Exdus 33-34 In chapter 32, the natin f Israel brke the terms f the SInai cvenant when they wrshipped the glden calf As a result f that sin, the Lrd declared they wuld all be killed, which was the nrmal penalty fr vilating a cvenant Instead, Mses interceded n behalf f the peple, ffering his wn life t spare their lives In the prcess, Mses frmed a picture f the Messiah, wh gave His life t spare urs in the face f ur vilatin f Gd s law And s the Lrd delayed the executin f His penalty against that generatin f Israel They did eventually die in the desert as a result f their sin under the cvenant But the Lrd cndemned them t die slwly rather than all at nce S the wrd f Gd cncerning these peple hasn t changed They brke the cvenant, s they will die Meanwhile, the cvenant with Israel has been brken, which means Gd is n lnger bund t His part f the cvenant either S s as we enter chapter 33, Israel and the Lrd stand at a crssrads Will the natin g frward with the Lrd leading them, r will the Lrd abandn them? Ex. 33:1 Then the LORD spke t Mses, Depart, g up frm here, yu and the peple whm yu have brught up frm the land f Egypt, t the land f which I swre t Abraham, Isaac, and Jacb, saying, T yur descendants I will give it. Ex. 33:2 I will send an angel befre yu and I will drive ut the Canaanite, the Amrite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. Ex. 33:3 G up t a land flwing with milk and hney; fr I will nt g up in yur midst, because yu are an bstinate peple, and I might destry yu n the way. Mses has returned t the tp f the muntain t meet with the Lrd 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 2 f 24 At the end f chapter 32, he tld the peple he wuld return t see if smething culd be salvaged f the cvenant Mses stands befre the Lrd, and he receives gd news and bad news The gd news is fund in vs.1-2 The Lrd says the peple will still enter the land the Lrd prmised t them They will enter Canaan And the Lrd will send His angel befre the peple t drive ut the peples in the land Mre imprtantly, the Lrd tells the peple why He is still willing t d this fr them The Lrd is acting t fulfill a prmise He delivered t Abraham, Isaac and Jacb, starting in Genesis 15 He s referring t the cvenant the Lrd made with Abraham, a cvenant that was a ne-way agreement It was never dependent n Abraham s perfrmance In fact, Abraham had n terms at all He merely received the blessing Gd prmised S Gd s prmise came withut cnditins Then the bad news cmes And that prmise was nt t be frgtten even thugh the peple f Israel cmmitted such a great sin The Lrd tells Mses that the peple are t leave the muntain and g t the Prmised Land by themselves, withut the Lrd s presence In v.3 the Lrd says I will nt g up in yur midst That phrase is a pwerful statement It means the Lrd has revked everything given t the natin in chapters 25-31, which was the building f the tabernacle 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 3 f 24 The tabernacle s purpse was t serve as the place Gd wuld dwell within Israel But because f the sin f the natin under the cvenant, the Lrd n lnger plans t dwell with Israel, thus negating the need fr the tabernacle Furthermre, the Lrd says if He did dwell with this peple (referring t this generatin f Israel), He wuld likely destry them because they were s bstinate r stiff-necked Because they wn t submit t Him, it was nly a matter f time befre they ffended Him again prvking Him t anger t their wn destructin Everything we re hearing cnfirms what we re tld by the writer f Hebrews, cncerning this generatin f Israel Heb. 3:16 Fr wh prvked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did nt all thse wh came ut f Egypt led by Mses? Heb. 3:17 And with whm was He angry fr frty years? Was it nt with thse wh sinned, whse bdies fell in the wilderness? Heb. 3:18 And t whm did He swear that they wuld nt enter His rest, but t thse wh were disbedient? Heb. 3:19 S we see that they were nt able t enter because f unbelief. In the next passage we learn the peples reactin t learning that the Lrd wuld nt dwell amng them Ex. 33:4 When the peple heard this sad wrd, they went int murning, and nne f them put n his rnaments. Ex. 33:5 Fr the LORD had said t Mses, Say t the sns f Israel, Yu are an bstinate peple; shuld I g up in yur midst fr ne mment, I wuld destry yu. Nw therefre, put ff yur rnaments frm yu, that I may knw what I shall d with yu. Ex. 33:6 S the sns f Israel stripped themselves f their rnaments, frm Munt Hreb nward. This was indeed a sad wrd, and the peple went int murning ver their sin and the cnsequences the Lrd impsed As a sign f their murning, they were tld by the Lrd t remve all their rnaments, which means jewelry and ther trappings The were t g abut in a plain & bare appearance 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 4 f 24 Ntice in v.5 the Lrd tells them the same thing He tld Mses They were s stiff-necked they were in jepardy f destructin were the Lrd t remain in their midst Remember, stiff-necked desn t just mean a stubbrn persnality In scripture it refers t a failure t submit t Gd, which is a sign f unbelief S the Lrd is saying that He wuld be frced t destry them eventually because f their unbelief S He tells them t strip themselves f their rnaments while He decides what t with them Why des the Lrd make this requirement? First, we knw He desn t need time t make up His mind Secndly, why des He want them t strip themselves bare f jewelry in the meantime? The answer is anther cnnectin back t the Fall in the Garden When Adam and Wman fell in the Garden, they experienced numerus cnsequences fr their sin They were set utside the Garden, s they lst the pprtunity t enjy fellwship with the Lrd We ve seen that same cnsequence in this mment The Lrd says He can t be in their presence r else He will have t destry the Israelites Secndly, Adam and Wman were immediately aware that they were naked They sensed they were bare and vulnerable befre the Lrd S they hid frm Him Nw we see that cnsequence mirrred here in a sense Obviusly, the Lrd isn t ging t require the peple f Israel strip naked in respnse t their sin 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 5 f 24 Ging abut naked is what gt them int truble in the first place Instead, the Lrd cmmands them t strip bare f any adrnments Thrugh this rder, the Lrd creates a cmparable picture In fact, the peple stp wearing the jewelry frm that pint frward in the wanderings f the desert Then Mses explains hw the breaking f the cvenant impacted the Lrd s presence in the camp f Israel Ex. 33:7 Nw Mses used t take the tent and pitch it utside the camp, a gd distance frm the camp, and he called it the tent f meeting. And everyne wh sught the LORD wuld g ut t the tent f meeting which was utside the camp. Ex. 33:8 And it came abut, whenever Mses went ut t the tent, that all the peple wuld arise and stand, each at the entrance f his tent, and gaze after Mses until he entered the tent. Ex. 33:9 Whenever Mses entered the tent, the pillar f clud wuld descend and stand at the entrance f the tent; and the LORD wuld speak with Mses. Ex. 33:10 When all the peple saw the pillar f clud standing at the entrance f the tent, all the peple wuld arise and wrship, each at the entrance f his tent. Up t this pint in the stry f Exdus, we ve been tld that the glry f Gd in the frm f the fire and clud were ver the camp f Israel Gd s glry was psitined in the midst f Israel until this mment And Mses wn tent was als pitched inside the camp f Israel The image created was clearly that Gd was amng His peple and Gd s representative was nearby But nw as a result f the sin f Israel, Mses mves the tent f the meeting utside the camp f Israel This is nt the tabernacle, since it hasn t been built yet This is anther structure that Mses used t meet with Gd And nw it is mved utside the camp, away frm the peple f Israel 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 6 f 24 In v.7 we re tld that anyne seeking fr the Lrd wuld have t g utside the camp f Israel t find the Lrd In fact, when Mses left the camp f Israel and walked ut t his tent, the event caused all f Israel t stp what they were ding and stare at Mses As Mses entered the tent and Gd s glry descended upn it, the peple wrshipped Ntice, what triggered the peple t participate in acts f wrship? The appearance f a physical manifestatin f Gd s glry upn Mses tent It was an act f wrship triggered by a physical manifestatin What des this tell us abut that generatin f Israel? We culd say that it s nice t see them wrshipping the true Gd finally But what des the Bible say faith is? Heb. 11:1 Nw faith is the assurance f things hped fr, the cnvictin f things nt seen. True faith is an acceptance f things nt seen And what must faith hld? Heb. 11:6 And withut faith it is impssible t please Him, fr he wh cmes t Gd must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder f thse wh seek Him. We must believe nt nly that Gd is, but we must als believe in His prmises f gd things t cme We must believe He is a rewarder f thse wh seek Him Finally, hw are we t demnstrate ur faith in Him thrugh wrship? Jhn 4:24 Gd is spirit, and thse wh wrship Him must wrship in spirit and truth. Jesus said men are t wrship Gd in spirit, which means t wrship Him in His invisible frm 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 7 f 24 And t wrship Him in truth, which means t wrship Him accrding t His wrd These are things that cannt be seen r tuched, but we accept n faith alne This is why the writer f Hebrews says in Hebrews 12 that this generatin culd nt stand thugh they wrshipped at a muntain they culd tuch But we wrship greater things, things we have yet t see in Heaven Thus demnstrating ur true faith S in this new lcatin, Mses went t speak with the Lrd in the tent f meeting And Mses made a pint t beseech the Lrd t cntinue frward with the peple as they traveled up int the Land Ex. 33:11 Thus the LORD used t speak t Mses face t face, just as a man speaks t his friend. When Mses returned t the camp, his servant Jshua, the sn f Nun, a yung man, wuld nt depart frm the tent. Ex. 33:12 Then Mses said t the LORD, See, Yu say t me, Bring up this peple! But Yu Yurself have nt let me knw whm Yu will send with me. Mrever, Yu have said, I have knwn yu by name, and yu have als fund favr in My sight. Ex. 33:13 Nw therefre, I pray Yu, if I have fund favr in Yur sight, let me knw Yur ways that I may knw Yu, s that I may find favr in Yur sight. Cnsider t, that this natin is Yur peple. In v.11 we re tld that Mses met Gd face t face The phrase face t face in Hebrew des nt suggest a thephany Mses was nt staring int the face f Gd This becmes readily apparent in tward the end f this chapter Instead, this refers t the degree f intimacy f Mses cmmunicatin with the Lrd N man since Adam had enjyed the kind f regular, intimate cmmunicatin with the Lrd that Mses was given 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 8 f 24 Nr wuld any prphet be given such pprtunity again In fact Mses became knwn as the man wh spke t Gd face t face And alngside Mses was Jshua Jshua was a yung man at this pint, but still he has been given the respnsibility f guarding the tent f meeting in Mses absence This is ur early indicatin that Mses will be succeeded by Jshua Then in vs.12-17 Mses appears befre the Lrd t makes a new request f Gd in an attempt t repair the cvenant The request has tw parts...first, Mses makes a request fr himself In v.12 Mses reminds Gd that He rdered Mses t lead the peple ut f Egypt and int the Prmised Land That s what is meant by g up which means up t the Prmised Land But Mses als reminds Gd that when He gave Mses that directive, the Lrd prmised t be with Mses in that wrk And s nw Mses asks wh will g with him in leading the natin? Mses says Gd tld him previus that Mses had received favr (which is the wrd grace) S Mses says if Mses has received Gd s grace, then let me knw yur ways and find favr (grace) in yur sight By these wrds, Mses is asking the Lrd t establish an intimate relatinship with him n the basis f grace In fact, the wrd fr grace appears fur times in Mses appeal Mses is seeking assurance n the basis f Gd s grace that the Lrd wuld never leave Him Mses is asking the Lrd t establish a relatinship f lvingkindness with him n the basis f grace alne 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 9 f 24 Why did Mses insist n such a relatinship fr himself? Clearly, Mses relatinship with the Lrd must be based n smething ther than Law if it was ging t persist Mses is Gd s representative t the peple f Israel, and yet he is als ne f Israel Fr if Mses relatinship with the Lrd were based slely n a cvenant f Law, then sner r later the natin wuld vilate their cvenant again And when the natin falls, Mses wuld fall t With a relatinship based n grace rather than Law, hwever, Mses culd be assured that the Lrd wuld never frsake Him S he wanted Gd s assurance f His enduring presence based n His grace rather than n the cvenant f Law In the secnd part f his appeal, Mses reminds the Lrd that the natin Israel was Gd s peple Mses is appealing t anther cvenant based n grace, the cvenant the Lrd made with Abraham In that cvenant, the Lrd prmised Abraham t make a great natin frm his descendants Gd said He wuld bring thse descendants int land He gave Abraham Then we hear the Lrd s respnse S Mses is nce again appealing t Gd s grace n behalf f Israel Ex. 33:14 And He said, My presence shall g with yu, and I will give yu rest. Ex. 33:15 Then he said t Him, If Yur presence des nt g with us, d nt lead us up frm here. Ex. 33:16 Fr hw then can it be knwn that I have fund favr in Yur sight, I and Yur peple? Is it nt by Yur ging with us, s that we, I and Yur peple, may be distinguished frm all the ther peple wh are upn the face f the earth? Ex. 33:17 The LORD said t Mses, I will als d this thing f which yu have spken; fr yu have fund favr in My sight and I have knwn yu by name. 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 10 f 24 The Lrd agrees t Mses request The Lrd makes a statement that has n cnditins He will accmpany Mses and give Mses rest This is the Lrd s persnal cvenant with Mses, and there are n cnditins r exceptins It is a ne-way, suzerainty cvenant n the basis f grace Mses then asks the Lrd t hw will it be knwn t the wrld that the Lrd has prmised t accmpany the peple f Israel Mses is seeking a sign f this prmise And the Lrd respnds again with a statement f His prmise He says He will hnr Mses s wrds because Mses has fund favr Once again, that phrase means Gd has bestwed grace upn Mses And the Lrd knws Mses in an intimate way Once mre Mses presses fr a sign, and this time the Lrd grants Mses request in a unique way Ex. 33:18 Then Mses said, I pray Yu, shw me Yur glry! Ex. 33:19 And He said, I Myself will make all My gdness pass befre yu, and will prclaim the name f the LORD befre yu; and I will be gracius t whm I will be gracius, and will shw cmpassin n whm I will shw cmpassin. Ex. 33:20 But He said, Yu cannt see My face, fr n man can see Me and live! Ex. 33:21 Then the LORD said, Behld, there is a place by Me, and yu shall stand there n the rck; Ex. 33:22 and it will cme abut, while My glry is passing by, that I will put yu in the cleft f the rck and cver yu with My hand until I have passed by. Ex. 33:23 Then I will take My hand away and yu shall see My back, but My face shall nt be seen. Mses prpses that the Lrd allw Mses t see the Lrd s glry Remember up t this pint Mses has been meeting with the Lrd in the frm f clud and fire and thunder 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 11 f 24 These manifestatins f Gd s glry were nt the actual appearance f Gd Himself but nly physical representatins f Gd Fr weeks nw Mses has cnversed with Gd thrugh these methds, but nw Mses prpses that the Lrd reveal Himself truly t Mses as a sign f their new, intimate relatinship The Lrd agrees t the request but with significant limitatins And these limitatins are grace t Mses as well The Lrd speaks in cvenantal language in v.19 First, He says He will allw His gdness t pass in frnt f Mses The wrd gdness is tub in Hebrew It simply means a gd thing r the best f smething The Lrd will shw the fullness f His gdness t be manifested t Mses Secndly, the Lrd says He will prclaim His name befre Mses This is the name f Gd which n Jew hence frth wuld prnunce The name represented by the letters YHWH in scripture Thirdly, the Lrd says He will be gracius upn thse He chses Finally, the Lrd says He will shw cmpassin n thse He chses These final tw statements emphasize that His cvenant f grace with Mses is nt a prmise t shw mercy n all f Israel Instead, He is making a prmise f grace t Mses and t thse the Lrd chses within the camp f Israel But nt all Israel will necessarily receive this grace The Lrd still intends t hld many within Israel guilty fr their sin under the Sinai cvenant 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 12 f 24 Finally, the Lrd spells ut hw He will reveal Himself t Mses as a sign f this prmise He will nt allw Mses t see the Lrd s face The reference t face is an anthrpmrphism It is a human characteristic assigned t Gd t help us relate t Him But it is nt a literal descriptin f His being Gd des nt have a physical face As we saw earlier in Jhn 4, the Father is all spirit accrding t Jesus S the wrd face refers t the witnesses the full expressin f Gd s glry Just as we get a better appreciatin f a human being by lking at their face than their back When we see nly their back, we have a sense f wh they are, but we lack the mst imprtant details Similarly, t see Gd s glry in partial r limited frm is described as nt seeing Gd s face Gd tells Mses that n man can see Him in His fullness and live The reasn this is true relates t ur sinfulness Gd is s pure and hly and just that He cannt allw sin t cexist in the fullness f His glry He can permit it t exist while it is utside His presence But if it enters int His presence, He must judge it as His perfect nature requires As an analgy, a perfect judge can allw a criminal t g unpunished s lng as he des nt stand trial in the curtrm But nce the accused enters the curt and stands befre the judge, nw the judge has n chice but t cnvict the persn T d therwise wuld be an injustice 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 13 f 24 S the Lrd s slutin was t place Mses in a recessed part f the rck n the Muntain Frm within that cleft, Mses can nly see a narrw sliver in frnt f him Frm that vantage pint, the Lrd can cntrl Mses expsure t the Lrd The Lrd culd reveal mre f Himself t Mses while allwing Mses t remain prtected frm immediate judgment When the fullness f Gd s glry passed in frnt f the cleft, the Lrd wuld cver the cleft t preserve Mses life But after Gd had passed in frnt f the cleft, then He wuld allw Mses t see Gd s back but nt His face Once again, this is an anthrpmrphism Gd n mre has a back than He has a face The literal Hebrew wrd fr back is afterward, which refers t the afterglw f Gd s presence Like a reflectin r a phtgraph The image Mses wuld see was nt Gd Himself but the afterglw f Gd s glry reflected r left behind as a result f Gd s presence passing by S the Lrd executes this plan f granting Mses a sign f His prmise f grace, which takes us int Chapter 34 Ex. 34:1 Nw the LORD said t Mses, Cut ut fr yurself tw stne tablets like the frmer nes, and I will write n the tablets the wrds that were n the frmer tablets which yu shattered. Ex. 34:2 S be ready by mrning, and cme up in the mrning t Munt Sinai, and present yurself there t Me n the tp f the muntain. Ex. 34:3 N man is t cme up with yu, nr let any man be seen anywhere n the muntain; even the flcks and the herds may nt graze in frnt f that muntain. Ex. 34:4 S he cut ut tw stne tablets like the frmer nes, and Mses rse up early in the mrning and went up t Munt Sinai, as the LORD had cmmanded him, and he tk tw stne tablets in his hand. 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 14 f 24 Ex. 34:5 The LORD descended in the clud and std there with him as he called upn the name f the LORD. Ex. 34:6 Then the LORD passed by in frnt f him and prclaimed, The LORD, the LORD Gd, cmpassinate and gracius, slw t anger, and abunding in lvingkindness and truth; Ex. 34:7 wh keeps lvingkindness fr thusands, wh frgives iniquity, transgressin and sin; yet He will by n means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity f fathers n the children and n the grandchildren t the third and furth generatins. Ex. 34:8 Mses made haste t bw lw tward the earth and wrship. T begin, the Lrd rders Mses t cut tw new stne tablets like the nes that he brke when he descended the muntain By rdering Mses t cut these tablets, the Lrd is indicating that He intends t re-establish the cvenant f Law with Israel We ll see the Lrd re-instate His cvenant in the latter part f this chapter But fr nw we understand that the Law and the cvenant f Law is nt ging t be disslved as a cnsequence f the natin s sin The Lrd will als explain later in this chapter why it must cntinue Hwever, the cvenant is ging t be changed in several ways as a result f the natin s sin, which we ll see Meanwhile, the Lrd grants Mses the sign f His grace that He prmised t him The Lrd says that nthing can be n the muntain except Mses himself Nt even the herds may graze n the muntain Then Mses cuts the stnes as directed Then the Lrd passed in frnt f Mses as He prmised declaring the cvenantal wrd f lvingkindness Then the Lrd gives a testimny t hw He assigns His grace and lvingkindness 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 15 f 24 The cmpassin and grace and mercy f Gd is vast, the Lrd says He assigns it t thusands which can als be translated as families r clans In ther wrds, Gd is prepared t shw mercy t families and clans f sinners But nevertheless, the Lrd is als prepared t hld the guilty accuntable There will be thse within the clans and families f the natin that will see Gd s wrath fr sin And this wrath will play ut ver generatins, since sin is inherited What makes the difference between thse wh will receive His grace and thse wh will nt? As the Lrd said earlier, He will shw cmpassin n thse He will shw cmpassin It is a matter f Gd s will alne Mses had requested grace and mercy, bth fr himself and fr the peple f Israel And the Lrd respnded with His prmise f grace t Mses t never leave Him But in the sign f the prmise, the Lrd makes clear that His grace will be manifested as He pleases t whm He pleases It is here that we see the frmatin f the principle f a remnant in Israel receiving Gd s grace Gd s cvenant f Law given t Israel hlds all Israel guilty f sin And Gd s prmise f favr (r grace) is limited t a remnant within Israel accrding t Gd s chice This is the teaching Paul gives in Rmans 9-11, which he culminates by saying 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 16 f 24 Rm. 11:5 In the same way then, there has als cme t be at the present time a remnant accrding t Gd s gracius chice. Rm. 11:6 But if it is by grace, it is n lnger n the basis f wrks, therwise grace is n lnger grace. Paul reminds us that thrughut Israel s histry, there was the remnant within Israel wh had received Gd s grace and the rest that had nt And the distinctin was purely a matter f Gd s favr r grace It did nt depend n the Law Fr Gd Himself stated t Mses that He is shwing favr r grace n whm He wishes within Israel Then in respnse t the Lrd s declaratin, Mses bws lw, and requests that the Lrd re-establish His cvenant with the peple Ex. 34:9 He said, If nw I have fund favr in Yur sight, O Lrd, I pray, let the Lrd g alng in ur midst, even thugh the peple are s bstinate, and pardn ur iniquity and ur sin, and take us as Yur wn pssessin. Ex. 34:10 Then Gd said, Behld, I am ging t make a cvenant. Befre all yur peple I will perfrm miracles which have nt been prduced in all the earth nr amng any f the natins; and all the peple amng whm yu live will see the wrking f the LORD, fr it is a fearful thing that I am ging t perfrm with yu. Ex. 34:11 Be sure t bserve what I am cmmanding yu this day: behld, I am ging t drive ut the Amrite befre yu, and the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. Ex. 34:12 Watch yurself that yu make n cvenant with the inhabitants f the land int which yu are ging, r it will becme a snare in yur midst. Ex. 34:13 But rather, yu are t tear dwn their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut dwn their Asherim Ex. 34:14 fr yu shall nt wrship any ther gd, fr the LORD, whse name is Jealus, is a jealus Gd Ex. 34:15 therwise yu might make a cvenant with the inhabitants f the land and they wuld play the harlt with their gds and sacrifice t their gds, and smene might invite yu t eat f his sacrifice, Ex. 34:16 and yu might take sme f his daughters fr yur sns, and his daughters might play the harlt with their gds and cause yur sns als t play the harlt with their gds. Ex. 34:17 Yu shall make fr yurself n mlten gds. 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 17 f 24 Ex. 34:18 Yu shall bserve the Feast f Unleavened Bread. Fr seven days yu are t eat unleavened bread, as I cmmanded yu, at the appinted time in the mnth f Abib, fr in the mnth f Abib yu came ut f Egypt. Ex. 34:19 The first ffspring frm every wmb belngs t Me, and all yur male livestck, the first ffspring frm cattle and sheep. Ex. 34:20 Yu shall redeem with a lamb the first ffspring frm a dnkey; and if yu d nt redeem it, then yu shall break its neck. Yu shall redeem all the firstbrn f yur sns. Nne shall appear befre Me empty-handed. Ex. 34:21 Yu shall wrk six days, but n the seventh day yu shall rest; even during plwing time and harvest yu shall rest. Ex. 34:22 Yu shall celebrate the Feast f Weeks, that is, the first fruits f the wheat harvest, and the Feast f Ingathering at the turn f the year. Ex. 34:23 Three times a year all yur males are t appear befre the Lrd GOD, the Gd f Israel. Ex. 34:24 Fr I will drive ut natins befre yu and enlarge yur brders, and n man shall cvet yur land when yu g up three times a year t appear befre the LORD yur Gd. Ex. 34:25 Yu shall nt ffer the bld f My sacrifice with leavened bread, nr is the sacrifice f the Feast f the Passver t be left ver until mrning. Ex. 34:26 Yu shall bring the very first f the first fruits f yur sil int the huse f the LORD yur Gd. Yu shall nt bil a yung gat in its mther s milk. Ex. 34:27 Then the LORD said t Mses, Write dwn these wrds, fr in accrdance with these wrds I have made a cvenant with yu and with Israel. The Lrd summarizes the Law again t remind Mses f all that the Lrd had spken And in the summary, the Lrd prmises t re-establish the cvenant with the peple f Israel The frmal re-instatement f the cvenant desn t happen until Deuternmy at the end f the 40 years f wandering The wrd deuternmy means the secnd law, because it was the secnd time the cvenant f the Law was given t Israel In that future day, it is given t a new generatin f Israel after the lder generatin has died ut The wait fr their death was a requirement f their sin with the glden calf 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 18 f 24 S here we see the Lrd renew this cvenant with Israel, which will begin t regulate their life even nw The terms f the law are unchanged in this quick summary frm what was given earlier n the muntain Obviusly, we have already cvered their meaning in thse earlier chapters Ntice that the Lrd particularly emphasizes the imprtance f nt falling t idlatry again They shuld nt assciated with the peple f Canaan else they will fall prey t idlatry This is a reminder f a basic principle f scripture When Gd s peple seek t bind themselves with the wrld, we d nt make the wrld mre hly by ur assciatin On the cntrary, the wrld will crrupt us Only by a shared faith in the prmises f Gd can men find the pprtunity t be yked tgether Interestingly, in v.24 the Lrd prmises that when they leave their prperty t attend the three feasts each year, their hmes and land will nt be disturbed in their absence That s a pwerful reminder f hw ur bedience t Gd s cmmandments bring blessings that make bedience easy We need nt wrry abut the cnsequences f bedience, fr they are always a blessing whatever frm they take But there is als a change cming t the law as a result f the sin f Israel at the muntain If we g t Numbers 3 we discver that the Lrd will nly permit the the Levites t serve Him in the temple, rather than the firstbrn f all tribes Num. 3:5 Then the LORD spke t Mses, saying, Num. 3:6 Bring the tribe f Levi near and set them befre Aarn the priest, that they may serve him. Num. 3:7 They shall perfrm the duties fr him and fr the whle cngregatin befre the tent f meeting, t d the service f the tabernacle. 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 19 f 24 Num. 3:8 They shall als keep all the furnishings f the tent f meeting, alng with the duties f the sns f Israel, t d the service f the tabernacle. Num. 3:9 Yu shall thus give the Levites t Aarn and t his sns; they are whlly given t him frm amng the sns f Israel. Num. 3:10 S yu shall appint Aarn and his sns that they may keep their priesthd, but the layman wh cmes near shall be put t death. Num. 3:11 Again the LORD spke t Mses, saying, Num. 3:12 Nw, behld, I have taken the Levites frm amng the sns f Israel instead f every firstbrn, the first issue f the wmb amng the sns f Israel. S the Levites shall be Mine. Num. 3:13 Fr all the firstbrn are Mine; n the day that I struck dwn all the firstbrn in the land f Egypt, I sanctified t Myself all the firstbrn in Israel, frm man t beast. They shall be Mine; I am the LORD. The riginal cmmand frm the Lrd was t have the firstbrn f every tribe dedicated t the tabernacle service Since nly Levites std with Mses n the day f the sin at the muntain, Gd nw makes the Levites the tribe t serve Him Of curse, the Lrd always had this plan in mind, which is why there was a thirteenth tribe in Israel after the time f Jseph Having received the renewing f the cvenant and the Law, Mses descends a secnd time t the peple, but this time smething is different Ex. 34:28 S he was there with the LORD frty days and frty nights; he did nt eat bread r drink water. And he wrte n the tablets the wrds f the cvenant, the Ten Cmmandments. Ex. 34:29 It came abut when Mses was cming dwn frm Munt Sinai (and the tw tablets f the testimny were in Mses hand as he was cming dwn frm the muntain), that Mses did nt knw that the skin f his face shne because f his speaking with Him. Ex. 34:30 S when Aarn and all the sns f Israel saw Mses, behld, the skin f his face shne, and they were afraid t cme near him. Ex. 34:31 Then Mses called t them, and Aarn and all the rulers in the cngregatin returned t him; and Mses spke t them. Ex. 34:32 Afterward all the sns f Israel came near, and he cmmanded them t d everything that the LORD had spken t him n Munt Sinai. Ex. 34:33 When Mses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil ver his face. Ex. 34:34 But whenever Mses went in befre the LORD t speak with Him, he wuld take ff the veil until he came ut; and whenever he came ut and spke t the sns f Israel what he had been cmmanded, 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 20 f 24 Ex. 34:35 the sns f Israel wuld see the face f Mses, that the skin f Mses face shne. S Mses wuld replace the veil ver his face until he went in t speak with Him. Once again Mses spends frty days n the muntain with the Lrd During this time we re tld Mses never eats r drinks, yet the Lrd sustains him This is a pwerful example f the truth f Jesus wrds, when he said: Matt. 4:4 But He answered and said, It is written, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD. In the case f Matthew 4, Jesus was teaching that ur eternal life is sustained ultimately nt by physical means but by the pwer f Gd s wrd Here we see a dramatic prf f the pwer f Gd s wrd t sustain us, bth spiritually and even physically when necessary Once again, Mses descends the muntain carrying the tw stne tablets But this time as Mses returns frm this restating f the cvenant, he finds his face glwing The shining f Mses face was anther example f the afterglw f Gd s glry This was an effect f cming s clse t the glry f Gd Each time that Mses came t speak t Gd in the tent f meeting, he fund the same effect ccurring His face wuld shine with the reflected glry f Gd We re tld that this effect was very unnerving t the peple f Israel They were made very nervus by it Nevertheless, Mses cmmanded the peple t cme near him s he culd nce again relate all the cmmandments f Gd Thereafter, Mses tk t wearing a veil when he wasn t speaking t the Lrd t hide the glw f his face frm the peple 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 21 f 24 We might assume frm this text that the reasn Mses did this was because the peple were s uncmfrtable with the image f Mses shining face But Paul teaches us in 2Crinthians that this was nt the reasn fr the veil 2Cr. 3:5 Nt that we are adequate in urselves t cnsider anything as cming frm urselves, but ur adequacy is frm Gd, 2Cr. 3:6 wh als made us adequate as servants f a new cvenant, nt f the letter but f the Spirit; fr the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2Cr. 3:7 But if the ministry f death, in letters engraved n stnes, came with glry, s that the sns f Israel culd nt lk intently at the face f Mses because f the glry f his face, fading as it was, 2Cr. 3:8 hw will the ministry f the Spirit fail t be even mre with glry? 2Cr. 3:9 Fr if the ministry f cndemnatin has glry, much mre des the ministry f righteusness abund in glry. 2Cr. 3:10 Fr indeed what had glry, in this case has n glry because f the glry that surpasses it. 2Cr. 3:11 Fr if that which fades away was with glry, much mre that which remains is in glry. 2Cr. 3:12 Therefre having such a hpe, we use great bldness in ur speech, 2Cr. 3:13 and are nt like Mses, wh used t put a veil ver his face s that the sns f Israel wuld nt lk intently at the end f what was fading away. 2Cr. 3:14 But their minds were hardened; fr until this very day at the reading f the ld cvenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is remved in Christ. 2Cr. 3:15 But t this day whenever Mses is read, a veil lies ver their heart; 2Cr. 3:16 but whenever a persn turns t the Lrd, the veil is taken away. 2Cr. 3:17 Nw the Lrd is the Spirit, and where the Spirit f the Lrd is, there is liberty. 2Cr. 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, behlding as in a mirrr the glry f the Lrd, are being transfrmed int the same image frm glry t glry, just as frm the Lrd, the Spirit. Time des nt permit an in-depth treatment f this imprtant passage, s we ll hit a few highlights as they apply t Exdus 34 Paul cmpares tw cvenants in this passage: the cvenant f the Law with the New Cvenant f grace in Christ The ld is called a cvenant f letter engraved n stne and a ministry f death The new is called the cvenant f the Spirit, f life and a ministry f righteusness 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 22 f 24 Bth cvenants were revealed with a measure f glry, Paul says The Old came with the glry f Gd revealed in Mses face But that glry was ne that faded The glry f Gd shining in Mses face wuld slwly fade away in the days after Mses had an encunter with Gd Paul says it was this fading f Gd s glry that caused Mses t begin wearing a veil In v.13 Paul says Mses tk t wearing a veil s Israel wuld nt stare at the fading f Gd s glry Mses didn t want the peple t see the glry f Gd leaving Paul then ends by teaching that Mses unknwingly created a beautiful picture f the relatinship between the Old Cvenant and the New The hearts f the peple f Israel in the desert were hardened, by Gd, just as He had dne t Pharah in Egypt S that even as the Law f Gd was read t them, they culdn t see the glry f Gd in it They culdn t appreciate the testimny f Christ and f grace hidden in the meaning f the Law The truth f these things was hidden frm them, as pictured in the way Mses hid the glry f Gd by putting a veil ver his face That veil ver their hearts is nly lifted by Christ Himself, Wh is the authr and perfecter f ur salvatin Hebrews says Even tday, when the Law f Mses is read t smene, they cannt see it as a picture f Christ until they have first cme t the Lrd in faith Then the veil f understanding is lifted Finally, Paul alludes t a beautiful picture f Christ in the circumstances f Exdus 34 Paul says in v.18 that tday we are reflecting the glry f Gd as well, in the way we are being transfrmed int the glry f Christ by the Spirit 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 23 f 24 Just as Mses reflected the Lrd s glry by his testimny t Israel, s are we reflecting the Lrd s glry t the wrld by ur testimny But ur testimny is ne f life nt merely wrds We shine the glry f Christ by hw we reflect Him in ur actins as well as ur testimny Finally, Mses himself becmes anther picture f Christ thrugh His intercessin in Exdus 34 He sught fr an intimate relatinship with the Father He asked fr Gd s grace t be given t His peple He asked t see the Father s glry, and then He reflected that glry t the wrld And the Father respnded that He will have mercy n thse He chses And Mses wuld speak t a peple wh culd nt perceive the message because f a veiled and hardened heart These details picture Christ s ministry t Israel as well Paul says Christ was the reflectin f Gd s gdness and glry Cl. 1:15 He is the image f the invisible Gd, the firstbrn f all creatin. Cl. 1:19 Fr it was the Father s gd pleasure fr all the fullness t dwell in Him, In Jhn s Gspel, we hear Jesus petitining the Father in ways similar t the way Mses petitined the Lrd Jhn 17:18 As Yu sent Me int the wrld, I als have sent them int the wrld. Jhn 17:19 Fr their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves als may be sanctified in truth. Jhn 17:20 I d nt ask n behalf f these alne, but fr thse als wh believe in Me thrugh their wrd; Jhn 17:21 that they may all be ne; even as Yu, Father, are in Me and I in Yu, that they als may be in Us, s that the wrld may believe that Yu sent Me. 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.
Exdus 33-34 24 f 24 Jhn 17:22 The glry which Yu have given Me I have given t them, that they may be ne, just as We are ne; Jhn 17:23 I in them and Yu in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, s that the wrld may knw that Yu sent Me, and lved them, even as Yu have lved Me. Jhn 17:24 Father, I desire that they als, whm Yu have given Me, be with Me where I am, s that they may see My glry which Yu have given Me, fr Yu lved Me befre the fundatin f the wrld. Jesus seeks t have the wrld knw that the Father sent Him, just as Mses wanted the wrld t knw that he represented Gd and Israel was His peple Jesus asks that the Father wuld lve His peple even as He lved Christ And that thse the Father has given t Christ frm amng thse in the wrld wuld see the Father s glry which was given t Christ Again these wrds mirrr the way Mses appealed t the Father and saw His glry and reflected it t the wrld S as we end these chapters, the natin is nce again in a cvenant f Law Yet they this generatin is als bund t endure penalties fr their sin Because they are an unbelieving generatin, ne that has been hardened and will nt receive Gd s grace Yet Israel will be preserved thrugh a remnant In the meantime, Gd is shwing grace t Mses and thers within the natin And in His grace, He fulfills His prmises t Abraham s descendants t bring them int the land And by the renewing f the cvenant, the natin may nw prceed frward with building the tabernacle S that the glry f the Lrd may dwell in the midst f Israel Just as the Lrd prmised t Mses 2013 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal (www.versebyverseministry.rg) May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.