Who are we

DEVOTION

EXODUS

WHO ARE WE

Ex 33:1-6

33:1 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.

NIV

There are several things going on here that we could take as a lesson. The first is that God is fulfilling his promise to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is not pleased with these people and in fact because of their grievous sin of making that golden calf, they deserve to be destroyed, cut off forever. He calls them a stiffed-necked people. This phrase implies they refuse to bow their head to his commands. This bowing of the head was the symbol of recognizing the authority of a sovereign. It would be like taking a knee bowing our head, diverting ours eyes to the ground as we approach the king of the land. But being stiffed-necked they were not bowing to God. So he tells them he is going to withdraw his presence from them, only an angel will be showing them the way to this land flowing with milk and honey. This was devastating to them, it brought them to face their awful act of disobedience. These ornaments are a strange use of words. The original word is translated in the sense of trappings, finery, in general an outfit, specifically a headstall. We know of the headstall for horses as part of what we use to control the direction we want the horse to go. It is not the bridle or bit in the mouth, but all the strapping around the head of the horse. Was there this meaning to the Israelites? Their headpieces designated their being directed by God. With his removal of his presence they no longer were being directed by him, but by one of his angels. How do we apply this lesson to our lives? Is there some appearance or evidence we have that shows we are being led by the Spirit of God? Are we stiff-necked in anyway? Do we refuse to bow to his leadership in any form or fashion in our lives? He has promised he would never leave us or forsake us. Even though he withdrew his presence from them, he did not forsake them, but was showing them the consequence of their stiff-necked attitudes. Does he show us that same kind of treatment? We deserve it, but then he made a way for us to be freed from that consequence, Jesus. Nevertheless it would be good for us to consider if we are wearing that headstall and we are bowing to his sovereignty in our lives. Does the world see us as believers? Is there something in our appearance, our attitudes, and our behaviors that indicate we are being led by God? He tells us to put off the old self and put on the new self.

Eph 4:21-24

 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

NIV

This would be in the sense of removing our ornaments, the headstall of the old self, the way we were being directed by the corrupted deceitful desires. We are to actually put on the headstall of God, being made new in the attitudes of our minds. This alone should be the evidence to the world we belong to God. We are not like them in their thinking, attitudes or behaviors. They should be able to see our trappings, our way of life. They trust in themselves, we trust in God. The worship the golden calf, we worship God, at least which is the way it is supposed to be. The question we must ask ourselves, is, is it? Do we actually bow our head to his leadership? Do we actually not live in the same manner as the gold worshippers? Are we headstrong in wanting what we want when we want it, or do we submit to the authority of God? Do we trust him for our provisions or do we store up gold for our own security? Are we any different from the world? Sure we have list of don’ts. Some believers think not smoking, drinking, dancing, bowling, roller skating or going to the movie theater makes them separate from the world. But could it be more about the attitude of our minds? We are to be made new in our attitudes, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Then the world will know who we are.