This great sight (quality Good)

[0:00] I venture to call your prayerful attention to Exodus chapter 3 and a part of verse 3.

[0:18] Exodus chapter 3 and the middle part of verse 3. This great sight.

[0:31] The whole verse and Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight.

[0:42] Why the bush is not burnt. This great sight. The Israelites for many, many years were in bondage.

[1:06] A bondage that intensified, increased in the passing of the years. But as we read in the Acts of the Apostles in the ministry of Stephen, at which time Moses was born.

[1:32] Though outwardly to the natural eye, at times it seems that God is silent, inactive we would say.

[1:46] Yet his purposes will ever be fulfilled. And there again we behold the purpose of God.

[2:01] That the life of Moses at three months was preserved. As you will remember, the edict had gone forth that all baby boys were to be drowned in the river.

[2:21] And here the parents by faith, viewed and as reviewed by God, is a special child. But they could hide him no longer.

[2:34] But doubtless in prayer and guided by God, the little ark was made. And the babe was laid in there and laid by the very river, the place where the baby boys were drowned.

[2:52] And there Miriam, the oldest sister, watching. But God's hand and God's purpose.

[3:03] At that very time, the princess passed by and saw the ark. And as it brought, and they opened the ark.

[3:13] And there, and often thought of it, the babe wept. Move the heart of that princess.

[3:24] Well now, I've not time, and it's not need for me to go into further detail. Except just to follow it, just step by step and briefly.

[3:36] That as you know, he was brought up for the first 40 years in Egypt. In the meantime, more as they were afflicted more and more, the dear Israelites, yet so they grew.

[3:55] And my friend, God sometimes uses such times as these, where grace shines, where there's growth in grace and in faith.

[4:09] And then we read in how that here we see, and I've read somewhere, he was had as a slave for a mother, and yet was brought up in a palace.

[4:33] Now just let me link up this, which sums it up as we read in the epistle to the Hebrews, of how that Moses, when the end of that 40 years, we know he took matters into his own hand.

[4:50] He thought, with all the learning that he'd gained, all the instruction that he'd had, that he was ready to take the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

[5:03] And you know how he took matters into his own hand, and thereby had to flee into the desert, or into the mountain around Horeb.

[5:17] And we read in Hebrews 11, which seems to have so sweetly set it forth, that by faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than all the treasures in Egypt.

[5:51] Refusing, choosing, esteeming, he forsook Egypt, directed into the land of Midian, and there as he came, he found their daughters preparing to get water for the flock.

[6:20] It is quite evident that they were roughly handled by hoarse, lazy, idle other shepherds that would drive them away, and when they've drawn the water, take the water for their own flocks.

[6:38] But Moses appeared for their help, and in this manifested great courage. And it would be perhaps evident to even these, well, I would say rogue shepherds, that he was a man of authority.

[7:00] The result, of course, was that the daughters returned to their father, who inquired how it was that they were home so soon, and they mentioned about this man.

[7:14] And he said, where is he, and why is it that you've left the man? Call him that he may eat bread. We see here the hand of Almighty God.

[7:28] No, my dear friends, is Moses the only one? Have you not seen the hand of God in your life, from time to time, in making provision for you, opening a door where there was no evident door open, guiding you, and directing you, and leading you?

[7:56] What an amazing change in circumstance, in life, in occupation for Moses.

[8:12] Used to all the glories and wonders of Egypt, mind you, this was part of God's preparation to help, for Moses to lead his people out of Egypt.

[8:31] But now, from all the, I would say, luxury, all the ease and comfort, he is now a shepherd.

[8:43] And it's the backside of the desert. Now, I understand, as we read here, it was Horeb. Horeb speaks of a certain mountain range.

[8:55] Sinai was one of that mountain range. And there was the backside of the desert, apparently, where there was some pasturage that we may leave.

[9:07] But however, here, day by day by day by day, 40 years, the same day as it was, same, taking the sheep out, bring them back again.

[9:23] Where, I say this, where's God's purpose? Has he forgotten? Why say that? Is, is there anyone here waiting?

[9:39] to see that God is not speaking, moving? My dear friend, seek grace and you will need it to wait patiently for God.

[9:56] Don't try and find your own way out. Don't try and hasten God's purpose as it.

[10:08] Leave it to God because his time is the right time and the best time. I don't want to divert too much, but I did refer recently to when the spies came back from surveying the land and you remember only Joshua and Caleb stood firm and the rest said, no, our children, we shall all be slain and you remember how that God punished them severely and then these men that with unbelief relented said, we will go.

[10:45] Moses said, don't you go. He said, you'll perish and they did. They took matters in their own hand. The God that had watched over them throughout the wilderness journey provided for them was not with them there.

[11:04] I think there's a word of warning, my friend, to seek the grace of patience to wait upon your God.

[11:15] Now, as he came on this memorable day, now, again, as you look back on life, many of our days are what we call routine days.

[11:29] days, but there's some marked days in your life, days you would never forget, when you woke up and it looked just like the normal day, and events took place that day, which spoke to you of the power and hand of God.

[11:52] It will not enlarge, it could be in many directions. you did not expect to be in hospital that day, you did not expect to have that letter that day, you did not expect to have that trouble coming that day, you did not expect that bitter disappointment that day, and much more could be said, but it's in the hand of God, remember that, remember that.

[12:19] But now this particular day, Moses set forth in the quiet way, and there as he went forth to lead the flock to the backside of the desert where the pasturage, there we find the angel, that is the Lord himself, appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush, and he looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

[12:51] I gather that it wasn't entirely an unusual thing for a bush to catch fire in the heat of the sun, but it would be consumed in a moment, or a moment or two, as you would well understand.

[13:10] But the secret here that Moses thought, I've never seen anything like this, what does it mean? And we read of how that he went forth, and he turned aside to see.

[13:23] You know, there's a little word there, we don't want to read too much into the scripture, but it's a good thing to turn aside, isn't it? What I mean by that is turn aside from your own thoughts, and your own ways, and words, and in the providential sense, and turn aside to God, and pray, Lord, teach me in thy dealings with me, and show me thy purpose now.

[13:48] He said, this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. It was a common, thorny bush, as the experts on the word, when I say expert, those that had the knowledge, tell us, a thorny bush.

[14:08] It wasn't a tree, it wasn't like an oak, it wasn't like a cedar, it wasn't some great tree, but a poor, despised, little bush in the wilderness.

[14:21] And when the Lord saw, I'm using the words of the text, this great sight as the center of our meditation tonight, when the Lord saw, the Lord sees all things, but how that he turned aside to see God.

[14:47] Oh, the solemnity of it. I believe there have been one or two times in my life when suddenly it's been God, God, speaking, appearing.

[15:08] I will not name a recent experience at the moment, but I will take you back to what you well know, the night of my heart operation, and there about four o'clock in the morning I was awake, and quiet in spirit, and the Lord came.

[15:36] it was God. With a verse from the scripture which I was not so familiar with, like a well-known scripture, like underneath of the everlasting arms, his left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth impress it.

[15:55] Now, how did I know that was God? Because, for I should think it must have been twenty minutes, half an hour, I was favoured with such meditation upon it.

[16:08] It all opened up to me. It was wonderful. God, it was very sacred, very solemn, very blessed.

[16:24] The Lord saw that he turned aside to see, and God called him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses, Moses, Moses, twice repeated, denoting his love, denoting the matter was of vital importance of solemnity, to give close attention, it is, and you would read in verse four, and the Lord saw, that God Almighty saw, it was God in the bush, not just a created angel, it was the Lord himself called unto him out of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses, and he said, here am I.

[17:21] If you seek an interesting, profitable Bible study in the word, not too difficult, you could trace out those who, where God spoke to them, and he said, here am I.

[17:40] And my friends, it's, I do not say that we have such a clear word as that, but there are times in life, in the dear people of God, in the times of, shall I say, vital importance, of deep exercise, waiting upon God, that you, as you will hear these words, here am I Lord, what will thou have me to do, which path shall I take, and various questions, this speaks to my soul of complete, utter, loving, surrender, willingness, here am I, to put it in a simple way, you take a, you're a master, a good master, and a good servant, and,

[18:55] I mean, it could be an office, or it could be in the hospital, or anything, and they, they call you, and you say, here, I'm here, here, now what do you do? you stand, you wait, to hear, why you're called, as a loving servant, obedient, willing, to do your master's bidding, of course, we speak of ways, right, and good, we're assuming that, because we're speaking of God now, so it's quite clear, if you trace these words out, here am I, you'll find it led some, into strange paths, and yet God was with them, here am I, who want to be surrendered, emptied of self, used of God, in his hand, a nothingness of self, oh my friend, what grace is needed, to be brought, to self as nothing,

[20:02] Christ is all, in all, this, great, sight, Moses might have thought, what does, this, mean, what, is God, going to say, what is this, unfolding, of his will, what, will it be, first, he said, draw not, nigh, hither, now don't let us, be confused with this, we read, the drawing power, of almighty God, to poor sinners, as for example, Jesus himself said, and I, if I be lifted up, from the earth, will draw, all men, unto me, we hear the prayer, in the song of songs, draw me, and we will, run after it, that is right, and that drawing, is to come, as a poor, guilty sinner, to the feet, of Christ, what does this mean, this is to remind us, and we do, need it, constantly, whenever, whenever, we are gathered, for worship, whenever, we turn, to the word of God, whenever, we are speaking, of God, and, whenever, we even say, and give thanks, for our meal, maybe, with reverence, may we never, lose sight of that, there seems such,

[21:50] I don't know, how to describe it, a misreading, of this, that because, God in his love, and we his children, that, they speak of the Father, in such, light terms, that I'm not going, to judge them, that's not my place, to do that, but my friend, what I do, encourage you, and I believe this, I hope no need, to do this, but, whatever we are, wherever we speak, of the Bible, never, or, or, put it, they say, always, remember, reverence, remember, what you are, who you are, and the great God, some people say, but look, God has made the way, he's gathered the lamb, into his, of course he has, but this does not, do away, with reverence, and my friend, it's a wonderful thing, I should never forget, one occasion, I have just told you, I shall not go into the detail, of it, except, on holiday, years and years ago, I went to a chapel,

[22:51] I've never been to in my life, we were late, because it was difficult, to find the chapel, in the country, but as soon as I sat down, in that chapel, I found, this, is the house of God, this, is the gate of heaven, it was so to my soul, that night, that afternoon, it was a great blessing, but I leave that, my friend, and when I say that, I do not mean to say, that you have such an, overwhelming sense of that, but it's a good thing, to have a sweet sense, that I'm the sinner, the holy God, oh, my friend, great God, thou seest, my inward frame, I always stand revealed, exactly as I am, oh, I like to think, great God, and this is the way to come, great God, to thee, I'll make my grief, and sorrows known, and with a humble hope, approach my, thy awful throne, though by my, sins deserving hell,

[23:53] I'll not despair, for who can tell, this great sight, draw not nigh hither, put off thy shoes, from off thy feet, for the place, whereon thou standest, is holy ground, that didn't mean to say, that that very spot, had any particular, holiness in it, no, it was made so, by the very presence of God, it's a wonderful thing, when this is conveyed to us, in the house of God, the place, whereon we stand, especially, when the Holy Spirit, may lead us, in meditation, into the sufferings of Christ, to enter, into the garden, of Gethsemane, to follow, in the footsteps, of the dear Redeemer, the place, whereon we stand, is holy ground,

[25:05] I do not want, to be sentimental here, I want to be very careful, but I have, had the privilege, of witnessing, the death of dear saints, witnessing, and hearing, their testimony of faith, that all fear of death, removed, and the place, would be made, as we have here, the holy ground, very solemn, very sacred, this great sight, now let's just tarry on this, for a moment, God, is in the midst, of that bush, but it's not, not consumed, there, is the sight, of almighty,

[26:10] Jehovah, in the midst, of that bush, and the bush, is not, consumed, my dear friend, it speaks to us, in one of two ways, but one I think, particularly, this bush, that burned with fire, was not consumed, was a type, of the sufferings, of God's people, why isn't it, that they're consumed, because, God's there, now I'm not speaking, like that, these things, are very deep, very real, very solemn, very blessed, very blessed, very blessed, very blessed, very blessed, very blessed, very blessed, we may, and do, come into trouble, and it may be, spiritual exercise, as well as providential, where we cannot understand, and for a while, there might be a measure, of even rebellion,

[27:15] I do pray against that, or may be perplexity, may be doubts, and fears, rising up, I shan't come through this, this will be the end, but my dear friend, the bush burned, with fire, but was not consumed, the dear child of God, passing through, well, whether it is a furnace, I think in Deuteronomy, we read about the furnace, in Egypt, as a tap of the sufferings, of the Israelite, like the Hebrew, three Hebrew, where there is, in the midst of the fire, but God was there, I am with the Israel, passing through the fire, now you may say, yes, but I come into the experience, I don't feel, God is with me, I don't feel, the loosing of my bonds,

[28:16] I feel there, my friend, we must wait, the length of the trial, the purpose of the trial, is in the hand of God, maybe, there is something in us, that needs this, something that, is to bring us down, from our pride, something to stir us up, that there is not immediate deliverance, but do pray, that the Lord, may sanctify the trial, and pray, that there will be, spiritual profit, pray, that you will be drawn closer, you say, well, I do pray for that, wait upon God, God makes no mistake, the length of the trial, the depth of it, my friend, is all in his hand, but I must hasten, God is in the midst of her, and we read, how that the Lord, will help her, in the midst, and we read, where two or three, are gathered together, in my name, there am I, in the midst of them, the risen Christ, stood in the midst of them, and said, as he did to Mary,

[29:36] I go unto, my father, and your father, to my God, and your God, and again, as I, think of, these, words, I may just have to turn, to it, that I might get it correctly, but I refer to that one, in the 46th Psalm, which I only partly, named to you, God is in the midst of it, she shall not be moved, God shall help her, and that, right, right, early, oh, my dear friend, what a comfort this is, God is in it, and God is in the midst, of those golden candlesticks, isn't he, in the book of Revelation, that's where John saw him, the risen Christ, he'd never seen him before, in the midst of the gold, the seven golden candlesticks, lo, I'm with you all, I'm with you, even unto the end of the world, and there's just one reference,

[30:37] I did just note it, because I know, my poor memory, does fail me more than ever, but Lord help me, and it's in the, one of those, what we call, minor prophets, it doesn't mean to say, they're not so important, it's only that they're shorter, they're just as important, that's all God's holy word, and we read in, Zech and Dian, for example, we read so much, of being in the midst, and if we read here, it says, God is in the midst of her, that in the midst of her, is mighty, he will save, he will rejoice over thee, with joy, he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee, with singing, the Lord is in the midst of thee, thou shalt not see evil, anymore, God, is in the midst of his church, in the midst of his people, that bush may burn, but it will live, that faith will be tried, it will not be destroyed, that love, it may be passed through, deep waters, and fiery furnaces, but it will never be, extinguished, it's the same love, and no separation, from the love of God, which is in Christ, the law, may thunder, in its glory, and its majesty, and its fire, from Sinai, but my friend, as you've sung in your evening, no condemnation to them, that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the spirit, who walk after the flesh, but after the spirit,

[32:06] I must come to a close, just this word then, I am the God of thy father, he doesn't say, I was the God of your father, I am, hold on to it friend, the great God of the word of God, is the I am, he's still that same God, in the days that we live in, or awful, days of sin and evil, but he is the same God, and he said, and even there, as God spoke, he was afraid to look upon God, he hid his face, the solemnity of it, but God spoke to him, and then gave him the message, he said, I've heard, here's those cries, your cries, poor struggling soul, they're not forgotten, he hears them all, he hears them all, he says, they cry, by reason, they're taskmasters,

[33:07] I know their sorrows, and my friend, I know some of your sorrows, when you're in trouble, I don't know many of them, I don't know, altogether, and then I could do nothing, perhaps in many cases, about it, and pray for them, and try to sow the sympathy I can, but my friend, that God is the man of sorrows, he knows all your sorrows, and he knows how to comfort, and support you, and he said, I am come down, to deliver, but you say, but he hasn't come, and even a little later, Moses, you have not, Lord, thou hast not come at all, wait Moses, wait, the time will come, and he says, the cry of the children of Israel, has come unto me, I've also seen the oppression, whereby the Egyptians oppressed them, come now, I will send thee, Moses was not ready now, Moses didn't feel he was ready, he was ready by the preparation of God, before he was ready to go, now, that's the way God calls, to service, whether it's in the ministry, or serving God, with a spiritual exercise, you'll be brought to nothingness of yourself, and that's the right way, and that's the preparation, to go forward, but I must leave the word, this great sight, we could speak much more, of the great sight, oh friend, of Gethsemane, that's, oh, what a sight, of Calvary, we could go, and see that man, that blasphemer, behold, he prayeth, great sight, great sight,

[34:35] I must stop, the Lord bless his word, Amen. Amen. Amen.