Jehovah refuses to accompany Israel to the land of promise.--"I will not go up in the midst of thee, (for thou art a stiff-necked people,) lest I consume thee in the way." At the opening of this book, when the people were in the furnace of Egypt, the Lord could say, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows." But now He has to say, "I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people." An afflicted people is an object of grace; but a stiff-necked people must be humbled. The cry of oppressed Israel had been answered by the exhibition of grace; but the song of idolatrous Israel must be answered by the voice of stern rebuke.
"Ye are a stiff-necked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee." It is only when we are really stripped of all nature's ornaments that God can deal with us. A naked sinner can be clothed; but a sinner decked with ornaments must be stripped. This is always true. We must be stripped of all that pertains to self ere we can be clothed with that which pertains to God.
"And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb." There they stood, beneath that memorable mount, their feasting and singing changed into bitter lamentations, their ornaments gone, the tables of testimony in fragments. Such was their condition, and Moses at once proceeds to act according to it. He could no longer own the people in their corporate character. The assembly had become entirely defiled, having set up an idol of their own making in the place of God--a calf instead of Jehovah. "And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it _without the camp_, afar off from the camp, and called it 'The tabernacle of the congregation.'" Thus the camp was disowned as the place of the divine presence. God was not, could not, be there. He had been displaced by a human invention. A new gathering-point was therefore set up. "And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp."
There is here a fine principle of truth, which the spiritual mind will readily apprehend. The place which Christ now occupies is "without the camp," and we are called upon to "go forth unto Him." It demands much subjection to the Word to be able, with accuracy, to know what "the camp" really is, and much spiritual power to be able to go forth from it: and still more to be able, while "far off from it," to act towards those in it in the combined power of holiness and grace;--holiness, which separates from the defilement of the camp; grace, which enables us to act toward those who are involved therein.
"And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp; but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle." Moses exhibits a higher degree of spiritual energy than his servant Joshua. It is much easier to assume a position of separation from the camp than to act aright towards those within.
"And Moses said unto the Lord, 'See, Thou sayest unto me. Bring up this people; and Thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me; yet Thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in My sight.'" Moses entreats the accompanying presence of Jehovah, as a proof of their having found _grace_ in His sight. Were it a question of mere _justice_, He could only consume them by coming in their midst, because they were "a stiff-necked people;" but directly He speaks of grace, in connection with the mediator, the very stiff-neckedness of the people is made a plea for demanding His presence.--"If now I have found grace in Thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray Thee, go among us; _for it is a stiff-necked people_; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Thine inheritance." This is touchingly beautiful. A "stiff-necked people" demanded the boundless grace and exhaustless patience of God. None but He could bear with them.
"And He said, 'My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.'" Precious portion! Precious hope! The presence of God with us, all the desert through, and everlasting rest at the end! Grace to meet our present need, and glory as our future portion! Well may our satisfied hearts exclaim, "It is enough, my precious Lord."