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.”
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.
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[a] 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.
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.” 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.” (Exodus 33:1-17)
Good News/Bad News V. 1-3
So after Israel rebels with the golden calf and Moses intercedes for the people, some of the people are slain and plagued in judgment, and before us today in chapter 33, Moses continues to intercede further for the people of Israel. What we have is a remarkable conversation between Moses and the LORD which culminates in the LORD passing before Moses at the end of the chapter.
In the first three verses the LORD speaks to Moses, giving instructions for going to the promised land. So it seems like the anger of God has subsided and the judgment is passed. However, verse 4 tells us that what God has spoken here to the people through Moses, is in fact, a disastrous word. In verse 1-3, the LORD tells Moses He will send an angel and drive out the Canaanites and give them the land flowing with milk and honey, it seems like a great thing, and yet, this is a DISASTROUS word. Why? Why is this a disastrous word? Because God says in verse 3, “…but I will NOT go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” That God will not go up among them is a disastrous word.
What does it profit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his soul? “Whom have I in heaven but you, O God?” The Psalmist says. If you have all the ease and comfort and blessing and possessions and respect from the world, but not God, you have nothing! The people are recognizing, “If we don’t have God with us, that is not good. We have nothing. We need him.” I don’t want to give too much credit to this generation of rebellious Israelites who would continue to rebel, but this is a true thing that they recognize – that God will not go among them is a disastrous word.
You have to understand the practical seriousness and implications of God not going up among the Israelites, which is probably what they were most thinking of. If God is not with them, they won’t stand a chance against the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. These are established pagan nations, many of which had giants among them. They were barbaric people who worshiped false gods and practiced human sacrifice, and implied in other passages, even committed acts of cannibalism. Israel was a brand new baby nation. This generation was still a slave generation, not trained in war and tactics. They did nothing to free themselves from Egypt. It was all God and His Mighty Arm that saved them by His miraculous power. If God is not with them, they are toast. If God is not with them, then they have been brought out into the wilderness just to be destroyed by the Canaanites. This was a big deal! They have come face to face with the seriousness of their rebellion against the God who saved them.
Remember, that in Chapter 25 God began to give instructions for the tabernacle as He was making a place to dwell among them. And at the end of chapter 23 God promised to send His angel with them, an angel who had God’s name in Him, whom they were to obey, which I identified as the angel of the LORD, the pre-incarnate Christ. But now, because of their rebellion, God says that He will not go up among them and that He will send an angel, who I believe is not THE angel of the LORD – who is not the pre-incarnate Christ – different and more generic terminology is used and the fact that God is not among them, yet the angel is, shows that this is not the divine angel, but a created angel.
The People are Repentant, v. 4-6
So the people recognize this disastrous word, and though eventually they would rebel again and this generation would not see the promised land, they yet show signs of repentance or remorse here in this instance, in verse 4-6. They mourned and they stripped themselves of their ornaments.
There is an interesting twist of the story here in the Exodus narrative that we don’t see in our English translations. But when verse 6 says the people “stripped” themselves of their ornaments, the Hebrew word for “stripped” is the same word that is used to refer to when the Israelites “plundered” the Egyptians. So first God judged the Egyptians and stripped them of their riches to give to Israel, but now since Israel has broken covenant and acted like Egyptians, they are now stripped of the riches that they stripped the Egyptians of. If you act like an Egyptian, you’ll pay the price of the Egyptians.
This is an important lesson for us. When we “plunder the Egyptians,” so to speak, by gleaning good things from the world through the common grace they have – whether it’s resources, or skills, or certain types of learning – it is of utmost importance that we don’t take their worldview or the presuppositions or their idols with us. If we can’t “plunder the Egyptians” without also taking their idolatry, then it’s better not to even “plunder” them. The most important thing is leaving behind their idols and their ways. Think about it: where did all that gold come from which they made the golden calf with? Egypt. Take their “gold” but not their ways, but it’s better to leave both than to take both.
But do notice these signs of repentance here. They mourned over the disastrous word, stripped themselves of their ornaments, and then in verse 9, when Moses would go out to the tent of meeting, it says the people would each worship at their tents. This is a picture of family worship and family reformation. When there is repentance over sin and rebellion, it shows itself in reform of life: changing your ways, setting one’s own household in order, beginning with oneself, establishing or reordering right worship in your own home and life. Nations or societies rebel a little ways down the road after the home has rebelled. And if repentance, restoration, and reformation will come, it will begin in the restoring and reordering of your own life and your own home, and then work itself out from there.
Interlude, v. 7-11
In verse 7-11 we have an interlude which is a brief look into the future, as verse 12 and following takes us back to the conversation of Moses and the LORD on the mountain. One of the purposes of this futuristic interlude is that it shows us the effect of God not going up amongst the people. It describes to us the practice of Moses when he would go outside the camp, far off from the camp, to speak with the LORD in the tent of meeting. This is a change and a result of the judgment on the people. Exodus 25 and 29 speak of the plan for the tent to be in the camp, amongst the people, but now, because of the stiff-necks of the people, the tent of meeting is outside, far off from the camp.
The tent of meeting now being outside the camp shows us that God had separated, or distanced Himself from outside the camp of the people. They had to go outside the camp to where God was, for He was not in the midst of them.
On the one hand, this is a disastrous word. On the other hand, it is for their good. What was one of the reasons God gave for not going up amongst the people? Verse 3, “I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” If God stayed in the camp, they’d be consumed because they are stiff-necked. “He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.” Proverbs 29:1. God moves out of the camp, so that He doesn’t destroy them. For God’s people, even His judgments are His mercies. God knew their frame, they are but dust, stiff-necked dust, but dust, and He doesn’t totally consume them, even in judgment.
So what we have here, with God moving outside the camp, is just a little hint, or a little picture at the gospel, in that God Himself goes into exile for His people. Instead of throwing them out of the camp, God Himself goes out of the camp. Think about Adam and Eve. When they sinned, they were exiled. They were kicked out of the garden, but God stayed. Now, God goes outside the camp, instead of totally kicking out the people. God moves His garden-tent out.
This is what Jesus did for us. He went out of the camp. He suffered outside of the city, Hebrews 3, that we might be spared God’s judgment and wrath and so be saved.
Moses Intercedes (v. 12-16)
In verse 12-16 we return to Moses interceding with God on the mountain. Moses is not satisfied with this new arrangement. God has spoken hard language against the people of Israel, and Moses continues to plead for them, constantly mentioning Himself being tied to the people. He wants to be sure that God is not going to wipe them out and start over again with Him. So He pleads for God’s presence, He pleads for God to show Himself so that Moses can be assured of God’s favor. Moses says, “Is it not your going with us, I and your people, that makes us distinct from every other people on the face of the earth? Don’t leave us, don’t forsake us! Show me yourself, so I know it!”
Notice how Moses pleads with God in prayer. He is not being irreverent or disrespectful. He is pleading with God based upon His promises and His covenant. Notice in Moses’ lack of assurance, what does he do? He just absolutely labors with God in prayer. And He doesn’t stop until he is given assurance. We know God gives Moses the assurance He asks for. Of course God is not going to break His promises. But sometimes God wants us to really labor with Him in prayer. God wants us to really wrestle with Him, and He wants us to really ask Him. And sometimes through judgment, or seeming distance or silence, God is baiting us to come and wrestle with Him in prayer. He is ready to give. He is ready to answer, but He calls us up to the mountain to come ask Him, and to wait on Him, and ask again, and wait some more, and ask again, and wait with Him again. How can we experience the absolute joy of answered prayer, if we do not wrestle and wait on God in prayer? And how could Moses really lead this people, endure the wilderness, endure the backstabbing and betrayal of the people, and be God’s prophet and friend, without really knowing God through this wrestling in prayer where death or life was on the line? When Moses said, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here,” Moses is saying, “If your presence will not go with me, just kill us or let us die here instead of us being destroyed by the man-eating giants in the land.” This is life or death and Moses says, if we’re going to die, then you just kill us, don’t let the giants eat us!
It’s like the time when God judged David for the sinful census that he took. He gave David the options for what the judgment would be. He could fall into the hand of his enemies or let famine or pestilence come upon the land. And David says, “Let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.”
As a Christian, do you know what this is like? Have you ever prayed like this, wrestled with God like this, waited on God like this? When God brings you seasons of the darkest suffering, or anxiety, or devastation, what He wants us to do is strip of the ornaments, forget the creature comforts of the world, don’t run to those things to numb the pain or distract or put off the issue, strip them off, go up to the mountain with God, and just wait and wrestle and wait. This isn’t even at all self-centered for Moses. After the people already turned on Moses and accused him of all kinds of things and broke the covenant, Moses still is bringing them before the LORD. Do you bring others to the LORD? Even those who have hurt you or betrayed you? Your children, your parents, your church family. Maybe a difficult marriage, are you wrestling with God about that? “Lord, you have said what God has brought together, let no man separate. Are we not one flesh in your sight?”
What a wonderful type of Jesus our mediator and intercessor. Moses is identifying the people with Himself, so that if God gives Moses favor, so also the people get favor. That’s our union with Christ. “I and your people. I and your people. Consider your people.”
The LORD assures Moses by His Word, v. 17
Then in verse 17, the LORD assures Moses by His Word. Moses has been asking to see, “show me know your ways.” But God first assures Him with His Word. God tells Him, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” When we wrestle and wait on God, we don’t always get to see the answer, but God assures His people by His Word, which He has spoken now through His Son.
Now I hope you see what’s going on here. God is not going to forsake Israel. But He’s not going to forsake them for Moses’ sake. Since Moses has found favor in God’s sight, God’s going to do what He has asked. So here we see where the rubber really meets the road with Moses as their mediator. He intercedes for them and because he has found favor with God, God will not forsake the people. God is dealing with Israel through Moses. It’s Moses who now will go outside the camp to the tent of meeting and speak with the Lord, face to face as a friend. And when Moses goes out to the tent, all the people watch Moses go out to the tent, they would wait and see the pillar of cloud descend to the entrance of the tent. “Is God going to come and meet with Moses? Is God still with Moses? Will Moses make it in to meet with God as a friend?” Then the cloud descends, and they see the communion, and they worship.
This is the Lord Jesus, our Mediator of a new and better covenant. Jesus has come and sacrificed for His people, God raised Him from the dead, and then He ascended into heaven, on a cloud, accepted, the gates open wide for the Son of Man, and there He intercedes for us, as we look to Him and have assurance that since He is accepted, and we are in Him, we are accepted, God is with us. The Son of God has found favor with the Father, and so in like manner, God deals with us, for Jesus’ sake.
So when you are in those deep valleys of darkness, insecure, unsure, etc. In your pleading with God, it’s not about you and your righteousness. It’s not about God having favor upon you for your sake. You are not your own mediator. You are not going to God alone. You are going the only way – through the Lord Jesus by the Spirit. You are going before God with Christ – your mediator – the Son with whom God is well-pleased. And He is your security. He is your assurance. He is your “yes” and “amen.”
So whatever those giants and Canaanites are ahead of you, whatever the difficulty that lies before you, the hard things, the danger, the threats, the enemies, death – Christ is with you. You can have peace and courage. The greatest enemies are already conquered – your sin, the powers of evil – and death is opened up for us to depart from the body and be with the Lord when we die.
And in this New Covenant, God is not outside the camp distant from us. He has made His dwelling place with us, in His Church, in us, by His Spirit. We are the living tabernacle where God is among us, and He will never leave us nor forsake us, for Jesus’ sake. His presence is with us, and He has given us rest.
This is one reason why it is so important to gather together as a church. There is a peculiar way which He dwells among us as a gathered body. We hear the word in a special way, the preached word, the promises of God, empowered by His Spirit. We even have visible signs of His promises in the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper – bread and wine. We see each other – other believers. We are strengthened here, in ways we cannot be when we are not gathered.
So may we be strengthened and assured by His Word today, to strip off the ornaments of idolatry, to see our sin for what it is, repent and reform, know that He is with us, and that we have favor in the Lord Jesus, so that we can go out and face what we have to face with confidence in the Lord as a distinct people, because Jesus prays for us.
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