Ex 3:6, He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 
	This morning we conclude our scriptural readings concerning the fact that man’s first instinct, apart from the covering of Christ, is to hide our faces from the presence of God. Our instant reaction, as humanity, is to cower in fear of His judgment. The truth that we will see is that when God shows Himself to us, we are given a glimpse of the condition of our human nature apart from Christ and we realize that we are deserving of nothing other than instant and utter annihilation because of our sinful nature. 
	Let us see how this was true in the life of Job. As we read in Job 1:1, There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil. This was a man who seemingly could have looked directly into the face of God and lived. He …was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil. And still that was not enough. He had been born under the curse of the sin of Adam, and no matter how good he might seem to be in terms of his behavior and demeanor on this earth, there was still that which emanated from within his being that recognized that he was unable to stand in the presence of the Only True and Holy One. 
	We will see how even a conversation with God had its effect on Job in Job 42:1-6. Job 42:1-6, Then Job answered the Lord, and said, "I know that Thou canst do all things, And that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted. 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' "Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know." 'Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask Thee, and do Thou instruct me.' "I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees Thee; Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes." Job’s talk with God caused this seemingly blameless man to repent and to see that only God is Holy and Just and Upright. Everything else is but dust and ashes in the presence of the Lord.
	Again, this is something that was readily apparent to the Prophet Isaiah as he was given the great vision of God as recorded in Isa 6:1-8, if you would please turn to it. Isa 6:1-8, In the year of King, Uzziah's death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined!, Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." Then one of the seraphim flew to me, with a burning coal in his hand which he had taken from the altar with tongs. And he touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is forgiven." Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!" 
	The true vision of Who God is, in all His Holiness and glory caused this man, one of the greatest prophets in the history of Israel to cry out in despair, "Woe is me, for I am ruined!, Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." When we are presented with even the merest glimpse of the holiness of God, we are given a very clear picture of just how dreadful and awful is our old nature of sin. That is not dealt with until God so chooses to do it. Isaiah, even with his heart of repentance could not stand the sight of his ugliness of sin before the throne of the Majestic and Awesome Lord God. There was nothing that Isaiah could do but lament his sin and declare that he was utterly ruined in his being before God. It was then that God initiated Isaiah’s cleansing which caused the prophet to want to serve God Almighty.  
	We see this response of God to the cries of mankind evidenced in the life of Daniel. If you would turn to the Book of Daniel, Chapter Ten, verses 7-12. 
Dan 10:7-12, Now I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, while the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great dread fell on them, and they ran away to hide themselves. So I was left alone and saw this great vision; yet no strength was left in me, for my natural color turned to a deathly pallor, and I retained no strength. But I heard the sound of his words; and as soon as I heard the sound of his words, I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. And he said to me, "O Daniel, man of high esteem, understand the words that I am about to tell you and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, "Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. 
	Daniel desired to know what the Lord had in store for His people. He prayed earnestly to hear from the Lord to reveal His plan and purpose. Then, when God responded, as He will always respond to those who earnestly seek Him, Daniel was brought to the end of his own strength and abilities. He was powerless before even the messenger of God. Note that the others with Daniel were trembling and hid themselves from the representative of God. Daniel, himself, could do nothing but tremble on his hands and knees until the strength was imparted unto him as well as the message directly from God through this ministering agent. 
	Now please turn in your Bibles to the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke, Chapter Five, verses 1-11. Luke 5:1-11, Now it came about that while the multitude were pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them, and were washing their nets. And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the multitudes from the boat. And when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." And Simon answered and said, "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but at Your bidding I will let down the nets." And when they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish; and their nets began to break; and they signaled to their partners in the other boat, for them to come and help them. And they came, and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus' feet, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men." And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him. 
	Here too, we find those who were so powerless in their own strength and understanding coming face-to-face with that reality. As Simon Peter and James and John had been fishing all night, and not caught anything, they were exhausted from their efforts. They even told Jesus this fact when He instructed them to lower their nets. Those nets so filled with fish that they began to break and the boats began to sink under the load. 
At that point, Peter recognized that this was no ordinary teacher, and even asked Jesus to depart. There was the realization that they were sinful in the presence of this One Who was proclaiming the Kingdom of God before them. As they had obeyed Him, so had He shown His power over the elements of the earth in filling the nets to the point of overwhelming them with the bounty of the sea. 
	This is the reality that is made in each of our hearts as we come before the Lord and recognize Him and obey Him. We are enabled to see that we are sinful men and women who are in such desperate need of His overwhelming grace and love in order to continue to live on this earth. Note that these disciples left everything at that point and followed Jesus. All that had been their lives was behind. They gave it all up in order to know Jesus Christ all the more and be taught of Him and by Him. 
	Later, these same men were there on the mountain when Christ was transfigured as we read in Matt 17:1-7. Matt 17:1-7. And six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and brought them up to a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!" And when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were much afraid. And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid." 
	Again, they were shown Christ in His glory as He was in the company of the patriarchs of the Children of Israel. They had learned so much from the Lord through His years of teaching them, and yet, here, when He was revealed in heavenly light with the voice of the Father declaring His pleasure in Jesus, they were sore afraid and fell on their faces. As much as they knew Jesus, they still had so much more to learn and to see in Him. That is why the Father, Himself, told them to listen to Him. And what did Jesus do that that point. Rather than proclaim Himself and exalt His glory over them, He touched them and reassured them and dispelled their fear. 
	The Writer to the Hebrews highlights this loving embrace of Christ upon His own in Chapter 12, verses 18-24. As we read it, please note the great difference that Christ makes in the lives of His own and in the manner in which He deals with you and with me.
Heb 12:18-24. For you have not come to a mountain that may be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word should be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned." And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, "I am full of fear and trembling." But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. 
	In Christ, we have no more fear of coming into the presence of God. All our sins and our shame and our guilt is done away with through the covering of His own blood for you and for me. We are now freed from everything that would prevent us from wholeheartedly embracing the privilege of coming into the very Holy of Holies, before Our Heavenly Father. 
	This was the vision given to John as detailed in our final passage of this morning. Rev 1:12-18. Rev 1:12-18, And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle. And His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire; and His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. And in His right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 
This is the same encouragement and soothing touch of Christ as was so evident to His disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration. This is that same touch of grace and mercy that calms our fears and apprehension to come into the presence of God. It is the manifestation that Jesus Christ is our Protector, our Savior, our Strength, our Hope, our Joy, and our Everything. In Him, we have no fear of death or judgment. In Him, our heart becomes desirous to do all that will honor God and to bring glory to His awesome name. So be it!
He said also, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Amen.

	This morning’s benediction is Ps 115:13-15. He will bless those who fear the Lord, The small together with the great. May the Lord give you increase, You and your children. May you be blessed of the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth. Amen.