Get Down and Then Come Up!

Exodus 20:24

Then the Lord said to him, away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.

Have you ever wondered how you can be up one day and down the next? Our life kind of resembles the stock market, every mornng the bell rings on the floor, and the reporter says, the Dow is down again today; then a couple of days later, it's up. My finances are up and down. My emotions are up and down. What's going on in my life?

Sometimes in life we can seemingly make it up to the top only to have to come down to get somethng together at the bottom. Sometimes it's something you thought you already took care of but you have got to give attention to it again. It's humbling and frustrating to have been at the top only to have to ocme back down.

Moses knew this all too well. God had given him instructions on how to apporach his Holy Mountain where he would give him the ten commandments. He told Moses and all the people to wash themselves, consecrate themselves, to get ready to approach the Holy mountain. Married folks were not even supposed to have sex the night before they approached the mountain of God's presence. They were instructed not to come near the base of the mountain. God is Holy and we can't just approach him any old kind of way. It's true that if we are dirty that we can approach him for forgiveness but when we are believers and we know we are going into his presence then we should be consecrated, cleansed of wordly filth through the washing of his word and the cleansing of repentance.

Moses climbs up the montain in a great cloud of darkness, thundering, and lightning. The whole mountain is covered in what looks like a storm. The bible says the people stayed back but Moses went toward the great darkness where God was. Isn't that paradoxical, the great darkness where God was. Sometimes God is operating in what other people are afraid to approach.

The people are so intiimidated that they don't even go near it. When Moses gets to the top, God tells Moses to go tell the people not to come up here. Tell them not to break through or I will breakout. You cannot force a breakthrough if God ain't ready for you. When we force a breakthrough it can cause a breakout. God had ordained Moses to come into his presence. He was the only one at that time who could breakthrough. Everybody else had to remain at the base. Don't take people with you into God's presence that he hasn't consecrated to come with you.

Moses had climbed all the way to the top. God told him to go back down.

When I went to Israel, we rode camels half way up Mount Sinai and walked the rest of the way. I thought I'd never get to the top but it was worth it because we got to see the sunrise over the Promised Land.

Moses made it to the top and God said, "Go back down and tell the people not to breakthrough". Moses tried to argue that he already told them. His legs were burning from the climb. He was winded from going up. He started calculating how long it took him to get up there, but God didn't want to hear it. God said, "Go back down. Moses tried to argue that he already told them and God said:

1. Away. Get down and then come up. No matter how settled you are, don't get comfortable because God might send you back down.

2. God knows people better than you do. There are some folk in your life that you think are doing one thing but when you are gone they are doing another.

3. God's vantage point is better than yours. He sees things you can't.

4. Lean not to your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge God and he will make your path straight. God's ways are not your way.

5. Humble yourself and he will exalt you.

Dear God, thank you for calling me up and at times bringing me back down. You did it for my good and for the good of the people with me. Your timing is perfect even though it might inconvenience me. I trust you even when I can't understand. I know that when you bring me up, you will keep me up when it's time. Thank you for letting me come in your presence.

In Jesus name,

Amen