God tells Moses to leave Sinai with the people he brought out of the land of Egypt. He instructed Moses to lead them to the land He swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by saying “To your descendants I will give it.” God said that He would send His Angel before him and drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. He told Moses to go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. God said that He would not go up in their midst, lest He consumed them on the way because they are a stiff-necked people. When the people heard the bad news, they mourned and no one put on his ornaments, because God told Moses to tell the Israelites, “You are a stiff-necked people. I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you. Now, therefore, take off your ornaments, that I may know what to do to you.” So the Israelites were obedient and stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb. (Some Google sources indicate that Mount Sinai and Mount Horeb are names for the same mountain. However, they also say that some scholars disagree with this.)

Moses took his tent and pitched it far outside of the camp and called it the tabernacle of meeting. It just so happened that everyone who sought the Lord went to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp. Where do you go to seek the Lord? When Moses went out to the tabernacle, all the people rose and each man stood at his tent door and watched him until he went into the tabernacle. When Moses entered the tabernacle, the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle and the Lord talked with Moses. All the people saw the pillar of cloud at the tabernacle door and they rose and worshiped in their own tent doors.

The Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend. Moses would return to the camp, but his servant, Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, stayed at the tabernacle. Moses said to the Lord that He told him to “bring up this people”, but He hasn’t told him who He will send with him. Yet, God has said that He knows Moses by name and that Moses has also found grace in His sight. Does God know you by name? Do you think that you have found grace in God’s sight? Moses told God that if he has found grace in His sight, for God to show him His way that he may know Him and find grace in His sight. Now, God just told Moses that he found grace in His sight. Looks like Moses is seeking some reassurance. Has God ever told you something and you turn around and ask Him about what He said? Moses also told God to “consider that this nation is Your people.” Could this be Moses trying to get God to acknowledge that they are His people since He seemed to “disown” them in Chapter 32?

God said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Moses responded, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.” Moses asked, “For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? Moses said that they would be separated from all the people upon the face of the earth. The Lord told Moses that He would do what he had spoken because he has found grace in His sight and He knows him by name. Moses told God to show him His glory. Then God said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” Then He told Moses that he could not see His face; for no man could see Him and live. God pointed out a place by Him to Moses and told him to stand on the rock. When the glory of the Lord passed by, He would put Moses in cleft of the rock and cover him with His hand while He passed by him. The Lord would take away His hand and Moses would see His back, but His face would not be seen. Experiencing the Presence of the Lord is Awesome!

Our next stop is Exodus 34.

To God Be The Glory!

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