Continuing a chronological Bible study:
(Exodus 33:1) And the LORD said to Moses, “Depart and go up from here, you and
the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land
of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your
descendants I will give it.’"
In the last chapter, the people had made a golden calf and worshiped and even celebrated it while Moses was on top of the mountain with God. Moses had pleaded with God not to destroy His people and indeed, at the end of the last chapter, God had told Moses to go ahead and lead the people toward the promised land, that His Angel would lead them, but that He would visit their sin upon them. I believe this verse is a repeat of that; the Lord told Moses to leave their present camp and lead the people to the promised land, and He repeated the promise He had given Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I noticed that God was still calling them the people Moses brought out of Egypt, rather than the ones He had brought out with a mighty hand. Although God had forgiven the nation as a whole and was allowing them to go on toward the promised land, the people were still suffering the consequences of their sin. They had just lost 3000 of their family, friends, and neighbors, and now God wasn't before them in a cloud, but His Angel would lead them.
Once again, I am reminded of a similarity in modern day. As I wrote the word "celebrated", I remembered how, although Moses had already been told what the people had done by the Lord, when he descended the mountain and saw the dancing and celebration around the calf, I believe that really shocked him, and that is when he threw and broke the tablets. The sin was bad enough, but to see the joyful celebration of the sin, that took it to another level. I am reminded of our recent Supreme Court ruling that "miraculously" found where the Constitution said that homosexuals should marry. Legal scholars will tell you that it was a bad ruling, but the people who wanted it, don't care how it came to be, but are just glad that it did. I was expecting it, almost 100% sure that our court would do that, so when they did, that in itself was no surprise. But what chilled me to the core was the celebration that took place afterward. Okay, so you have homosexual friends, and you are happy they won their case. But to celebrate the very thing God called an abomination, to light up the country with rainbow lights, a symbol stolen from God's promise! How is it any different from the raucous celebration of the people over their calf, their warped representation of a god? You can bet God has turned His face from our country, as well. I can just hear the arguments that it is not the same to compare our country with ancient Israel, and that's all well and good and understood. However, it doesn't change the fact that a country without God will never survive! "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 33:12). We would be blessed as a nation if we followed God, but because we have chosen to push Him out, He won't force Himself on us, but will allow us to have what we have asked for as a nation. Rather than choosing life in God, we have chosen death, not just in the homosexual marriage ruling, but in the killing of innocent babies, among countless other laws that kill and destroy families and livelihoods and freedoms. And the people cheered and celebrated, not having any idea what they were truly cheering. That made me so terribly sad, and so sorry to my Lord that I live in such a country. That is not to say that the Lord won't still bring blessing to some people in this country. Many people come to the Lord when things get so bad they have nothing else to turn to. Think of how merciful our God is that He would accept someone who comes to Him as their last resort! For the first time, I have just understood the reality of that statement. Think of how put out our prideful selves would be to be the last choice, the one someone came back to because they had nowhere else to go. Then again, an unconditionally loving parent, would welcome their child back and celebrate the fact that he did return. How much more would our heavenly Father? But make no mistake, as a country, I believe we are doomed because of our choices, unless something seriously changes soon. Back to Exodus, chapter 33:
(2) “And I will send My Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, (3) To a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”
Again a repeat of what was told Moses at the end of the last chapter, but there is a little more detail in the exact words of the Lord. The Lord would send His Angel before them, and He would drive out the inhabitants of the land He had promised to His people. However, He Himself would not be going in their midst, for if He did, the glory of His majesty would require immediate destruction of their sinful presence.
(4) And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. (5) For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you; now therefore, take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do to you.’” (6) And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.
What were the evil tidings that the people heard? The Lord had told them that His Angel would go before them and drive out their enemies from before them. That should be good news, but He Himself would not go with them in their midst, and that news alone caused them to mourn, and no one put on gay and celebratory ornaments at that time. We find that the Lord had said to them through Moses that He could consume them in an instant, and He now told them to take off their ornaments and let Him decide what he should do with them. Once again, I think of our country celebrating abominations of the Lord, not realizing that the God of the universe could instantly destroy them and the entire world! Scripture says that they stripped off their ornaments. Verse 4 said no one put them on, and verse 6 said they stripped them after they heard what the Lord had said. Perhaps the point is that no one put on decorative ornaments after the Lord had spoken, and those who already had any ornaments, took them off after hearing the word of the Lord. Everyone mourned, and stood stripped of their ornaments by the mount where the Lord had been atop.
(7) And Moses took the tabernacle and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that everyone who sought the LORD went out to the tabernacle of the congregation, which was outside the camp.
The tabernacle spoken of here would be one that was temporarily appointed by Moses for this purpose as the tabernacle of the congregation had not yet been built. God had said He would not be in the people's midst, so Moses moved a tent outside the camp and far from it. He called it the tabernacle of the congregation for now, and everyone who sought the Lord was able to go outside the camp to that tent. Albert Barnes, in his Notes on the Bible, wrote that this word translated as "tabernacle", "ohel", was not the same word as used when the Lord told Moses how to build the tabernacle in Exodus 26. He argued that the word used here would be better translated as "tent" rather than "tabernacle". However, I believe the point is that Moses was providing a temporary tabernacle for the people where they could seek their Lord. Although this tent certainly would not possess the qualities of the tabernacle that would be ultimately built, it was to serve a similar purpose now temporarily, at least with regard to the people being able to seek their Lord.
(8) And it came to pass, when Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. (9) And it came to pass, as Moses entered the tabernacle, the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. (10) And all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door.
I included the next three verses together as one idea. Many of the old commentators commented after verse 8 that the people stood out of respect for Moses, their mediator with God, and watched standing until he had gone into the tabernacle. I tend to believe that they stood because of what happened when he went into the tabernacle as stated in verses 9 and 10. Moses obviously had to go into the tabernacle a first time before the people would see the cloud, but I believe they may have first risen out of curiosity and anxiety to see just how the Lord would greet Moses after He had been so displeased with them after their great sin. Regardless of why they did it (and certainly their reasons may have changed as time went on), the people indeed stood as Moses went into the temporary tabernacle, and they witnessed the pillar of cloud descending to the door of the tabernacle when the Lord talked with Moses. Scripture stated they then rose and worshiped at the sight, each man in his own tent door. The cloud which had withdrawn from the people's camp when it was polluted with their great sin of idolatry, now returned to this temporary tabernacle some distance from the camp. I believe it is an important and essential nugget gleaned from this passage that Moses had to go TO the Lord. The Lord didn't immediately come back to the people. They had to seek Him. But when they did, He was gracious and merciful to meet them at this tabernacle.
(11) And the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he returned to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.
The Lord spoke to Moses as a friend. I believe that is the meaning of the phrase "face to face". It obviously does not mean that Moses saw God's face because just a few verses later God would say that no man could see His face and live, so we must understand this phrase to mean that God met Moses with great familiarity and as a friend, not as God in the heavens speaking down to His servant. After the Lord spoke with him, Moses returned to the camp, but his servant Joshua, it is written, stayed in the tabernacle. There could be a very important message in this part of the verse, but commentators are not in agreement about what it might be. If Joshua did not want to leave the presence of the Lord out of his own volition, that might speak volumes about his dedication to the Lord. However, as Moses's servant, he might have stayed in the tabernacle at Moses's request, as Moses planned to speedily return. It was Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Entire Bible, who speculated that because Joshua always attended Moses, and because this tabernacle was not intended as a place for worship, that the proper translation of this verse was that Moses along with his servant Joshua returned to the camp, and the LORD did not depart from the tabernacle. Since I can find no original word or meaning for the word "but" above, I can't determine the validity of this notion.
(12) And Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people,' but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have
said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ (13) Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now
Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight; and consider that this nation is Your people.”
I assume that Moses said this when he returned to the Lord. If we take the verses literally, and assume they are in chronological order, then Moses went to the tabernacle, the Lord spoke to him, Moses then returned to the camp, possibly leaving Joshua, and he now returned to the Lord to say what followed in verse 12. The Lord had told Moses that He would not go forward with this people, so Moses asked who God would be sending with him. He then pleaded with the Lord, first by repeating what He had said to him, that He knew Moses by name, and that Moses had found favor in His sight. Therefore Moses reasoned, if he had found favor with the Lord, he now asked that He show Moses His way that he may know His will and follow Him and continue to find grace in His sight. Moses also pleaded and interceded for this nation of people he was leading. He asked that the Lord consider that although this people had greatly sinned against Him, they were His people for whom He had done wonderful things. Moses was acting as an intercessor for the people, a type of Christ mediator and intercessor for the sinners. For the first time I was really struck by the image of Christ interceding for us even when we blatantly or quickly disregard God and His rules and His will. Jesus Christ is still there to offer salvation and a way to the Lord no matter what we have done. Sometimes we look at the accounts in the Bible and think well, at least I would never do anything like that. However, I believe some of the extremes may have been reported for us so that we know that nothing is too much for the Lord to forgive, not when it is covered by the precious blood of the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
(14) And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Moses obtained assurance from the Lord that His presence would be with him, and that He would give Moses rest, perhaps as opposed to anxiety in his position. Was this for Moses only?
(15) And he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with me, do not carry us up from here. (16) For how then will it be known that I and Your people have found grace in Your sight, except that You go with us? So we shall be separate, I and Your people, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”
Moses was leading these people; therefore he asked the Lord that if He would not go with Moses in that capacity, leading the people, then please not lead them away from there. Moses pleaded for the people and included them in the number of whom God had found grace. It was true that these people were to be a separate people chosen by the Lord to be His people, and how would that be known to the world, unless the Lord continued with them? This Moses reasoned. Not only did Moses plead for the people, but he was pleading for the Lord's glory among the people of the world. Only in His presence with them, could they continue to show the world that they were His people under His grace and mercy and protection. At least that is the way Moses pleaded and reasoned with His Lord.
(17) And the LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”
The Lord said He would do the thing that Moses asked, that is, His presence would go with them and they would be His separate people. God did it because Moses found grace in His sight. It wasn't because of the people themselves doing anything in particular, but because Moses interceded for them and asked. This is, indeed, a picture of the coming Christ, who would intercede for us sinners, and because of His sacrifice and intercession alone, we can be saved from eternal death. It's also worthy to note that God confirmed Moses's exact assertion that the Lord had said He knew Moses's name and that he had found grace in the Lord's sight. He confirmed that was true and that gave Moses much encouragement.
(18) And he said, “I beseech You, show me Your glory.”
Moses indeed was encouraged and even emboldened to ask more of the Lord. He wanted an even closer or more intimate communion with His Lord. He wanted to see something surpassing all previous revelations. I know answered prayer greatly humbles me and can make me cry over the beauty of the fact that the God of the universe cares about me. Moses wanted to see more of the glorious Lord who knew His name and in whose sight he had found favor.
(19) And He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy on whom I will show mercy."
Moses had asked to see God's glory. The Lord's answer was that He would make all His goodness pass before Moses. His glory was in His goodness, the goodness and mercy He showed to His people who were completely unworthy. He is not bound by any laws of nature or the supernatural, as I have heard some say. Some people believe God is bound by some laws that He Himself set into place, but I believe He is saying here that He is not bound to anything, and He will show mercy on those He wished to show mercy to, and He had chosen to show it to this undeserving people, and He would show it to all of us in the coming Christ. God said He would proclaim the name of the Lord before Moses. I first believed this meant that in showing him all His goodness, Moses would see the glory of His nature, but actually, He meant He would indeed announce His name and all His perfections of His glory, as seen in the next chapter. I am reminded that the Lord has said that if you would seek the Lord with all your heart and soul, you would find Him. Moses here had sought to see more of the Lord, and He had graciously allowed him to find more.
(20) And He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”
The Lord would show Moses more of His glory, but told him he would not be able to really see Him face to face, as no man's mortal body could withstand the full majesty of the Lord.
(21) And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me, and you shall stand on a rock. (22) And it shall come to pass, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. (23) And I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”
The Lord arranged for a place for Moses to see more of His glory. They were now at the door of the tabernacle with the Lord in a pillar of cloud, but He directed Moses to a place on a rock, probably on the same mount where He had been meeting with Moses before. I am reminded that Mount Horeb and Mount Sinai were probably the same place; they may have been two different peaks within the same range, but for all practical purposes, they are interchangeable as the Mountain of God. This particular rock on the mount had a cleft or cave in it where Moses would stand shielded by God from the brilliant dazzling light and devouring fire of God's glory while He passed. Then God would remove His hand and allow Moses to see as much of Him from the back as he was able to withstand and live, repeating that he would not see His face. This was really an incredible promise and answer to Moses's request to see His Lord's glory. We will see just how it played out in the next chapter:
(Exodus 34:1) And the LORD said to Moses, “Cut two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke."
Meanwhile the Lord told Moses that he was to cut two more tablets of stone like the first ones, and He would write on the new stones the same words He had written on the first ones that Moses broke. There may be some significance in the fact that God told Moses to cut these two tablets whereas it sounded as if He had Himself made the first two: "And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets." (Exodus 32:16) The law was still that of God's, written by Him, but perhaps now through the ministration of Moses, as mediator and intercessor for the people for whom he had been fervently praying. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Moses was the one who broke the originals, and now he was the one to replace them. For whatever reason, I believe the fact the words were still written by God is illustrative of the fact that the word of God is and always has been preserved even when apostles and disciples did the writing: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16)
(2) "And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself to Me there on the top of the mountain. (3) And no man shall come up with you, and let no man be seen throughout all
the mountain; neither let flocks nor herds feed before that mountain.”
God told Moses to be ready in the morning and to come up to the top of Mount Sinai and present himself to God there. No man was to come up with him, not even Joshua, not Aaron nor any elders. Likewise, no flocks or herds were to feed near the mountain. It's interesting to consider that God did not alter His method of meeting with Moses after the last time. Even though last time the people didn't know what had become of Moses after so long a time, He didn't make it any more visible to them this time.
(4) And he hewed two tablets of stone like the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tablets of stone.
Moses did as the Lord commanded and cut two tablets of stone, and then rose up early in the morning and went up Mount Sinai to meet with the Lord, with the two tablets in hand.
(5) And the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.
The Lord in that pillar of cloud that had been at the door of the tabernacle and then high in the air over the mount now descended to where Moses stood. Then the Lord Himself proclaimed His name:
(6) And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, (7) Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
The Lord passed before Moses; or perhaps better stated His glory or whatever token of His presence that Moses could withstand, passed before him. God had said previously to Moses that He would make all His goodness pass before Moses, and He would proclaim the name of the LORD before him. It may be that the Lord Himself was not actually repeating Himself by saying, "The LORD, the LORD God..." This may mean that the Lord proceeded to proclaim the meaning of "The LORD", His name "Yehovah", to show Moses what that majestic name fully implied. "Yehovah" meant "self-existent" or "eternal"; He was not created, He always was, "I am". He was the self-existent or eternal "God", or "El", that is, "Almighty". He was merciful and gracious. It was Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, who best and most beautifully explained God's proclamation here. While countless scholars were and had been forever trying to explain the full meaning of the original name "Jehovah", Clarke said God Himself had done it right here in these verses. Rather than adjectives, Clarke saw these as additional names of Jehovah that fully explained the glorious name of Jehovah:
1 - Yehovah - (translated as The LORD) Self-existent, eternal
2 - El - (translated as God) Almighty
3 - Rachum - (translated as merciful) Compassionate
4 - Channun - Gracious
5 - Arek Aph - (translated as longsuffering) Patient or Slow to Anger
6 - Rab - Abundant
7 - Chesed - Goodness
8 - Emeth - Truth, Certainty, Stability
9 - Natsar Chesed - (keeping mercy) Preserver or Guard of Goodness and Mercy
10 - Nasa Avon - (forgiving iniquity) He Who Bears Away Sin or Redeemer
11 - Paqad Avon - (visiting iniquity) Attender of Justice or Punisher of Sin
God had previously made known to Moses His name of Jehovah, the Self-Existent One, when He proclaimed His name as "I Am". He now made Himself known in the glory of His abundant grace, mercy, goodness, and trustworthy faithfulness. He had pardoned Israel's sin in the worshiping of the calf. It was in His power to forgive and show mercy out of His own good pleasure. I believe that is what is meant by "no means clearing the guilty". They were still very much guilty, but because He desired to show mercy in spite of their sin, He was very patient, compassionate, and merciful. I believe "visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children" is a continued explanation of the fact that their sin was not just erased. There is consequence to sin that may continue through generations, and that does not stop. However, God in His mercy, can forgive, and work all things together for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
(8) And Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. (9) And he said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, for it is a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your inheritance.”
Moses immediately bowed his head and worshiped in humble reverence and adoration of God's glory which he had been exposed to in answer to his request to see it. After this revelation, Moses could have no doubt that he had found grace in the Lord's sight, so this probably reads more like, "Seeing now I have found grace..." The Lord had told Moses in Exodus 3:3 that He would not go among the people lest He consumed them on the way because they were a stiff-necked people. Seeing the fullness of the Lord's grace and mercy, and knowing he had found favor in the Lord's sight, Moses asked that the Lord reconsider and go among them even though they were a stiff-necked people. Moses, seeing the full nature of God, had more reason than ever to believe that the Lord could pardon their iniquity, and so asked the Lord to do this and take back this people as His inheritance.
(10) And He said, “Behold, I make a covenant: before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you."
The Israelites had broken the covenant with God with their idolatry. By making this new covenant, He was actually renewing His original covenant with His people. Part of His covenant was to do marvelous things, the like of which had never been done in all the earth. All the people among whom Moses was also a part would see the awesome work of their Lord. Of course, alone it was a marvelous thing to have the God of the universe leading His people to a promised land and promising to deliver it to them while it was yet inhabited by others, but we know from scriptures beyond this point that He would perform countless awesome miracles, the like of which had never been seen.
(11) “Observe what I command you this day; behold, I drive out before you the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. (12) Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you go, lest it be a snare in your midst."
The Lord vowed to drive out from before His people the inhabitants of the lands He brought them through, and the people's part of the covenant was to observe what He commanded them this day. He told the people to guard themselves against making friendly alliances with the people of these lands because it would become a trap in which they would be ensnared and polluted with their idolatry and wickedness.
(13) “But you shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves, (14) For you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God."
As part of their care against being tempted to align themselves with these people, they were to destroy their altars, break their images which were any statues or likenesses of their idols, and cut down their "groves". The original word was "asherah", which was the name of a Canaanite goddess. From what I read, she was represented by a limbless tree trunk, or pillar, which was carved into a representation of the goddess. Because they were carved trees, the places of Asherah worship were called groves. The people were warned to do this because they were to have no other gods than their Lord, whose name He said was "Jealous", and whose nature was jealous. "Jealous", or "qanna", has a much more comprehensive meaning that what we assign to it in this day. Indeed, God is stating that He has no rival or competitor in worship and that He will not give his glory to another so called god, which may fit our description of jealousy, but more than that, "jealous" means "solicitous or vigilant in maintaining or guarding something". God loved His people as the most loving husband would
love his spouse, actually so much more so, and He was jealous for their
fidelity, solicitous and vigilant in guarding it, because He was always
about what was best for His people.
(15) “Lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice to their gods, and one calls you and you eat of his sacrifice, (16) And you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods and make your sons go a whoring after their gods."
The reason for destroying the inhabitants' altars and idols was because if they didn't, they might be tempted to make an alliance with the inhabitants. God explained what would happen after that. The inhabitants would go "a whoring" after their gods. The original word "zanah" meant to commit adultery, which could be a reference to the marriage relationship between the people and their one true God, but also probably meant the actual fornication that took place in their pagan worship rituals that are spoken of elsewhere in scripture. The inhabitants would be worshiping their idols and sacrificing to them, and one of them would call one of the Israelites to eat with him, and the Israelite would wind up eating things offered to idols which was admonished in other scriptures. Also if the Israelites intermarried with the pagan inhabitants, when the pagan spouse worshiped her idols, the Israelite spouse would be inclined to, as well.
(17) “You shall make no molded gods for yourselves."
This was the second part of the commandment the Israelites were to adhere to as their part of the covenant with God, the first part being to worship no other gods, and this one, to make no molded gods. Just as they were to make no graven images or molded gods, they were to destroy any they found of the inhabitants of the lands to which God would bring them.
(18) “The Feast of Unleavened Bread you shall keep. Seven days you shall eat
unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the appointed time of the month
of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt."
This is a repetition of the commandment to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as a memorial of their exodus from Egypt. Perhaps God reiterated this because the people had chosen to proclaim a feast in honor of their molded calf, and He wanted to impress upon them that they were to observe only the feasts that God alone had instituted.
(19) “All that open the womb are Mine, and every male firstborn among your livestock, whether ox or sheep."
Here is another repetition of a law given at the time of the exodus from Egypt, that every firstborn male was to be separated and set aside for the Lord. Actually, all
that opened the womb were the Lord's anyway, but the firstborn specifically had been saved
from destruction in Egypt as all the firstborn of the Egyptians had been killed, so the firstborn being set aside for the Lord was in memory of that great event.
(20) “But the firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you do not redeem him, then you shall break his neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed."
This is a continuation of the repetition of the law given in Exodus 13. The firstborn of a donkey was to be redeemed with a lamb, and if not redeemed, then its neck must be broken. The firstborn sons of men were to be redeemed. None were to appear before the Lord without offering something, either a firstborn from their livestock, or something redeeming a donkey or firstborn son.
(21) “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in earing time and in harvest you shall rest."
The commandment to rest on the seventh day was repeated here, with the additional caution that this included the times of earing, or plowing, and harvest. Although those were times that called for the most labor, still they were to rest on the sabbath day.
(22) “And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end. (23) Three times in the year all your men shall appear before the Lord, the LORD God of Israel."
Additionally, the Israelites were to observe two other feasts during the year, the Feast of Weeks of the first fruits of the wheat harvest, or Pentecost, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end. Including the Feast of Unleavened Bread in verse 18, they were to observe feasts three times a year, appearing before the Lord.
(24) “For I will cast out the nations before you and enlarge your borders;
neither will any man desire your land when you go up to appear before the
LORD your God three times in the year."
The Lord promised to cast out the inhabitants of the nations before them, and to enlarge their own borders so that they would have no enemies within them. Even beyond that was the miraculous promise that their enemies would not even desire their land and want to invade it while they were absent from it while appearing before their Lord. God would defend and protect their land while they obeyed His commandment. It's truly a remarkable promise to direct the hearts of their enemies away from harm that they could have committed against the Israelites during these times of the feasts.
(25) “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leaven, nor shall
the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover be left until morning."
This is a repetition of the commandments surrounding the Passover lamb; it was not to be offered with leaven (Exodus 23), nor should any of it remain until morning. In both Exodus 23:18 and here, it was called the "blood of My sacrifice". The Passover lamb was a memorial of that first Passover when God redeemed His people from their bondage in Egypt with the blood of an unblemished lamb, an illustration of the Lamb of God who would redeem His people from the bondage of sin and death.
(26) “The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring to the house of the LORD your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk.”
Again repeated from Exodus 23, were the laws concerning the first of the first fruits being brought to the house of the Lord, and not boiling a young goat in its mother's milk, which might have been a reference to a cruel heathen practice.
(27) And the LORD said to Moses, “Write these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”
God told Moses to record these words of the Lord, for with these words beginning in verse 10, God had made a covenant with His people, and He wanted it recorded. The word "tenor" means "the course of thought or meaning that runs through something written or spoken", but the original word "peh" literally meant "mouth". Moses was to record these words from the mouth of God.
(28) And he was there with the LORD forty days and
forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the
tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
Moses was with the Lord on the mount for forty days and forty nights without bread or water. That could have only been accomplished by the miraculous support of God. And "he" wrote... The original script didn't use capital letters, so which "he" wrote on the tablets? It had just been said that God told Moses to write His words. However, when it came to the stone tablets, we have confirmation from two other places in scripture that it was God Himself who wrote on those:
And the LORD said to Moses,
“Cut two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on these
tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke." - Exodus 34:1
(The words of the Lord) "And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke; and you shall put them in the ark." - Deuteronomy 10:2
(29) And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hand when he came down from the mount, that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.
After forty days and forty nights, Moses again came down from the top of Mount Sinai with two stone tablets with the Testimony of God, His Ten Commandments written by His hand. This time, while on the mount with the Lord, Moses had asked to see His glory. The Lord had agreed to let Moses stand upon a rock in a cleft where he could be shielded from the Lord's face (which no man could see and live), and when His glory passed by, Moses would be allowed to see His back. The brightness of God's glory was so reflected in Moses's face, or perhaps it so penetrated him, that the skin of his face literally shone, but Moses did not realize this. The original word translated as "shone" was "qaran" and it literally meant "to shoot out horns or rays". More than just a brightness in Moses's face, rays of brightness shot out from his face.
(30) And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.
The sight must have indeed been very impressive and awesome, because when Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses and the rays of brightness shining from his face, they were afraid to come near him.
(31) And Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them.
Not only were Aaron and the people afraid to come near Moses, but it sounds as if they ran from the sight of him. However, Moses called to them, and Aaron and the rulers of the people came to him, and Moses talked with them.
(32) And afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. (33) And till Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.
After Aaron and the rulers had talked with Moses, the entire congregation came forward to Moses, and he gave them all the commands he had been given by the Lord on Mount Sinai. While Moses spoke to the people, he put a veil over his face because they could not bear to look at the brightness of his countenance. I feel like the great brightness radiating from Moses's face was illustrative of the light of Christ within us from the indwelling Holy Spirit. John 1:9 said that Jesus the Messiah "was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world". However, it was too much for the people at this time. They were not ready nor could they stand to be in the presence of the full glory of God. This is one of those passages that illustrates the plan of Christ from the beginning. The people weren't ready for the Light and had to be shown their need for it. The Law would show them that even at their best adherence to it, “There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10), and "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). For now, Moses veiled the light and brought the Law to the people. However, there would come a time when Christ would tear in two the veil that separated the people from God.
Maybe because this speaks to me at this present time, but I especially like some additional points that Matthew Henry made about Moses's veil in his Commentary on the Whole Bible: "This teaches us all a lesson of modesty and humility. We must be content to have our excellences obscured, and a veil drawn over them, not coveting to make a fair show in the flesh. Those that are truly desirous to be owned and accepted of God will likewise desire not to be taken notice of nor applauded by men. Secondly, it teaches ministers to accommodate themselves to the capacities of people, and to preach to them as they are able to bear it. Let all that art and all that learning be veiled which tend to amusement rather than edification, and let the strong condescend to the infirmities of the weak." This present time certainly seems to be a time when there is much strife between Christians and the rest of the world. There should certainly be a difference between Christians and the world, but should we be in the middle of the strife and fight for the culture? Whereas quoting scripture is fine when discussing with Christian brothers and sisters, is blasting them to the world more of a prideful gesture that we know the truth and they don't? As someone who was in the past an active local leader of Concerned Women for America, and am now very much tied to my home as a full-time Nana and wife to a husband in poor health, I often feel like I should be doing more to further the work of the Lord. However, what did Jesus say were the two greatest commandments when asked in Matthew 22:36? First, to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind. Secondly, to love your neighbor as yourself. What way did Jesus say over and over and over again was the way to love your neighbor as yourself? To serve him, to be a servant. "But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant." (Matthew 23:11) That is only one of many, many references.
As I study on this, I am fully realizing for the first time what a truly wonderful gift I have been given to do what Jesus called the greatest work! Perhaps all I have done in the past was to prepare me for what is now my greatest work (up to this point); I am sure my Lord continues always to mold me. Just as the children of Israel had to come to realize their need for a Savior, perhaps I had to come to realize my need to be humble and to serve. Although many times I would argue that I didn't have the best childhood or experiences, as I reflect on it, I have to admit many things. I was the firstborn which gave me many rights and privileges. In elementary school, I was always the queen of my class when I chose to run. I was usually at the top of my class in grades. I was usually office manager in my jobs. I liked to be a leader. And my personality was always one that liked to tell other people how to do it right! Oh, I was sincerely trying to help. And because scripture had always helped me so much, I wanted to share it with others. I wanted to tell the country and the world how to do things better! But now I see all the strife; I see how poorly Christians are viewed in the public square. I have reflected on the fact that I should be a servant and love the people God has put into my life. But I would wonder why then, was I given so many great opportunities in CWA only to have them ripped away when my husband became so ill? I kept thinking that time was preparing me for another great work I had to do in that department. But I am now seeing that it may have been so that I could finally see that was not the answer, and what the world needed most was love. I have to laugh when I write that. "What the world needs now is love." It seems so sappy, too simplistic. My prideful self always wanted to scream that was just a cop-out and excuse for not doing more! But it is truly what we need--love and serving. My sweet Lord has given me the opportunity to do the greatest work, and now I need to set about doing it in the best, most modest and humble, loving way possible. Thank you, Lord!
(34) But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out. And he came out, and spoke to the children of Israel that which he was commanded. (35) And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses's face shone; and Moses put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.
Moses wore a veil over his face when he spoke to the people, but when he went into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with the Lord, he took off the veil. There was certainly no need for the veil when Moses spoke to the Lord. Perhaps there is a reason for the fact this point is stressed to us. It almost seems redundant that the veil went on before the people; it went off before the Lord; on and off again. There is no veil when we have truly converted and come before our Lord. Moses had seen the glory of the Lord. Moses had direct access to the Lord; there was no need for a veil. However, the people had need for a mediator; there was a veil between them and God, until that time when the veil would be torn in two and they, too, would have direct access to the Lord through the blood of Jesus Christ and have no need for a veil. It is pointed out that the Israelites saw Moses's face, so it wasn't veiled so as to completely block it, or else they saw it shining in between the time he came out from meeting with the Lord until he put the veil back on. The people understood that Moses was their mediator between them and God, and whenever he came out from speaking with the Lord, he would tell them what he had been commanded to tell them from the Lord.
These two chapters give a beautiful preview and illustration of the coming Messiah. The people had sinned and God would no longer be in their midst. Moses acted as intercessor and mediator between God and the people and pleaded for mercy, and God reconciled with His people. Moses was made the visible public mediator between the people and God with his shining face, a type of the great Mediator to come.
