Since the tragic fall of mankind, where Adam and Eve were separated from God’s unveiled presence, humanity has yearned to be restored to the place of spiritual identity and purpose. We were created in God’s image and likeness to live in the presence of God our Creator and Father. Just as the Trintiy lives in perfect harmony and union with each other, so mankind is meant to live in harmony and union with God. God said to Adam that eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was forbidden.
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Genesis 2:15–17 (NKJV)
Adam and Eve after being tempted, ate from this tree, disobeying God. The sin of disobedience to God, through eating the fruit now gave them revelation of the knowledge of good and evil, and because of their sin, shame and guilt entered them, and they realised that they were naked, so they hid from God. Sin leads to death, first a spiritual death and separation from God.
Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:7–8 (ESV)
All of mankind after that fateful day, is born in a state of sin or law-lessness – separated from God. Without the fear of God, without moral law, and without the experiential knowledge of God, mankind has been defining good and evil in his own knowledge, justification and understanding ever since the fall. But God had a redemption plan for mankind, and it started with the generational line of Abraham, then Moses was chosen to bring the Law to Israel who had been in captivity in Egypt. God’s plan is fulfilled with the death by crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of His son Jesus, Who came to the earth in the flesh and became the atonement for sin.
The Presence of God in Exodus at Mount Sinai
In Exodus chapter 19, God speaks to Moses, and relays a covenant message to the children of Israel.
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
Exodus 19:5–6 (ESV)
All the people agreed with Moses that they would do all that the Lord had spoken, and Moses reported this back to the LORD.
And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.” So Moses told the words of the people to the LORD. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
Exodus 19:9–11 (NKJV)
God warned Moses to tell the people, that though they must gather near to Mount Sinai, nobody (man or beast) should touch the mountain, else they would be struck dead by stone or arrow.
Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.
Exodus 19:16-19 (NKJV)
Moses then went up the mountain to speak with the LORD, and here he received God’s Commandments and was sent back down to warn them not to touch the mountain.
Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.
Exodus 20:18–21 (NKJV)
The LORD then continued to reveal His covenant and laws to Moses, who in turn shared them with the people. They again confirmed with one voice, that they shall do all that the LORD has spoken.
The Golden Calf
Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.”
So, all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”
Exodus 32:1–4 (NKJV)
The children of Israel had made a god, an inanimate lifeless idol, that they could worship without fear, without obedience and without a living presence. They created it out of their understanding and imagination of god, like the pagan gods, and it says that they worshipped it, ate, drank, and rose up to play (revel). Moses then intercedes for his people, asking God to spare them from His wrath against them that would destroy them for their sin and evil.
The stone tablets that God Himself had written the commandments on were broken as Moses came down the mountain, and Moses calls the people to choose a side, either the LORD’s side or not, as they faced His wrath. Many died that day, and God called them a stiff-necked (stubborn) people. They had moved so quickly from experiencing God’s glory to worshipping a lifeless idol. It only took 40 days in the absence of Moses and being away from God’s presence, for the children of Israel to backslide into the Egyptian culture they had fled.
They had just experienced the incredible acts of God’s provision, protection, power, sovereignty, and glory, yet chose to worship something they made with their hands and controlled. Why did they choose this path? While we shouldn’t judge or harden our hearts to the children of Israel in this historical account, it’s important that we see our own lives in this sad story today. Do we truly know and experience the LORD, or do we worship an idea of God?
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
John 17:3 (ESV)
What is the meaning to believers today?
The heart of this message is a gentle warning to the Body of Christ today, about the danger of the temptation of our flesh to draw us away from knowing and experiencing the living relational God and His presence to experiencing carnal customs, traditions, or worldly programs as a religious lifestyle. If we do not make time to come into the personal experiential knowledge of God ourselves, by experiencing both His personal and corporate presence in our lives, we are at risk of worshiping a god made in the image of our own imagination (a golden calf), rather than the holy, righteous, living and loving God, who gave us His Son so that we can know Him.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:8 (ESV)
God has spoken to us through His word, as He spoke to Moses and the children of Israel, and He has invited us to draw near to Him as His children, through the gift of salvation. He has revealed Himself to us through the Scriptures, and the life, crucifixion, and resurrection of His Son. Those who know the Son, know the Father. The veil of separation was torn at Christ’s death, and we now have access to come boldly before God’s throne of grace, with joy and thanksgiving.
Thomas says to Him, Lord, we do not know where you are going; how is it possible for us to know the road? Jesus says to him, I alone, in contradistinction to all others, am the road and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had learned to know me through experience, in that case also my Father you would have come to know. From now on you are beginning to know Him, and have seen Him with discernment.
Philip says to Him, Lord, show us the Father at once, and it is sufficient for us. Jesus says to Him, Such a long time I am with you, yet you have not come to have an experiential knowledge of me, Philip? He who has discerningly seen me has seen the Father with discernment. How is it that you, you are saying, Show us the Father at once? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me? The words which I am speaking to you, not from myself as a source am I speaking. But the Father who in me is abiding, He is doing His works.
John 14:9–10 (WUESTNT)
We need to be careful when we only have intellectual knowledge of God, rather than experiential knowledge or intimate knowledge with Him. If our only experience of God is through others (our Moses), or corporate gatherings alone, while there’s nothing wrong with this, we are at risk of not truly knowing God. These experiences should stir up a hunger inside of us to experience the beautiful and holy presence of God for ourselves. Like God’s invitation to the children of Israel, God invites you individually to a relationship, to draw close, to know Him and to experience Him.
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 8:31–32 (NKJV)
It is in experiencing God’s presence that we transcend from an intellectual knowledge of God, to experiencing Him personally. Part of the command to love God, is to know Him and fellowship with Him while at the same time to worship and fear Him (submit and be filled with honour and reverence towards Him). The other part is to obey Him. Today we do not gather before Him at Sinai, but we come to Mount Zion (Hebrews 12:22), where we can hear His heavenly voice ourselves.
See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.”
Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:25–29 (NKJV)
So how do we experience God?
I’m writing to Christians here. If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, or if you do not know where you will go to spend eternity when you pass away from this life, I suggest you read Salvation and the Love of a Father. Even better, find a Bible based church or a Christian you know who can help you.
For believers, when you committed your life to follow Jesus, He gave you a new spirit. The word also says that God seals us with His Spirit, and that the Holy Spirit and the spirit of Jesus now abide in us. This means that you as a believer can both hear God, know and experience Him. We have been made righteous with God through Christ Jesus, who sanctified and justified us through His death and resurrection. This is such good news! In our Christian walk, we will primarily hear God through His word, the Bible.
Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
John 14:22–23 (NKJV)
Below is a list of guiding practices, disciplines, and advice on experiencing God in no specific order. Remember it is relationship and loving obedience through His Son, Jesus Christ that God seeks, not religious duty, ritual, or dead works. God is with us, and the Bible says that nothing will separate us from the love of God. We have permanent open heavens, because His Spirit is in us. The presence of the Lord is with us by faith, it’s not always a feeling or sensation. While many people experience God physically, we should always draw on the Word of God, by faith to know He is with us, even if we don’t feel His presence. His peace is often a sign of His presence, along with hope and joy.
- Know God through the Word. Reading and studying the Bible, meditating on it, and seeking God’s voice and presence through the Holy Spirit inspired word, is the fastest and safest way to learn to hear God’s voice and experience God’s presence. Read the Psalms regularly. Jesus challenges the religious leaders by accusing them of seeking eternal life through the Scriptures, not realising that the Scriptures point to Jesus, standing in front of them. The Bible is the living word of God.
- Pray to God. Speak to Him when you are alone and in a quiet place. Seek Him. You can have a conversation with God. Invite the Holy Spirit, the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, to reveal God to you through the Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into all truth. Fast if you need to discipline your flesh. Pray in tongues often.
- Worship the LORD. We have such a privilege to praise and worship God for who He is. Thank Him for all He has done for you, and all the promises and hope we can hold on to.
- Keep a personal journal and write down the revelation, or what you are hearing God say to you through the word. Write to Him.
- Be baptised in water and be baptised in the Holy Spirit.
- Spend time in nature, being still and reflecting on His creation and meditating on who God is.
- Go to church or gather with other believers for encouragement, worship, Bible reading, prayer etc, as often as you can. Make sure it’s an intentional gathering in the name of Jesus. Fellowship with like-minded believers who are wanting God to have more of their lives, who are pursuing Him and who have said “Yes!” to submit and abide in Christ and follow Him.
- Obey the LORD. There are so many references to Jesus saying to the us, we need to follow Him, and that we need to obey God’s commands if we love Him. This is not dead works, but as we take on the nature of Jesus, and the love of God for Him and people around us, we go and do what Jesus asked us to do. Seek first the kingdom and righteousness. Go out and love people, share the Gospel and pray for them, as Jesus instructed. I have experienced God so many times on the streets sharing His love and goodness with strangers.
- Encourage other believers and pursue a life of discipleship.
- Read about the generals of the faith, and the testimony of their walk with God.
- It’s a relationship, so giving time, devotion and attention to God is a treasured gift. Our first ministry is unto the Lord.
Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:19–25 (NKJV)
I hope this encourages you to pursue God above all. Start where you are today and make it a lifestyle. May God bless you, and draw near to you, as you abide in Jesus, in the Word, and draw near to Him.
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11 (NKJV)
