 2 that the name Lord the existing ever existing one is introduced in the record of the Genesis and it's as if to reflect back on what all took place in chapter 1.
And now to say in verse 4 first week it concludes God created and made. And then verse 1 or rather verse 4 introduces to us the day these are the generations of the heaven and the earth when they were created in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
Now as could I say particularly the unfolding experience of mankind is going to be recorded and realized in the scriptures. The existing one is now identified in the picture when the Word of God expands on the subject of the creation of man that's the terms that are used verse 7 the Lord God formed.
Go down through the chapter a little further and it's the Lord God that commanded in the New Testament we have the word Lord and it seems to me that it is combined the two words of the Old Testament into one.
The other word Lord that we referred to with a capital in the smaller case for our ORD is the Adonai that is the master the one with authority. So there's the ever-existing one and there's the one with authority.
In the New Testament the two thoughts are combined into one word Lord. But here is the existing one the mighty. The thought of master hasn't even entered the picture as yet. You go down through the chapter it's Lord God.
Lord God. Lord God. Come to chapter 3. Now with me if you would the serpent approaches Eve in verse 1 in the middle of the verse. And he the serpent said unto the woman yea hath God. Yea hath the mighty said.
And you'll go down through the conversation here that ensues between the tempter and Eve in the garden. And what I want to suggest to our minds today is this that he purposely does not use the name Lord the existing one.
He removes him from the equation as it were in the process of tempting Eve. Oh he'll acknowledge the mighty one the one that made the things and and brought them into being. He's going to acknowledge that.
But he does not want Eve to be conscious of this one thing the presence of God while he faces her in the garden with temptation. And I believe that's very relevant to every one of us here today. If there is one thing among the various things we've been hearing about how far will my love go.
The the attitude of devotion to Christ of course is inseparable from this. But we must be continually conscious of the presence of the Lord in our lives in this temptation. Then the enemy will remove the sense of the existing one.
The one who's now going to be the communicator with his creature that he has made and he takes him out of the equation. And Eve as we know to use the expression takes the bait and she responds well God has said she didn't say the Lord God.
His success then is to be is to remove the consciousness of the existing one. In that situation the sin unfolds. Adam and Eve have fallen in sin. Man is fallen. You come down to verse 8. And they heard the voice of God.
No they heard the voice of the Lord God in the garden. The awful reality of sin has invaded them. There is this great sense of guilt this overwhelming desire to flee from the presence of the existing one.
They hear the voice of the one that ever was is and ever will be. And now they're longing to escape his presence. You know when we have gone through or in the process of temptation the enemy does not want us to think of the fact that the Lord is there with us.
Get that out of our minds have them fall in sin. And when we have sinned last place we want to be found is in the presence of the Lord. And so they move. They seek to get away from the presence of the existing one.
They go to hide. Well we learn this. We see this in our own experience. If initially at least in the failings of our daily communion fellowship with God we're not in his word reading as consistently as we once were our prayer life degenerates.
Then we begin to absence ourselves from the meetings of the assembly because the Lord is there the sense of sin. We don't want to be in his presence. And yet you remember the problem the psalmist wrote.
Where can I flee. Where can I go. He said. I've learned the lesson that there was nowhere that he could turn nowhere he could move to to get away from the presence of the Lord. But that is the approach that is the form that is the manner of the tempter.
But the Lord God did not as it were absent himself from the garden scene during the temptation. So I want to suggest to you there is his presence in temptation. Not that he's drawn into it. That's and that's the great truth of what it means to have a high priest in the book of Hebrews one like us we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities.
Isn't that a tremendous statement. Take the negatives out. We have a high priest that can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities because he was tempted in all points the Spirit of God carefully qualifying that though sin apart no answer of an inward nature that would take the temptation but every prong of temptation was presented to him.
He knows. Dear st. and a when we are faced with the enemy's ambition to get God to get the Lord rather out of the picture he knows. And there is his presence in temptation. That is one of the things that keeps us from falling in sin.
The consciousness of his presence in temptation better move quickly. We read in Philippians chapter 4 of situation where Paul recognizes that there's a couple of sisters in the assembly in Philippi and things haven't been good.
There's difficulty. So I think we can rightly take that verse 5. Flowing in that context is a means of reminding you and I that when we are having difficulties with an individual someone's having a difficulty with me.
We're in the assembly together that there's a third party in the same. Maybe if I can say there might be a fourth that is the enemy himself desiring to see the the contention really escalated even to conflict.
But there's been a difficulty that Paul identifies and he says let your moderation your forbearance be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand now there are two things particularly that we can suggest with what that means it might be suggesting that the Lord is there to enable according to the need.
I want to emphasize today his presence in contention the Lord is at hand there to temper as it were to draw down the potential of an escalating situation between two people that could affect many. You remember that Paul said in 2nd Timothy as well he said the servant of the Lord must not strive.
What was he getting at. Well. One of the things that's impressed with me is this. The verse before talks about strife among believers or the potential that we could enter into strife and how we ought not to.
And then he adds very plenty. The servant of the Lord must not strive must not be given to conflict. It's not the way to get the job done. Paul saying the character in the manner of the man who is seeking to serve who.
And it's interesting it's not the servant of God. Timothy was a man of God that was his name and he was living up to the the character of his name. But in that context the Apostle purposely uses the word that I want to emphasize today does not only bring to our attention the authority of our God of the Savior but his presence with his people and the man that seeks to serve the existing one.
The person who is present his manner is not one that will desire conflict. So when Paul exhorts these two sisters in Philippi he really is asking no more of them or any of us than he would those that particularly serve the Lord.
And you can understand that it's the very character of the Jesus himself. And isn't it sad how even and even contemporary times very recently people that are trying to bring a spin on some of the activist type behavior in our society and then they'll turn and they relate to the person that they would call Jesus.
There were times when the Lord Jesus did show tremendous authority. There were times when he did rise as it were to the occasion and confront with full authority. And we know of course the situation where he made a whip out of cords and he drove the money changers the people that were making profit out of exchange in the temple and all that we understand that and he never was as it were short for words that would pierce into the very conscience and heart of an audience that needed to hear very frank and pointed words.
He could do that he did very capably capably. But he did not go looking as it were to overwhelm an individual or an audience with the sense of gaining the victory. Servant of the Lord must not strive must not seek to escalate the conflict.
So his presence in contention and if I could just leave that practical word with us all today as we mingle one with the other we seek to maintain a harmony and a fellowship in our local assemblies. And our brother Joel has been reminding us of David's assessment of those that had been as enemies in the past looking for that which is commendable in others.
We know we have to deal with certain issues and things that the word of God would advise at times. But I'll tell you just in my own experience when sitting in the living room at home my wife with me and another couple visiting in the home and it was one of those couple arrangements as the expression goes the wife tended to wear the pants in the home and she was sort of taking the charge in the conversation as it unfolded there.
And really what she was trying to do was she was trying to solicit my support for her what we're hearing already disrespect for the order of authority in the assembly. And I couldn't dismiss everything that she said to me that evening as to the glaring faults the obvious discrepancies or shortcomings you might see in some of these people.
But it wasn't long that I was figuring out where she was going and I just as it were held up a stop sign said listen. I have far too much in common with these people that you're referring to far too much more that we both commonly appreciate and enjoy that I've ever going to come on board and see them as it were dismissed or discredited for a few things that you can't get along with.
Looking for that which is in common that which produces fellowship. His presence in contention when we find ourselves having difficulties make sure the Lord's there with you. It'll temper the manner in which you will address each other in the situation.
Now just for these few minutes because really this is the larger subject perhaps of the three his presence in affliction you'll remember that Isaiah the prophet said in Isaiah chapter 63 and all their afflictions he was afflicted.
He Isaiah recognized that when the Lord seemingly was absent from the sons of Jacob as they grew into a nation in the city and rather in the country of Egypt he wasn't absent at all. Now this name that he identifies to Moses as we have looked in chapter 6 of the Exodus was the name as we said those forefathers had known.
But I want to suggest to you they they knew the pot they knew the person and they knew the power. But they did not know the particular purpose and presence that the people of Israel were going to realize once what he promised in chapter 6 of Exodus took place.
You'll know how the Exodus concludes in chapter 40 when Moses has done all things as the Lord commanded him and they have erected they have put together and they set up the tabernacle for the first time there in that wilderness scene what does it say whose glory filled the place.
You'll notice it was the glory of the Lord the existing what the one that was with them. Oh yes now visible manifestation the brightness of his presence enters into that holiest of all the the pillar of fire over us at night the cloud over Sunday we see it all.
But he was with them long before it was ever manifest at that place in all their afflictions he was afflicted the Prophet tells us. So going back to Exodus chapter 6 I want to just read down through these words that the Lord spoke to Moses.
And maybe we'll just paint the picture and leave it practically with us each here today. God spoke unto Moses. Verse 2 said unto him I am the Lord. I am the ever existing one. He's gonna impress us on Moses.
I appeared unto Abraham Isaac and unto Jacob by the name of God Almighty. But by my name Jehovah the existing one was I not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan the land of their pilgrimage wherein they were strangers.
And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage. And I have remembered my covenant. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel I am the Lord. Say unto the children of Israel I am the existing and I will bring you out from under the burdens of Egypt of the Egyptians and I will rid you out of their bondage.
And I will I will redeem you just quickly. The word redeem there is the word that you will find in the book of Ruth. It is the kinsman Redeemer. It is the one who was presently going to be intimately linked to them in this great deliverance that is going to take place.
He is the one that's there I kin to you will redeem you the existing one and with a stretched out arm and with great judgments. And I will take you to me for a people. See this is something that was not made known to Abraham Isaac and Jacob in a very clear way.
He is going to fulfill redemption. And by the virtue of redemption he's going to have a people for himself and there will be purposes that will unfold. That's the subject really that you could take with this and yet it will grow for a long time.
But it's the one who is ever present present in the afflictions take you to be a people for me. I will be to you a God the mighty one to you. You shall know that I am existing the existing one your great mighty one which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
And I will bring you into the land concerning the which I did swear it to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob and I will give it you for an heritage. I am that I am I was I am I ever will be. You see really what we were hearing this morning and considering in Ephesians chapter one really is the outworking of this person.
This is the one who made purposes before the foundations of the world. The one who was this is the one has made you and I what we are in Christ today. And this is the one that assures that we're going to arrive at the fullness of all those things.
Because he ever will yet will be. None of it will fail. Dear saint today I don't know where you are in the circumstances of your life. But if I can just leave this with you he was present with them in the afflictions the cares the the the the sorrows.
Paul said they all forsook me. They're all gone. But nevertheless the Lord stood with me when he stood alone man before the very authority of Rome that had within them civil power to put that man to death to see him face the martyrs death head on the block which is about to take place.
What is Paul say. I'm not alone not alone not alone. Many of your saint is by the circumstances of life of bodily affliction has come to that same point. Isn't it precious to see a believer nearing the end and to see them at such pace.
And all their afflictions he was afflicted. He is never far away. He is Jehovah the ever existing one. And by redemptive right he will not forsake. And he will ever be with us in the cares of life.