They Chained and Nailed Their God Apollo to a Post
The sermon emphasizes the importance of God's presence in our lives, highlighting the consequences of His absence and the benefits of keeping Him with us.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes the paramount importance of God's presence in the life of believers, as illustrated by Moses' insistence that he would rather remain in the wilderness than proceed to Canaan without God. He argues that no earthly blessings or victories can compensate for the absence of God's presence, which is essential for true safety and satisfaction. Brooks draws a parallel between the folly of idol worship and the necessity of keeping God at the center of our lives, asserting that without Him, even the strongest enemies can prevail against us. The sermon highlights that the presence of God is our ultimate source of comfort and security, and we must actively seek to maintain that relationship through faith and prayer.
Text
"Moses said unto God--If Your presence does not go
with us, do not send us up from here!" Exodus 33:15
Nothing would satisfy Moses, below the presence of God,
because he knew that it would be better that they should
never move a foot farther--as to go on without God's
favorable presence.
God promised that His angel would drive all their
enemies out of the land. "Oh, but if Your presence
does not go with us--do not send us up from here!"
"Yes, but I will bring the necks of all your proud, stout,
strong, and subtle enemies under your feet!" "Oh, but if
Your presence does not go with us--do not send us up
from here!"
"Yes, but I will bring you to a land flowing with milk and
honey. I will make you to suck honey out of the rock, and
oil out of the flinty rock; and you shall drink the finest
wine!" "Oh, but if Your presence does not go with us--do
not send us up from here!"
"Yes, but I will bring you to the paradise of the world--to a
place of pleasure and delight, to Canaan, a type of heaven!"
"Oh, but if Your presence does not go with us--do not send
us up from here! O Lord, if I might have my wish, my desire,
my choice--I had infinitely rather to live in a barren, howling
wilderness with Your presence--than in Canaan without it!
It is a mercy to have an angel to guard us, it is a mercy to
have our enemies sprawling under our feet, it is a mercy to
be brought into a pleasant land. Oh, but if Your presence
does not go with us, do not send us up from here! Lord,
nothing will please us, nothing will profit us, nothing will
secure us, nothing will satisfy us--without Your presence!"
I have read of the Tyrians, that they bound their gods with
chains--that they might secure them, and not be conquered
by their enemies. And among the rest, they chained and
nailed their god Apollo to a post--that they might be sure
to keep their idol, because they thought their safety was in it.
I am sure of this--that our safety, our comfort, our all--lies
in the special presence of God with us! Therefore let us, by
faith and prayer--chain God to our self! If we let Him go,
a thousand worlds cannot make up His absence!
The heathens in Troy imagined that so long as their idol
was kept safe, they were unconquerable; all the strength
and power of Greece would never be able to prevail against
them. Therefore the Grecians sought by all the means they
could--to get this idol from them.
O my friends, so long as you keep the presence of God with
you--I am sure you are unconquerable! But if God withdraws
His special presence--the weakest enemy will be too hard for
you; yes, wounded men will prevail over you!
The burning bush, which was a type of the Church, was not
consumed--because God was in the midst of it. Oh, do but
keep God's special presence with you--and nothing shall hurt
you, nothing shall burn you! But if God's special presence
departs--nothing can secure you!
"Moses said unto God--If Your presence does not go
with us, do not send us up from here!" Exodus 33:15
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of God's Presence
- Moses' Desire for God's Presence
- God's Promises to Moses
- The Consequences of God's Absence
Key Quotes
“It is a mercy to have an angel to guard us, it is a mercy to have our enemies sprawling under our feet, it is a mercy to be brought into a pleasant land.” — Thomas Brooks
“Nothing will please us, nothing will profit us, nothing will secure us, nothing will satisfy us--without Your presence!” — Thomas Brooks
“If we let Him go, a thousand worlds cannot make up His absence!” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- We should prioritize keeping God's presence with us through faith and prayer.
- Without God's presence, we become vulnerable to our enemies and struggles.
- God's presence brings us comfort, security, and satisfaction in our lives.