GLORY (EXODUS 33)
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
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.”
GOD TELLS MOSES TO “GO UP” THIS IS IN CONTRAST TO EXODUS 32:7 WHERE GOD COMMANDS HIM TO “GO DOWN” FOR THE GOLDEN CALF. THIS CONTRAST INDICATES THAT A REVERSAL HAS TAKEN PLACE.
GOD NOW PROMISES TO SEND “AN ANGEL” TO GO BEFORE THEM. THIS UNKNOWN MESSENGER IS NOT “MY ANGEL” OR “THE ANGEL OF YHWH” THAT WE SAW IN EXODUS 23:20-33 OR 32:34. NOT ONLY THAN BUT GOD SAYS “I WILL NOT GO”.
THE IMPLICATION IS THAT THE TABERNACLE WILL NOT BE BUILT AS GOD WILL NOT DWELL IN THEIR MIDST.
THERE WILL BE NO ARK, NO MERCY SEAT, NO HOLY OF HOLIES.
NO SACRIFICES WILL BE OFFERED FOR YHWH WILL NOT BE THERE TO RECEIVE THEM.
THEY WILL NO LONGER BE THE KINGDOM OF PRIESTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE BROKEN THE COVENANT.
GOD WILL STILL HONOR HIS WORD AND TAKE THEM TO THE LAND PROMISED TO ABRAHAM BUT THEY WILL JUST BE ANOTHER PEOPLE.
4 When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. 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.
THE ISRAELITES “STRIPPED” THEMSELVES OF THEIR “ORNAMENTS” OR JEWELRY. THIS VERB IS THE SAME USED IN EXODUS 12:36 OF THE PEOPLE “PLUNDERING” THE EGYPTIANS.
THE SIN OF IDOLATRY HAS PUT THEM IN THE SAME PLACE OF JUDGMENT AS THE EGYPTIANS.
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. 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. 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. 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.
“NOW MOSES USED TO TAKE’ INDICATES A CUSTOMARY AND REPETITIVE ACTION AND NOT A ONE TIME OCCURRENCE.
MOSES WOULD LITERALLY “PITCH IT FOR HIMSELF” A GREAT DISTANCE FROM THE CAMP. THE TABERNACLE, WHICH WAS TO BE IN THE CENTER OF THE CAMP SO THAT YHWH COULD DWELL WITH HIS PEOPLE IS NOT BUILT AND NOW WILL NOT BE BUILT.
THE PILLAR OF CLOUD WAS A THEOPHANY: A MANIFESTATION OF YHWH IN THE MATERIAL WORLD. INSTEAD OF HIS PRESENCE ABIDING IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES NOW IT COMES AND GOES TO THE DOORWAY OF A TEMPORARY TENT.
THE SEPARATION IS CLEAR: YHWH IS WITH MOSES AND NOT WITH THE PEOPLE.
WHEN THE PEOPLE WITNESS GOD MEETING WITH MOSES THEY “RISE UP AND BOW DOWN.” THIS IS IN CONTRAST (SAME VERB) TO THEM “BOWING DOWN/WORSHIPING” THE GOLDEN CALF.
YHWH WOULD SPEAK TO MOSES “FACE TO FACE.” THIS IS AN IDIOM THAT INDICATES DIRECT, PERSONAL, FRIENDLY COMMUNICATION. MOSES IS UNIQUE AND PRIVILEGED IN THIS REGARD. GOD DECLARES:
Numbers 12:6–8 (ESV)
6 And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. 7 Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. 8 With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord.
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.’ 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.” 14 And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
MOSES NOW ENGAGES IN INTERCESSORY PRAYER WITH GOD ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE. HE IS “IMAGING” AND MEDIATING – USING HIS POSITION ON BEHALF OF OTHERS.
HE ARGUES THAT ALTHOUGH HE ENJOYS A FAVORED POSITION WITH GOD (I KNOW YOU BY NAME IS A HEBREW IDIOM APPLIED TO NO ONE ELSE IN THE SCRIPTURES) HE IS NOW BEING SENT OFF WITH AN UNKNOWN ANGEL.
SO MOSES FIRST REQUEST IS FOR YHWH TO “SHOW/TEACH ME YOUR WAYS.” CONSIDERING THE CONTEXT IN EXODUS THIS IS SURPRISING. MOSES HAS JUST SPENT 40 DAYS ON THE MOUNTAIN WITH GOD RECEIVING INSTRUCTIONS ON THE TEMPLE (7 CHAPTERS). BEFORE THAT HE DIRECTLY RECEIVED FROM GOD THE 10 WORDS AND COVENANT STIPULATIONS (4 CHAPTERS).
SHOW ME YOUR WAYS IS A REQUEST TO KNOW GOD’S CHARACTER. IT ASSUMES GOD’S PERSONHOOD.
MOSES HAS HAD MORE DIRECT INTERACTION WITH YHWH THAN ANYONE SINCE ADAM (AND POSSIBLY ENOCH) AND THE CRY OF HIS HEART IS FOR MORE! The cry of Moses’ heart is to know God – not simply know about Him or what His expectations are. He’s got the law of God, a mission from God, the people of God, the promise of God…yet with all these things he has the wisdom to cry out “I need to know You.” He wants a relationship. He wants a GROWING relationship with God.
HOW PERSONAL IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD?
HOW PERSONAL IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD?
THE GOSPEL TODAY HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A TRANSACTIONAL PROCESS INSTEAD OF A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP.
JESUS SAID IN MATTHEW 11:28 (ESV):
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
LET’S NOT BE LIKE THE EPHESIANS IN REVELATION 2:4 WHO HAVE”ABANDONED THE LOVE YOU HAD AT FIRST.”
GOD’S RESPONSE IS LITERALLY “MY FACE WILL GO WITH YOU.” GOD PROMISES MOSES HIS PRESENCE AND THAT HE WILL GIVE HIM REST IN THE LAND. REST IS OFTEN LINKED TO THE PROMISED LAND IN THE OT.
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?” 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.”
MOSES SECOND REQUEST FOR GOD’S COMPANIONSHIP WITH THE PEOPLE– IT IS A PRAYER FOR GOD’S PRESENCE WITH ALL OF ISRAEL.
WHAT GOOD IS IT TO BE DELIVERED FROM EGYPT AND TAKE POSSESSION OF THE LAND OF PROMISE IF GOD IS NOT THERE WITH THEM?
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF GOD IS THE PRESENCE OF GOD. EVERY PEOPLE HAS LAWS, RITUALS, AND CUSTOMS. WHAT SET ISRAEL APART IS GOD’S PRESENCE WITH THEM.
HOW PRESENT IS GOD IN YOUR LIFE?
HOW PRESENT IS GOD IN YOUR LIFE?
WHAT IS “POWERING” YOUR LIFE AND MINISTRY? WHAT ARE COUNTING ON TO MAKE YOUR LIFE DISTINCT?
“THIS VERY THING”: WHAT MOSES HAS ASKED FOR IS GOD’S PRESENCE WITH THE PEOPLE.
YHWH’S RESPONSE IS THAT HE WILL BE PRESENT WITH MOSES AND THE PEOPLE. THE TABERNACLE WILL BE BUILT. THE SACRIFICES WILL BE OFFERED. THE COVENANT WILL BE RENEWED.
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. 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.”
MOSES’ THIRD REQUEST AFTER GAINING GOD’S PRESENCE IS STAGGERING. HE RESPECTFULLY SAYS “PLEASE SHOW ME YOUR GLORY. SHOW ME YOUR WEIGHTINESS – YOUR PERFECTION.
SHOW ME YOUR GLORY IS A PRAYER TO SEE GOD’S COMPLETENESS– TO KNOW GOD’S PERFECTION.
MOSES IS ASKING FOR COMPLETE UNMEDIATED ENCOUNTER WITH GOD. HE DOESN’T GET IT. HE CAN’T. GOD WILL HOWEVER, GIVE HIM MORE OF HIMSELF.
MOSES WILL SEE HIS GOODNESS. IN RABBINIC LITERATURE “TOV” OR “THE GOOD ONE” BECOMES AN EPITHET OF GOD. IT IS ALSO USED IN ANE TREATIES AS THE LEGAL MEANING OF COVENANTAL FRIENDSHIP.
YHWH WILL PROCLAIM HIS NAME – THE I AM ONE – THE UNIQUE SELF GENERATING AND SELF SUSTAINING ONE.
BUT MOSES MUST BE PROTECTED FOR HE SIMPLY LACKS THE ABILITY TO PERCEIVE GOD’S FULL GLORY.
HOW PERFECT IS YOUR GOD?
HOW PERFECT IS YOUR GOD?
HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT GOD IN YOUR LIFE? WHAT IS IT THAT YOU ARE CRAVING FOR?
IF MOSES CRAVED TO SEE THE GLORY OF GOD SHOULDN’T WE?
AND, IF JESUS IS THE GREATER MOSES AND THE NEW COVENANT IS THE GREATER COVENANT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US IN REGARDS TO GOD’S GLORY?
IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE GLORY OF GOD LOOK TO JESUS!
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. 12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.