Evidence of the Grace of God in the OT

33 Exodus – Evidence of the Grace of GOD in the OT V.1 – “go up” – Rashi, the land of Israel is higher than all other lands.” · The people rather than your people V.2 – “I will send an angel before” Exodus 23:20,23; 32:34. · Six of the 7 nations mentioned in Genesis 15 are listed. The Girgashites tricked Israel into letting them serve them. V.3 – God is aware of His own wrath, “lest I consume thee in the way.” SO HE says, in V.2 that He will send an angel to lead them. V.4 – The people were sorrowful since there will be an absence of the Glory of God, (HIS shekinah glory) and the people did not adorn themselves. Why not? V.5 – Part of their punishment perhaps V.6 – Obedience before a God who appears to be a little put out by the people. V.7 – Moses sets up a tent of meeting that anyone seeking GOD could come there and meet with God. · In the Torah, the tense seems to indicate that it was his (Moses’) tent that he set up and not necessarily the Tabernacle (which means tent). In the KJV the rest of the context suggest that it was the Tabernacle except the Tabernacle hadn’t been built yet. · The tent represents his personal time of devotion a time alone with God; much like the Prayer Closet each of us should have. o Matthew 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. V.8 – “and looked after Moses” In admiration they would say, “Fortunate is the one born of a woman who is so assured [by God] that the Shechinah follows him to the entrance of his tent.” V.9 – In my understanding of the Jewish teaching, HE [God] would speak to Himself in the presence of Moses who would hear · The Torah says, “and He would speak with Moses” · The KJV has this in italic meaning the translators added it for clarity V.10 – The people recognize the presence of God and move into a state of worship V.11 – The Bible never tells us that Joshua entered in with Moses but, we can see that he did. · The LORD gave Moses the word to be taught to the people – What was said, I am not sure. · Departed not out of the TENT vs. departed not out of the TABERNACLE V.12 – Moses states, to GOD, that HE said I know thee by name – and the Lord says, I know thee by name in V.17 · I suppose Moses is reminding God that HE said they have a personal relationship · As Christians we have a very personal relationship with God. Jesus said we could call Him Father, and Yes, HE knows your name. V.13 V.14 – God will go instead of His angel V.15 V.16 If You go then we know that we have found grace and I suppose forgiveness · Torah uses Favor for Grace V.17 – The LORD says, I will do this thing…” a clear indication that Moses and the children of Israel are back in GOD’s good grace. · Jews have a different perspective of Heaven than the one we have – o https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4848230/jewish/Heaven-and-the-Afterlife.htm V.18 – Having understood that he had found favor with GOD, Moses felt like now was a good time to ask to see HIM. · Abraham was persistent, Moses is seen here as being persistent; Jesus instructed us to be. · READ – Luke 11:5-10 V.19 – Imagine trying to look upon all the goodness of God; look upon HIS Shekinah glory · David would later write, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:13. V.20 – Evidence that Moses only ever heard the voice of God during his time on Mount Sinai / Horeb. V.21 – Rashi says, · Behold, there is a place with Me: on the mountain, where I always speak to you. I have a place prepared for your benefit, where I will hide you so that you will not be hurt, and from there you shall see what you shall see. This is its simple meaning, but its midrashic meaning is that [God] is speaking of the place where the Shechinah is, and He says: “The place is with Me,” but He does not say: “I am in the place,” for the Holy One, blessed is He, is the place of the world [i.e., the world is within Him], but the world is not His place [i.e., the world does not encompass him] V.22 – We don’t see GOD pass before Moses until Chapter 34. V.23 – We cannot see the face of GOD, BUT one thing we do see in Chapter 33 is the persons of God. Two or three, you decide. In the angel of verse 1, and the LORD in V.17 & V.19 we can see the Triune God, and if you reject the angel as God the Son, we are still left with a Two Person God. Often seen in other passages as well.

Notes: (I don’t see any of this as two powers but more a dual nature of God. Perhaps even evidence of the Triune God.

· Heizer – “The ancient Israelite knew two Yahwehs—one invisible, a spirit, the other visible, often in human form. The two Yahwehs at times appear together in the text, at times being distinguished, at other times not.” https://drmsh.com/the-naked-bible/two-powers-in-heaven/

o Exodus 23:20-23 – The angel of God

o Exodus 15:3 The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.

o Exodus 33:17-19 – The LORD and the LORD

o Daniel 7:9ff

· Early Judaism understood this portrayal and its rationale. That acceptance changed when certain Jews, the early Christians, connected Jesus with this orthodox Jewish idea. This explains why these Jews, the first converts to following Jesus the Christ, could simultaneously worship the God of Israel and Jesus, and yet refuse to acknowledge any other god. Jesus was the incarnate second Yahweh. In response, as Segal’s work demonstrated, Judaism pronounced the two powers teaching a heresy sometime in the second century A.D.

· Alan Segal – Two Powers In Heaven 1985