(Exodus 34: 1 – 17)
Characteristics of a higher ground
1. It is a place of personal devotion (vs. 2-4): God called Moses alone to Mount Sinai to have fellowship with him. In the same way God is calling us to separate ourselves from the world so we can have a personal devotion with Him.
2. It is a place of personal revelation (vs. 5-7): God called Moses to Mt. Sinai to reveal Himself to him. God wants us too to have a deeper revelation of His person and to do this, we must move on to the higher ground.
3. It is a place of personal worship (v. 8, 14): When Moses encountered God on Mt. Sinai, the first thing he did was to worship God. We too must make worship of God a way of life as we move on a higher ground where God is calling us to.
4. It is a place of personal repentance (v. 9): Moses confessed to God on behalf of the people and asked God for repentance. As God is calling us higher, we too must be willing to repent of every personal sin and confess the sin of others.
5. It is a place of renewal of covenant (v.10): God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai in order to renew His covenant with the Israelites. God is also calling us higher in order to renew His covenant with us.
6. It is a place of signs and
wonders (v.10): God said to Moses, “I will do marvels such as have not
been done in all the earth, nor in any nation”. Higher ground is a place where
God does signs and wonders in our lives like never.
7.
It is a place of obedience (v. 11): God instructed Moses and the children of Israel keep the
commandments He gave to them. For us to experience the signs and wonders God
promised us, we too must walk in obedience to His words.
8. It is a place of watchfulness (v. 12): God warned Moses to be watchful and not make a covenant with the ungodly people of Canaan. As God calls us to the higher ground, we must be watchful not to embrace anything ungodly.
9. It is a place of sanctification (v. 13): God instructed Moses to destroy the altars and the idols of the Canaanites and be pure. We also must destroy every work of the flesh that may hinder the miracles of God in our lives.
10. It is a place of Jealousy (v. 14 – 17): God revealed Himself to Moses as the Jealous God who is fiercely protective of them and intolerant of any disloyalty. The same applies to us as we go up with God unto the higher ground.
Challenges of the Higher Ground: Getting unto the higher ground requires strength (v. 28; I Kgs.19: 5–9), it can be lonely (v. 3), it can be fearful (v. 8; Rev.1:17-18), it requires work to be done (v.27), and it can be painful (v.28).
Rewards of Being on the Higher Ground: We enjoy a deeper knowledge of God (vs. 5 – 9; Rev. 4:1), we experience total brokenness and surrender (v. 8), we receive the power to do signs and wonders (v. 29), we become more like God (vs. 29 – 35) and we enjoy divine favor (Ex. 35)