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I Will Not Go With You (Exodus 33:1-11) I. The Lord Declared II. The People Responded

Here’s a Table of Contents for your sermon script, structured with clear headings and subheadings for easy navigation:

Table of Contents

I. Introduction: The Consequences of Sin and God’s Covenant Faithfulness

• The Golden Calf and Its Consequences
• God’s Unbroken Promise: Entering the Promised Land
• The Key Question: How Will We Enter?

II. The Believer’s Assurance and Warning

• Eternal Security: "No Man Can Pluck You Out of My Hand" (John 10:28)
• Two Paths: Blessing or Hardship in the Journey
• The Loss of Spiritual Blessings (Though Salvation Remains)

III. Exposition of Exodus 33:1–11

A. The Lord Declared (Exodus 33:1–3)

1. God’s Command to Enter the Promised Land (v. 1)
2. The Angel’s Role in Victory (v. 2)
3. The Devastating Warning: "I Will Not Go with You" (v. 3)

B. The Stiff-Necked People

• Definition: Stubbornness and Rebellion
• Biblical Imagery: The Yoke of Obedience
• Modern Application: Rejecting God’s Counsel

C. Life Without God’s Presence

• The Tabernacle as a Symbol of God’s Dwelling
• Empty Religion vs. True Communion
• Physical Prosperity vs. Spiritual Poverty

D. The People’s Response (Exodus 33:4–11)

1. Mourning and Repentance (v. 4)
2. The Command to Remove Ornaments (vv. 5–6)
3. The Tent of Meeting Outside the Camp (v. 7)
4. Moses’ Mediation and God’s Presence (vv. 8–11)

IV. Gospel Parallels

• Conviction of Sin Leading to Repentance
• Jesus as the Greater Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5)
• The Holy Spirit’s Indwelling: God With Us (Romans 8:9)

V. Application: Choosing God’s Presence

• The Folly of Chasing Blessings Without God
• The Joy of Intimacy with Christ (John 15:13–15)
• A Call to Examine Our Hearts

VI. Closing Prayer

• Repentance and Surrender
• Pleading for God’s Abiding Presence

This structure organises your sermon’s flow, making it easy to reference key sections. Let me know if you’d like to adjust or expand any part!

Context of the Sermon

This sermon explores Exodus 33:1–11, where God warns Israel after their idolatry with the golden calf: "I will not go up in the midst of you" (v. 3). Though He keeps His promise to bring them into the Promised Land, He withdraws His intimate presence due to their sin. Through this passage, the sermon confronts a sobering truth: believers can still be saved yet live without God’s nearness when they persist in disobedience. It contrasts two ways to walk with God—one of rebellion (marked by emptiness) and one of repentance (marked by His presence)—and points to Christ as the ultimate mediator who restores our fellowship with God.

Hook: "What If God Said, ‘You Can Have the Blessing—But Not Me’?"

Imagine God granting your deepest desires—success, comfort, even victory over enemies—but with one unbearable condition: "I will not go with you."

That was His warning to Israel in Exodus 33. They would still enter the Promised Land, but without His presence. And this isn’t just ancient history. Many believers today live the same way: clinging to salvation but drifting from God’s voice, trading intimacy for empty religion or temporary gains.

This sermon reveals:

• Why God sometimes steps back from stubborn hearts—and how to draw near again.
• The difference between having blessings and having God.
• How Jesus guarantees what Moses could not: "I will never leave you" (Hebrews 13:5).

If you’ve ever felt distant from God—or if you fear the cost of your choices—this message is your turning point. [Read on to discover how to live in the fullness of His presence.]

This hook combines urgency, relevance, and hope, prompting readers to engage with the full sermon to find answers. Would you like any refinements?

Sermon Summary (150 Words):

This sermon examines Exodus 33:1–11, where God declares to Israel, "I will not go up in the midst of you" (v. 3) after their idolatry with the golden calf. Though God keeps His promise to bring them into the Promised Land, He withdraws His intimate presence due to their stubborn rebellion. The message warns believers that salvation is secure, but sin can rob us of God’s nearness, leaving a life of empty religion or worldly success without true fulfillment.

Moses intercedes, and the people repent, stripping their idolatrous ornaments—a picture of genuine repentance. Yet only Christ, our perfect Mediator, fully restores broken fellowship with God. The sermon challenges listeners: Will you pursue blessings from God or God Himself? True joy comes not in the Promised Land, but in God’s presence. Jesus promises, "I will never leave you" (Hebrews 13:5), offering what Moses could not—a relationship that sin may strain but cannot sever for those who repent.

Key Question: Are you walking with God—or just heading toward heaven without Him?

Sermon transcript:

I Will Not Go With You (Exodus 33:1-11) I. The Lord Declared II. The People Responded

Whenever there are sins, there will be serious consequences. The children of Israel had built and worshiped the golden calf, and because of that, the instigators or main people involved were killed—about 3,000 of them—and the others had to experience a devastating plague. But God is a covenant-keeping God, and He will not break His promises. The children of Israel would still enter the Promised Land. The question is not whether they would enter the Promised Land, but how they would enter it.

Take a moment and consider our lives. We believe that once we are saved, we are always saved. We will not lose our salvation. Jesus said, ‘No man can pluck you out of my hand.’ (John 10:28) Ultimately, we will enter into our Promised Land, which is heaven. There’s no doubt about that. But the question is how we will enter it—the hard way or the way that is filled with blessings.

That is what will happen to believers who disobey God and His Word. They may be true believers, but whenever they sin, they go astray and drift away from God. They may not lose their eternal salvation, but they will lose their spiritual blessings, of which the most precious is the presence of God in their lives. They may still arrive at their final destination, but as they go through this earthly life, it will be a path that is filled with miseries, sadness, heartaches, pains, and consequences they have to face due to their sins, disobedience, and foolish decisions they have made along the way.

This is what we want to consider from today’s passage in Exodus 33:1–11. The title of our message is: ‘I Will Not Go With You.’

I. The Lord Declared

Our first point: The Lord declared. Beginning with Exodus 33:1, "And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:" So God commanded Moses, who was the leader of the children of Israel, to lead the people into the Promised Land.

Verse 2, "And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite." The children of Israel not only had Moses, their leader, but they also had the angel to help them defeat the inhabitants of the land—the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. This was an ordinary angel, and angels were spiritual beings vested with power given to them by God. No human being or nation would be able to fight against the angels who were sent as God’s messengers.

Up to this point, everything seems well and good. After all, they had Moses as their leader and the angel to help them defeat the enemies. God would still keep His promises, which He gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They would enter the Promised Land, and it was described as “a land flowing with milk and honey.” (Exodus 33:3a)

But here is the problem. Look at the second part of verse 3, "for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way." It does not mean that God could not control His anger. Here it meant that God had kept His part of the covenant, which He had made with their forefathers, to be their God. But they had broken their part of the covenant, which they promised to keep: to be His people. By breaking His commandments, they had separated themselves from Him. They had proven themselves to be a ‘stiffnecked people.’

In those days, the masters would put a yoke or burden on the animal’s neck and then direct it to plow the land. Sometimes, there would be certain animals that would refuse to wear the yoke or refuse to move. That is the picture of a stiffnecked animal. Using this imagery to describe the children of Israel, God was saying they are a stubborn group of people who refuse to bow their heads and wear the yoke of obedience to Him.

Basically, stiffnecked people are stubborn. They always think they are right and never admit they are wrong. They refuse to listen to good spiritual counsel. If they ask for advice, they do not follow it and just go ahead with their own plans anyway.

Oftentimes, God will use the situations and circumstances of life—like trials, sufferings, and afflictions—to teach His people spiritual lessons, like the way the yoke or burden was used to break the animals’ will. But when the stiffnecked people go through the trials, they would murmur and complain and even blame God. They never learn anything. They never change. They never grow. And the saddest part of it is that they don’t even realise it.

Dear friend, are we a stiffnecked people? If we seek biblical counsel from the Bible or from people who have the spiritual authority to teach us the Word of God faithfully, then we must follow it. If we are wrong and we are being corrected, we must repent and change. If we go through certain trials, instead of murmuring and complaining, the first thing we need to ask ourselves is: What spiritual lessons can I learn from this situation? You and I must never be a stiffnecked people.

Take a moment and consider what it means when God said, "For I will not go up in the midst of thee." (Exodus 33:3b) Remember, God had promised to dwell in the midst of the people, and this was represented by the tabernacle, which was located in the centre of the Israelites’ camp. That was the reason why He gave them specific instructions on how the tabernacle ought to be built.

So this would mean the plans for the tabernacle would be put on hold. They would move into the Promised Land without the tabernacle. Without the tabernacle, there will be:

• No altar for sacrifice,
• No brass basin for cleansing,
• No lampstand for light,
• No table of shewbread,
• No incense for prayer,
• No altar for atonement, etc.

In other words, the divine presence of God would not be in their midst. It does not mean that God was not omnipresent—they were always in His presence, and nothing could escape His eyes—but His presence, His blessings, His empowerment, His glory would not be with them. In a sense, it would be a life without God. Without the sacrifices offered in the tabernacle, whenever they sinned, they would be consumed or destroyed.

How can we apply this truth into our lives? Whenever we sin against God, we are going against the commandments of God, right? God’s Word says, ‘Don’t do this or that,’ but we choose to do it anyway:

• We must not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14), yet we choose to marry the unbeliever.
• We must never take the job that requires us to work on Sundays (Exodus 20:8-10) and stop coming to church for worship (Hebrews 10:25), yet we choose to accept the job.
• We must never associate ourselves with sinful and immoral friends that will cause us to compromise our faith (1 Corinthians 15:33, Proverbs 13:20, Psalm 1:1), yet we choose to continue the friendship.

Whenever people do that, they will say, ‘Well, I have been married to an unbeliever, or I took the job that required me to work on Sundays, or I have associated myself with ungodly friends, but look at me—everything is still good. In fact, I’m not only surviving, I am flourishing. I am as well as it can be. My house is getting bigger, my bank account is increasing even as we speak, and I have been promoted to a higher position.’

Well, remember this: God is not with you in all your endeavours. Physical prosperity means nothing—it does not equate to God’s presence or blessings. And oftentimes, what may appear to be a blessing is rather a curse in disguise. Physically, you may appear to be doing well, but spiritually, you will not be blessed.

Like the children of Israel who would enter the Promised Land, God may allow us to continue in our disobedience, foolishness, and stubbornness, and in the wrong path we choose to take. As one theologian said, God is like saying to us, ‘Well, go ahead. You will go, but without Me.’ A life without the presence of God is empty, vanity, and meaningless. And this is exactly what The Devil wants us to believe:

• ‘You should have left the church long ago. Those people there are a bunch of hypocrites.’
• ‘You should have stopped obeying the commandments of God. Those are just burdens meant to enslave you.’
• ‘Look at yourself now—without God, you are still making money, going for holidays, your job is secured, your retirement plans are in place, your children are doing well in school, you are in good health. You are doing just as well, if not better, without God.’

Dear friend, let us ask ourselves this question: If given a choice—we can have a life with many physical things: wealth, material possessions, great accomplishments, marriage, family, and children—but it will be a life without God; or, will we choose a life with God, whether with or without those physical things? What will we choose?

The children of Israel knew better than that. They could have chosen to move ahead and enter the Promised Land with Moses as their leader and the angel to help them defeat the inhabitants of the land. But they knew that the whole purpose of the Exodus was not only to bring them out of slavery from Egypt but to draw them closer to God.

So it didn’t matter if they were to enter the Promised Land. For God to say, "I will not go up in the midst of thee," that was like the end of the road. They didn’t want to be led by Moses or even an angel—they wanted to be led by God Himself. Period. And that was all that mattered.

Will you and I be able to say the same thing? ‘God, it doesn’t matter even if I have all these physical, material things. I want You. I want You to be with me, to guide and lead me at every step of the way.’ I pray that all of us will be able to say that.

II. The People Responded

Our Second Point: The People Responded. Look at Exodus 33:4, "And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments." The word "evil" means bad or distressing, and the word "tidings" means words or news. In other words, when they heard this bad news—’God is not going to be with us; He will not go up in the midst of us’—they were grieved in their hearts, and no one put on his or her ornaments or jewellery.

Some people think that this putting away of their jewellery was only a sign of grief—like in a funeral service, the people would remove all their jewellery and grieve for the loss of their loved ones. I believe this was more than just a sign of grief—it was a sign of repentance.

Because the next verse, verse 5, says: "For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee."—Why would God consume or destroy them because of the ornaments?—"therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee."

The command to put off their ornaments tells us there was something about the ornaments. That is the reason why some theologians believe that these ornaments had to do with idolatry—perhaps something they wore on their necks. If this is true, then they were truly a stiffnecked people, because even at this point in time, they were still wearing the ornaments of idolatry. And God said, ‘Put off’—or strip off—’your ornaments, otherwise I would destroy you.’

Verse 6, "And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb." When the people realised their sins, they immediately got rid of the things that caused them to sin. The word in its original language, "strip off," was a permanent stripping off and never to return to it again. It was a genuine sign of repentance.

Previously, they had used their gold and jewellery to make the golden calf, (Exodus 32:2-4) which drew them away from God. Now, they were taking off their gold and jewellery to draw closer to Him. (Exodus 33:5-6) Later on, they would use their gold and jewellery to build the tabernacle for God’s glory. (Exodus 35:21-22)

So the knowledge of sin led them to repentance. But the children of Israel did not know if God would go with them or if they would go without Him. Verse 7, "And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp." The word "tabernacle" means a tent or a tent of meeting.

This tent of meeting was not the Tabernacle, because at this point in time, the Tabernacle had not yet been built. The instructions were given, but the clearest indication was that the Tabernacle was located in the centre of the Israelites’ camp, while this tent of meeting was outside the camp—far outside. It had to be far away from the camp because the camp was still a place of sin, and God would not dwell in it. So if the people wanted to consult God, they would have to go outside the camp.

This tells us how devastating sin was. Sin had separated the people from God. But God was a loving God who wanted the people to draw close to Him, so He made a way for them by having a tent of meeting outside the camp.

Let us move on to verses 8 to 11. "And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle."—The pillar of cloud represented the presence of God,—"and the Lord talked with Moses." (Exodus 33:8-9)

Verse 10, "And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door." In other words, that was as far as they could go. They could only worship God at a distance.

Finally, verse 11, "And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle." So Moses went back and forth from the tabernacle and into the Israelites’ camp, delivering whatever God would want him to speak. Only Joshua was with him, since both of them had not participated in the golden calf worship. The phrase "face to face" does not mean Moses could see God, because in verse 20, God said, "for there shall no man see Me, and live." It simply means to have an intimate fellowship and communion with God—and God spoke to Moses directly, like the way a man would do to his friend.

Here, we can see how the knowledge of sin led the children of Israel to repent, and their repentance led them to worship the Almighty God—howbeit from afar off and through Moses, the mediator.

Dear friend, this reminds us of our salvation. Our salvation begins with the knowledge of sin. We realise we have sinned, and there’s a price to pay for sin—the wages of sin is death: physical, spiritual, and eternal death—which leads us to repent of our sins and turn to the Mediator, the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:23)

This blessing of repentance leads us to:

• The blessing of forgiveness—being pardoned of all our sins, (Acts 3:19, 1 John 1:9)
• The blessing of justification—being declared righteous in the sight of God, (Romans 5:1, Romans 4:5)
• The blessing of adoption—receiving the rights and privileges of being a child of God (we can call upon God, "Abba, Father"), (Galatians 4:6, Romans 8:15)
• The blessing of sanctification—growing in godliness, (2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:23)
• The blessing of perseverance—pressing on with God to the very end (we will not give up; we will press on), (Philippians 3:14, Hebrews 12:1)
• And ultimately, the blessing of glorification—being in our glorified body to be with God forever and ever. (Romans 8:30, 1 John 3:2)

All this begins with the knowledge of sin—the conviction in our hearts—which leads us to repent. (Acts 2:37-38) But the great difference is that when we believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, He calls us His friends. (John 15:13-15, James 2:23, Proverbs 18:24)

Do you realise that Jesus said in John 15:13–15, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." Jesus is our most wonderful Friend who laid down His life. (John 15:13, 1 John 3:16) He was crucified on the cross, shed His precious blood, died for us, and rose again from the dead on the third day. (1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

And the risen Saviour calls us His friend. The moment we believe in Jesus, He sent His Spirit into our hearts to tabernacle in us. The Holy Spirit dwells in us. Remember, Romans 8:9 says, "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Every believer has the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Christ—indwelling in him, tabernacling in him.

Today, we speak to Jesus not as a stranger, but as a most wonderful Friend. We do not need to be afraid. We can speak to Him at any time, in any situation, and in any place.

• We do not need to go at a distance. (Ephesians 3:12)
• We do not need to go to a particular place like a church or a cathedral. (Matthew 18:20,John 4:21, 23)
• We do not need to go through a pastor or a preacher. (Hebrews 4:16, 1 Timothy 2:5)

We go straight to Him.

Whenever you and I sin against God, the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of Christ—will convict our hearts through the Word of God. (John 16:8, Hebrews 4:12) Why? Because Christ does not want us to experience a life filled with misery, pain, and heartaches. He wants us to repent of our sins, be forgiven, and then experience His presence at every moment of our lives. (2 Cor 7:10)

He wants us to have an intimate fellowship and communion with Him. (Revelation 3:20) He knows that sin will drift us away from Him, (Isaiah 59:2, Psalm 66:18) but He longs for us to draw nigh unto Him (James 4:8) so that He will communicate with us directly through His Spirit (John 14:26) and through His Word (Joshua 1:8).

And our Lord Jesus Christ will not say to us, ‘Well, go ahead. I will not go with you.’ But rather, He will say to us, ‘I will go with you—in whatever situations, in whatever trials, tribulations, and afflictions. I will always be with you.’ (Isaiah 43:2, Deuteronomy 31:6) And that is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

I pray that all of us must understand this seriousness of sin. Sin separates us from God. Whenever we sin, we will go astray, and we will drift away from the Almighty God. God does not want that to happen. He wants us to come nigh unto Him. So we must repent and turn to Him. He will forgive us—no matter what sins we have committed. He is ever faithful and righteous. When we confess our sins, He will forgive us, and He will draw us close to Himself.—"I (God) will go with you." Let us pray.

Our Father in heaven, we give Thee thanks for this opportunity to consider this portion of Scriptures—to learn of how the children of Israel, in the time of the Exodus, how they had sinned against Thee in building and worshipping the golden calf. They had not kept their part of the covenant to be Thy people, but Thou art always faithful to keep Thy covenant. And they would still go into the Promised Land. But there are consequences for their sins, and for that reason, God said to them, "I will not go up in the midst of thee."

Oh Lord, if Thou wilt not go with us, how can we move on? What is a life without Thee? It is a life that is empty, meaningless, and full of vanity. Material blessings cannot take Thy place. Even if Thou would remove all the physical, material things from our lives, but we can have a life with Thee, we would rather choose to have a life with Thee.

A life with the Almighty God is the most precious thing we can ever have on this earth. Oh Lord, help us that we not only know this truth or cherish this truth, but also to live out this truth in our lives. And we long to hear Thou wilt say to us, ‘I will go with thee.’ If Thou wilt go with us, then there will be no fear. Nothing will stop nor hinder us—if only Thou wilt go with us. We give Thee thanks, and we pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

每当有罪的时候，就会有严重的后果。以色列人曾造了金牛犊并敬拜它，因此，那些煽动者或主要参与的人被杀了——大约三千人——其余的人则遭遇了毁灭性的瘟疫。但是，神是守约的神，祂不会违背祂的应许。以色列人仍将进入应许之地。问题不在于他们是否会进入应许之地，而在于他们将如何进入。

请花一点时间思想我们的生命。我们相信，一旦得救，就永远得救。我们不会失去我们的救恩。耶稣说：“谁也不能从我手里把他们夺去。”（约翰福音 10:28）最终，我们将进入我们的应许之地，就是天堂。这是毫无疑问的。但问题是我们将如何进入——是艰难的方式，还是充满祝福的方式。

这就是那些不顺从神和祂话语的信徒所要经历的。他们可能是真正的信徒，但每当他们犯罪时，就偏离正路，远离神。他们可能不会失去永恒的救恩，但他们会失去属灵的祝福，其中最宝贵的就是神在他们生命中的同在。他们可能仍然会到达最终的目的地，但在他们度过今生的过程中，将是一条充满痛苦、悲伤、心碎、疼痛的道路，这些都是他们必须面对的后果，因他们的罪、不顺从和一路上所做的愚昧决定。

这就是我们今天要从出埃及记 33:1-11 思想的经文。我们今天信息的题目是：“我不与你们同去。”

第一点：主宣告了

从出埃及记第33章第1节开始：

“耶和华吩咐摩西说：‘你和你从埃及地领出来的百姓，要从这里起程，往我向亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各起誓应许之地去，我曾说：要把这地赐给你的后裔。’”（出埃及记 33:1）

所以，神吩咐摩西，作为以色列人的领袖，要带领百姓进入应许之地。

第二节：

“我要差遣使者在你前面，撵出迦南人、亚摩利人、赫人、比利洗人、希未人、耶布斯人。”（出埃及记 33:2）

以色列人不仅有摩西作为他们的领袖，他们还有天使帮助他们打败那地的居民——迦南人、亚摩利人、赫人、比利洗人、希未人、耶布斯人。这是一位普通的天使，天使是属灵的存在，有神所赐的能力。没有一个人或一个国家能够与这些被差遣作为神使者的天使抗争。

到目前为止，一切看起来都很好。毕竟，他们有摩西带领，又有天使帮助他们打败敌人。神仍然要守祂对亚伯拉罕、以撒和雅各的应许。他们会进入应许之地，那地被形容为“流奶与蜜之地”。

但问题来了。请看第三节的后半部分：

“我自己不同你们上去，因为你们是硬着颈项的百姓，恐怕我在路上把你们灭绝。”（出埃及记 33:3）

这并不是说神无法控制祂的怒气，而是说神已经守住了祂与他们列祖所立的约，做他们的神。但是他们却违背了他们应许要遵守的部分——做祂的百姓——因为他们违背了祂的诫命。他们与神分离了。他们证明自己是“硬着颈项的百姓”。

在当时，主人会把轭或负担放在牲畜的颈项上，引导它们耕地。有时，有些牲畜会拒绝佩戴轭，或拒绝前行。这就是“硬着颈项”的画面。神用这个形象来形容以色列人，是在说他们是顽固的一群人，不愿意低头佩戴顺服祂的轭。

基本上，“硬着颈项”的人是顽梗的。他们总认为自己是对的，从不承认自己错了。他们拒绝听从属灵的劝诫。即使他们询问了建议，他们也不去听从，只是按自己的计划行事。

许多时候，神会使用生活中的环境和处境——如试炼、痛苦、患难——来教导祂的百姓属灵的功课，就像轭或重担被用来打破牲畜的意志一样。但是当“硬着颈项”的人经历试炼时，他们会发怨言、抱怨，甚至责怪神。他们什么也学不到。他们没有改变。他们没有成长。而最可悲的是，他们甚至没有意识到这一点。

亲爱的朋友，我们是不是“硬着颈项”的人呢？如果我们从圣经，或从那些有属灵权柄、忠心教导神话语的人那里寻求属灵的劝诫，那么我们就必须遵从。如果我们错了，被纠正了，就必须悔改、改变。如果我们经历某些试炼，我们不该首先抱怨，应该先问自己：我能从这个处境中学到什么属灵功课？你和我绝不可做“硬着颈项”的人。

请花一点时间思想神所说的：“我自己不同你们上去”是什么意思。记得，神曾应许要住在百姓中间，这在会幕中被表明出来，会幕就设在以色列人营中的中心。这就是为什么神给了他们具体的指示如何建造会幕。

所以，这意味着会幕的计划将被搁置。他们将进入应许之地，但没有会幕。没有会幕，就没有：

献祭的祭坛，

洗濯盆的洁净，

灯台的光，

陈设饼的桌子，

香的祷告，

赎罪的约柜，等等。

换句话说，神的同在将不在他们中间。这不是说神不是无所不在——他们始终在神的面前，没有什么可以逃过祂的眼目——而是说神的同在、神的祝福、神的能力、神的荣耀将不与他们同在。从某种意义上说，那将是一个没有神的生命。

若没有在会幕中献上的祭，当他们犯罪时，他们就会被毁灭或灭绝。

我们该如何应用这个真理在我们的生命中呢？每当我们得罪神时，我们就是违背神的诫命，对不对？神的话说：“不可做这事或那事”，但我们却仍然选择去做。

我们不可与不信的人同负一轭，但我们却选择嫁给不信的人。

我们不可接受要求我们主日工作的工作，致使我们不能来教会敬拜，但我们却选择接受那个工作。

我们不可与那些犯罪、不道德的朋友结交，因他们会使我们妥协信仰，但我们却仍然继续这段友谊。

每当人们这样做时，他们会说：“我已经嫁给了不信的配偶，或接受了要求主日上班的工作，或与不敬虔的朋友为友，但看看我——一切仍然很好。事实上，我不但活得下去，还过得很好。我住的房子越来越大，我的银行账户正在增加，我还升职了。”

请记住这一点：神并不在你所做的一切事情上与你同在。肉体的兴旺毫无意义——这并不等于神的同在或祝福。而且，许多时候，看起来像是祝福的，实际上是一种伪装的咒诅。从外表上看，你可能很好，但属灵上你不会蒙福。

就像以色列人虽然进入应许之地，神可能会允许我们继续在悖逆、愚昧、顽梗中行走，继续走在错误的道路上。正如一位神学家所说，神好像对我们说：“好吧，那你就去吧。但我不与你同去。”

一个没有神同在的生命是空虚、虚妄、毫无意义的。而这正是魔鬼想让我们相信的：

“你早该离开教会了。那里的那些人都是伪君子。”

“你早就该停止遵行神的诫命了。那些只不过是捆绑你的枷锁。”

“看看你现在——没有神，你仍然赚着钱，度假，你的工作稳定，退休计划也安排妥当，你的孩子在学校表现好，你身体健康。没有神，你过得一样好，甚至更好。”

亲爱的朋友，让我们问自己这个问题：如果我们有一个选择——一个有很多物质东西的生活：财富、财产、成就、婚姻、家庭、儿女——但却是一个没有神的生活；或者，我们选择一个有神的生活，无论是否有这些物质的东西；我们会选择什么？

以色列人知道得比这更清楚。他们本可以选择继续前行，进入应许之地，有摩西带领，有天使帮助他们打败那地的居民。但他们知道出埃及的目的不仅是为了脱离埃及的奴役，更是要亲近神。

所以，是否进入应许之地已不再重要。因为当神说：“我自己不同你们上去”，这就好像是到了尽头。他们不想被摩西带领，甚至也不想被天使带领——他们只愿被神亲自带领。就这么简单。这才是一切的关键。

你和我是否能说出同样的话呢？“神啊，即使我有所有这些属世的、物质的东西，也无所谓。我要你。我要你与我同在，在我人生的每一步中引导我。”我祈求我们每个人都能这样说。

我们的第二点：百姓的回应

请看第四节：

“百姓听见这凶信就悲哀，也没有人佩戴妆饰。”（出埃及记 33:4）(jesus-web.de)

“凶”意指坏的或令人痛苦的，“信”意指话语或消息。换句话说，当他们听到这个坏消息——“神将不再与我们同在；祂不会在我们中间同行”——他们心中悲伤，没有人佩戴妆饰或珠宝。

有些人认为摘下珠宝只是哀悼的标志——就像在葬礼中，人们会摘下所有珠宝，为失去亲人而哀悼。我相信这不仅仅是哀悼的标志——这是悔改的标志。

因为下一节，第五节，说：

“耶和华对摩西说：你告诉以色列人说，耶和华说：你们是硬着颈项的百姓，我若一霎时临到你们中间，必灭绝你们。现在你们要把身上的妆饰摘下来，使我可以知道怎样待你们。”（出埃及记 33:5）(jesus-web.de)

为什么神会因为妆饰而毁灭他们？(Wordproject)

“现在你们要把身上的妆饰摘下来，使我可以知道怎样待你们。”(jesus-web.de)

命令他们摘下妆饰告诉我们，妆饰有某种意义。这就是为什么一些神学家认为这些妆饰与偶像崇拜有关——也许是他们戴在脖子上的东西。如果这是真的，那么他们确实是硬着颈项的百姓，因为即使在这个时候，他们仍然佩戴着偶像崇拜的妆饰。神说：“摘下或脱去你们的妆饰，否则我会毁灭你们。”(Wordproject)

第六节：

“以色列人从住何烈山以后，就把身上的妆饰摘得干净。”（出埃及记 33:6）(jesus-web.de)

当百姓意识到他们的罪时，他们立即除去使他们犯罪的东西。原文中的“摘下”是一个永久性的动作，表示永不再返回。这是真诚悔改的标志。

以前，他们用金子和珠宝制造了金牛犊，使他们远离神。现在，他们摘下金子和珠宝，以亲近神。后来，他们会用金子和珠宝建造会幕，为神的荣耀。

因此，对罪的认识引导他们悔改。但以色列人不知道神是否会与他们同行，或是他们将独自前行。(Enduring Word (Chinese Version))

第七节：

“摩西素常将帐棚支搭在营外，离营却远，他称这帐棚为会幕。凡求问耶和华的，就到营外的会幕那里去。”（出埃及记 33:7）(jesus-web.de)

“会幕”意指帐棚或会见的帐棚。这个会见的帐棚不是会幕，因为在这个时候，会幕尚未建成。指示已经给出，但最明显的迹象是，会幕位于以色列人营地的中心，而这个会见的帐棚在营外——远离营地。

它必须远离营地，因为营地仍然是罪恶之地，神不会住在那里。所以，如果百姓想要求问神，他们必须到营外去。

这告诉我们罪有多么可怕。罪使百姓与神分离。但神是慈爱的神，祂希望百姓亲近祂，所以祂通过在营外设立会见的帐棚，为他们开了一条路。

让我们继续看第八至十一节：

“当摩西出营到会幕去的时候，百姓就都起来，各人站在自己帐棚的门口，望着摩西，直等到他进了会幕。摩西进会幕的时候，云柱降下来，立在会幕的门前，耶和华便与摩西说话。”（出埃及记 33:8-9）(Wordproject)

云柱代表神的同在，“耶和华便与摩西说话。”

第十节：

“众百姓看见云柱立在会幕门前，就都起来，各人在自己帐棚的门口下拜。”（出埃及记 33:10）(jesus-web.de)

换句话说，那是他们所能达到的地方。他们只能在远处敬拜神。

最后，第十一节：

“耶和华与摩西面对面说话，好像人与朋友说话一般。摩西转到营里去，惟有他的帮手，一个少年人嫩的儿子约书亚不离开会幕。”（出埃及记 33:11）(jesus-web.de)

所以摩西在会幕和以色列人的营地之间来回，传达神要他传讲的话。只有约书亚与他同在，因为他们两人都没有参与金牛犊的崇拜。

“面对面”这个词组并不意味着摩西可以看见神，因为在第二十节，神说：“你不能看见我的面，因为人见我的面不能存活。”这只是意味着与神有亲密的交通和交流——神直接与摩西说话，就像人与朋友交谈一样。(Wordproject)

在这里，我们可以看到，对罪的认识引导以色列人悔改，他们的悔改引导他们敬拜全能的神——尽管是从远处，通过摩西这个中保。

亲爱的朋友，这让我们想起我们的救恩。我们的救恩始于对罪的认识。我们意识到我们犯了罪，罪有代价——罪的工价乃是死：身体的、灵魂的和永恒的死亡——这引导我们悔改，转向中保、救主，我们的主耶稣基督。

悔改的祝福引导我们：

• 赦免的祝福——被赦免我们所有的罪，
• 称义的祝福——在神面前被称为义，
• 收养的祝福——获得作为神儿女的权利和特权（我们可以称呼神为“阿爸，父”），
• 成圣的祝福——在敬虔中成长，
• 坚忍的祝福——与神一起坚持到底（我们不会放弃；我们会坚持下去），
• 最终，荣耀的祝福——在我们荣耀的身体中永远与神同在。

这一切始于对罪的认识——我们心中的责备——引导我们悔改。但最大的不同是，当我们相信耶稣基督得救时，祂称我们为朋友。

你是否意识到耶稣在约翰福音 15:13-15 中说：

“人为朋友舍命，人的爱心没有比这个大的。你们若遵行我所吩咐的，就是我的朋友了。”（约翰福音 15:13-14）

耶稣是我们最奇妙的朋友，祂为我们舍命。祂被钉在十字架上，流出宝血，为我们而死，并在第三天从死里复活。复活的救主在我们相信耶稣的那一刻称我们为朋友。

祂将祂的灵赐给我们，住在我们心中。圣灵住在我们里面。记住，罗马书 8:9 说：

“人若没有基督的灵，就不是属基督的。”（罗马书 8:9）

每个信徒都有圣灵——基督的灵——住在他里面，与他同住。

今天，我们与耶稣交谈，不是作为陌生人，而是作为最奇妙的朋友。我们不需要害怕。我们可以在任何时候、任何情况下、任何地方与祂交谈。

我们不需要远距离接近祂。

我们不需要去特定的地方，如教堂或大教堂。

我们不需要通过牧师或传道人。

我们可以直接到祂面前。

每当你我得罪神的时候，圣灵——就是基督的灵——就会借着神的话语责备我们的心。为什么？因为基督不愿我们经历充满痛苦、伤害与忧愁的生活。祂愿我们悔改我们的罪，得着赦免，然后在我们生命的每一刻经历祂的同在。

（参考经文：约翰福音 16:8 “他既来了，就要叫世人为罪、为义、为审判，自己责备自己。”）

祂愿我们与祂有亲密的交通与相交。祂知道罪会使我们远离祂，但祂渴望我们亲近祂，好使祂能借着祂的灵和祂的话语直接与我们沟通。

（参考经文：雅各书 4:8 “你们亲近神，神就必亲近你们。”）

我们的主耶稣基督不会对我们说：“好吧，你们自己走吧，我不与你们同去。”

祂却对我们说：“我必与你们同去——无论在任何处境、任何试炼、患难与苦难中。我总是与你们同在。”

（参考经文：马太福音 28:20 “我就常与你们同在，直到世界的末了。”；希伯来书 13:5 “我总不撇下你，也不丢弃你。”）

这就是我们的主和救主耶稣基督。

我祷告我们众人都必须明白罪的严重性。罪使我们与神隔绝。每当我们犯罪的时候，我们就会走迷，我们就会远离全能的神。神不愿意这样的事情发生。祂愿我们亲近祂。所以我们必须悔改并转向祂。祂必赦免我们——无论我们犯了什么罪。祂是信实的，是公义的。当我们承认自己的罪时，祂必赦免我们，并且使我们亲近祂自己。

（参考经文：以赛亚书 59:2 “但你们的罪孽使你们与神隔绝”；约翰一书 1:9 “我们若认自己的罪，神是信实的，是公义的，必要赦免我们的罪，洗净我们一切的不义。”）

“我必与你同去。”

（参考经文：出埃及记 33:14 “耶和华说：‘我必亲自和你同去，使你得安息。’”）

我们祷告：

我们在天上的父，我们感谢祢赐下这个机会，使我们能思想这段经文——学习以色列人出埃及时，在他们铸造并敬拜金牛犊的事上，是如何得罪了祢。他们没有遵守他们盟约的一方，要作祢的子民，但祢总是信实地持守祢的约。他们仍要进入应许之地。

（参考经文：出埃及记 32–33 章；诗篇 105:8 “祂记念祂的约，直到永远。”）

但他们的罪仍有后果，因此，神对他们说：“我不在你们中间上去。”

（出埃及记 33:3）

哦主啊，若祢不与我们同去，我们怎能前行？没有祢的生命是怎样的生命呢？那是一个空虚、无意义、充满虚妄的生命。属世的福分不能取代祢的位置。即使祢从我们生命中拿去一切属世的、物质的东西，只要我们能有祢同在的生命，我们宁愿选择有祢的生命。

有全能神同在的生命，是我们在这地上能拥有的最宝贵之物。

（参考经文：诗篇 73:25-26 “除祢以外，在天我有谁呢？除祢以外，在地上我也没有所爱慕的。”）

哦主啊，帮助我们，使我们不只是知道这个真理，或珍惜这个真理，也能在我们的生命中活出这个真理。我们渴望听到祢对我们说：“我必与你同去。”

如果祢与我们同去，我们就不惧怕。没有什么能阻挡我们、拦阻我们——只要祢与我们同去。

我们感谢祢，并将这一切祷告奉耶稣的名。阿们。

（参考经文：约翰福音 14:13-14 “你们奉我的名无论求什么，我必成就。”）