#215 Do Not Remove Yourself From Me

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. Exodus 33: 1-6 NIV

God will keep his oath to Abraham, and the people may go on ahead to this earthly blessing, but the eternal God no longer wishes to abide with them. Our hearts are hard, like the stone tablets in which the law must be chiseled by the finger of God; we choose the ornaments of sin. They are carried outwardly by this people, but inwardly all men have these idols of the heart. Whatever I lift up in my mind, I must now justify in my heart, so that I can remain self righteous. But what happens when what I hold up is found detestable by God? What happens when I try to enter eternity with these ornaments, and have attached myself to that which He is infinitely opposed to? God doesn't care you say. Hath God really said, you say. He has, and here He has said it since Genesis, and has demonstrated His judgment on sin. Now the punishment for this people is not immediate death, but He will remove His presence from them. 

Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour.46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"47And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, "This man is calling for Elijah."…Matthew 27:45-47

9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,[a] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2Peter 3:9