Exodus 33:12-23, Thoughts from Exodus (16)

3300 In my view God has been developing Moses into a true “Shepherd-Leader.”  Remember that in Ex. 3-4 Moses was doing all he could to reject God’s call to leadership.  But by now Moses loves the people God has called him to lead.  Note these things:

·       33:12-16: First, Moses pleads God’s grace.

·       33:14,17: God answers.  He promises that His presence will go with Moses and Israel.  This promise is based on two thoughts: 1) Moses has found grace in God’s sight; and 2) God knows Moses by name.  How marvelous is the grace of God.  Through grace Moses had a personal relationship with God.  The same is true on this side of the cross.

·       33:18: The relationship is two-ways.  Not only does God bless Moses; Moses desires to know more of God.  Please show me Your glory. 

·       33:18: God agrees and gives Moses the place where this can happen and sets the limits (v19-23).  But of course there are limits: God is God and Moses is but the creation of God. 

·       34:4: Moses climbs the mountain, again!  Remember he’s 80 yrs old.

·       34:5-7: Then God proclaims His name.  God knows Moses’ name; now Moses knows God’s name.  It is not the name “YAHWEH” that is special to Israel.  It is what I like to call the manifold or abundant name of God.  It describes God in detail.  These verses are the most quoted verses in all the Bible.  Time and again you will see parts of this name referenced by various prophets or psalmists or people who are praying, reminding themselves of who God truly is as they seek Him.  We ought to know this name by heart!

·       34:9: Moses is the first one to use this name in prayer.  With confidence he can pray: “even though we are stiff-necked people, by your grace that is in your name, go with us!”

3304   Why did they mourn the fact that God was not going to go with them?  Why weren’t they angry?  After all, it had only been a couple of months since the covenant was made between God and Israel, and now He had just disciplined them with the death of 3000 Israelites.  Why do they grieve?  Because they know the truth, that He is the true God who delivered them from bondage.  They have known His love and grace.  Compare this to Ezekiel 16:1-14.

3307   At this time, Moses’ tent was the tabernacle, the place where he met with God.  God appeared in a cloud, not yet in the Shekinah glory.

3311 So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.  What a picture.  The word “face” is also translated “presence” and “before” in this passage.  It’s in 33:11 (2x),14,15,16,19,20,23; 34:6,11,20,23,24,29,30,33,34,35.  The point is: the presence of God was real and obviously an important issue for God, Moses and Israel. 

·       Separation from God’s presence is the defining effect of the fall (Gen. 3:8: Adam and Eve hid from the presence of the Lord). 

·       Moses' relationship with God was face to face.  He knew God by name and had found grace in God’s sight.

·       The result is that “idols” must be pushed away so God and man can be closer.