Chapter Thirty-Three
When They Leave Sinai
33:1 The LORD said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ 2 I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”
The people may have been saved from destruction, but things have certainly changed. When they leave for the Promised Land (which will not happen until Numbers chapter ten) they will be accompanied by an angel (see Exodus 14:19; 32:34) and God will drive out the current occupants of the land, just as He promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, God will not go with them on their way to the land, as He has become intolerant to their stubborn and rebellious ways.
33:4 When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments.
When Moses told the people what God said, they mourned, they feared that they were now doomed for destruction or at minimum, partially rejected. The people mourned by removing their jewelry and did not dress with any adornments. The mood of the people rightfully changed.
33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do with you.’ ” 6 Therefore the people of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.
God told Moses to tell the people that they are a stiff-necked people (not willing to recognize God’s authority) and that if He went among them, even for a short moment in time, He would certainly kill them. He further instructed them to take off their ornaments (jewelry, etc.) Apparently, the clothes they were wearing and whatever jewelry they had on was deemed inappropriate. The people of Israel complied for the remainder of the exodus, as God’s “threat” of not knowing what to do with them, hung over them.
Meeting God in a Tent
33:7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.
Before the Tabernacle was built, Moses would pitch a tent outside of camp. This is not the “Tent of Meeting,” as described in Exodus 27:21, referring to the Tabernacle, this is only a temporary “Tent of Meeting.” This tent was set up far from the camp (to remind the people that God had become relatively distant but was still with them), while the Tabernacle itself would be later placed in the center of the camp. Once the Tabernacle was built, the reference to the “Tent of Meeting” would be applied to it. Everyone who sought and desired to worship YHWH, would go to the tent.
33:8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent.
When Moses went to the tent, many of the people would follow. Perhaps knowing God considered them stiff-necked, they desired to be near God to show Him their devotion and concern. Having so many people around a small tent would have been difficult to see anything.
33:9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the LORD would speak with Moses. 10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door.
When Moses went in the tent a visible pillar of cloud would come down and stand at the entrance of the tent while YHWH spoke with Moses. When the cloud was seen, the people would rise up and worship (Hebrew word ‘hišet·tǎḥǎw·wû’,[1] meaning to bow down, fall down, to prostrate oneself, or to humbly beseech, in this context to rise up to bow down before) God from the front of their own tents. The pillar of cloud apparently was visible from their main camp.
33:11 Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
Even though Moses could not look directly at God (see verse twenty), he was able to speak to YHWH as though He was talking to a friend. God may have distanced Himself from the people, but not from Moses. Joshua probably stayed around the tent to keep people away and to perform any required service during Moses’ absence.
Moses Intercedes for the Israelites
33:12 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 favor in my sight.’
The text now returns to the narrative that ended with verse six. Here, Moses reminds God of something He said earlier, including the phrase, “I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight,” which was not previously recorded in Scripture. The reference to knowing Moses’ name implies a close and personal familiarity with God, unique to Moses. Using the fact that Moses is known by God and has His favor, Moses asks for a special blessing.
33:13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.”
Moses asks for something that every Christian should ask God. Moses asks God for help in learning about His ways so that he can know and understand Him better. The New International Version renders the question this way, “If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.” (NIV) Moses is essentially asking if you found favor in me, please consider coming with us, as these people are your people too.
33:14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”
God assures Moses that He will indeed go with them, giving Moses relief. Moses then makes an interesting observation. Moses points out that if God will not go with them, they should be allowed to stay there in the region around Mount Sinai. His reasoning being, if God did not go with them how would they look distinct among the people around them? Having God in their midst is the very thing that made them very unique among all people groups around the world.
33:17 And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”
God reassures Moses that just as He said, He will do (see verse 14), and He reiterates to Moses that He has indeed found favor in His sight and that He is truly intimate with Moses, knowing his name.
33:18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
Possibly overwhelmed by God’s grace and favor, Moses asks God for a special privilege, he wants to see the glory of God. He agrees to show Moses His goodness as He passes before him as He proclaims His name YHWH as He passes.
In response to Moses’ request, God offers an incredible insight about Himself to Moses and to us. He states that, “For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” (NLT) While this statement may sound to some as some form of legal disclaimer, it helps us to understand that God will do things for which we may never understand why. Perhaps this is one reason why Paul wrote, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
33:20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 21 And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”
Even though God is sovereign, He will not allow Moses to see His face, stating that man cannot see Him and then continue living. But God has a solution, He tells Moses that there is a place nearby where he could stand on a rock and while God’s glory passes by, He could put him in a cleft (Hebrew word ‘niq·rǎṯ’,[2] a large fissure or crevice in a rock, in this case large enough for a person to be shrouded or take shelter in) and cover him with His hand until He has passed by. When He removes His hand, Moses can see His back side. But God’s face was not to be seen.
Considerations
The Sovereignty of God Revisited
Human beings are simply not wired to understand the sovereignty of God. Even with the Word of God given to us in Scripture, mankind continues to struggle in their attempt to know and understand God. Paul wrote, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:18-31)
Just like the rock Moses stood on shielding him from death, our Rock is Jesus, as He shields us from death. Augustus M. Toplady, the author of the “Rock of Ages,” helps us connect Exodus 33:20-23 to Jesus.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood, From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure, Save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labors of my hands. Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath, When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown, And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee.
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[1] Strong’s Hebrew 7812.
[2] Strong’s Hebrew 5366.