Sin separates us from God (Exod 32:34-33:6). Because of the people’s transgressions and sins, God told Moses to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land but He would not go with them. Instead, He would send an Angel to go before them. God said in Exodus 33:3: “…for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.” When the people heard this, they mourned.

When God withdraws His presence from His people, it means that He withdraws from them His special intimacy, protection, His communion and the hearing of His voice. This does not mean that God would no longer be aware of His people’s affairs, as God is omniscient and omnipresent and nothing can be hidden from Him. God was still going to fulfil His covenant which He swore unto Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to bring them into the Promised Land.

Realising the consequence of their sins, the people promptly repented and obeyed when God instructed them to remove their ornaments (Exod 33:5-6), which were associated with idolatry (Gen 35:2-5).

The people desired God’s presence (Exod 33:7-11). When Moses took the Tabernacle, pitched it outside the camp and called it “…the Tabernacle of the congregation…” (Exod 33:7), it showed that God would restore His presence with His people. When Moses entered the Tabernacle, “…the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend…” (Exod 33:11). At the same time, the people showed their desire for God’s presence when “…all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door” (Exod 33:10).

The most intimate way in which God showed His condescension to us is through the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ, whose presence is now amongst us. And we can enjoy the presence of God through His precious Word. The giving of God’s Word is a wonderful privilege to us. We can read and understand His will and His decrees. Through it, we realise that we need the Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ in order to come into God’s presence and commune with Him. And He will hear our prayers, and commune with us. To be in God’s presence is the wonderful privilege that God’s people have.

We must desire God’s presence. If we keep rejecting God, be warned! God will chastise us. If we still hold on to our idolatry or sin, He will not hear us. If He does answer our prayers, it is only because He is merciful to us. Repent and obey Him. Desire and seek after His presence. God will be delighted to renew His presence with us, when we forsake our sins and idolatry and return to Him.