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Exodus 32-34: More of Him

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Step Back

When our Bible study focuses intently on each passage, one after another, we may find it difficult to step back and see how they fit together. But we must remember the Bible is a work of literature. It was not written to be scrutinized in bites; it was written to be devoured in gobbles. We should remember to read the Bible as we’d read any other book: moving through it at a reasonable pace and recognizing ongoing themes, climax, resolution, and character development. When we hit milestones in the text, we should take the opportunity to survey where we’ve been and how it fits together.

So, now that we’ve seen the breaking and repairing of Yahweh’s covenant with Israel, it’s a good time to catch our breath. From this point in Exodus, we’ll see the detailed obedience of the people in constructing a tent for Yahweh. But where have we been so far?

Review

Let me list the main points I’ve proposed for each passage in this section:

  • Exodus 32:1-35: God has a superior solution to our most troubling trouble. He can make a way to bring us back to him.
  • Exodus 33:1-23: Full atonement = forgiveness + reconciliation.
  • Exodus 34:1-28: The glory of Yahweh’s new covenant lies in total restoration and a more intimate relationship than ever before.
  • Exodus 34:29-35: Yahweh’s new and repaired covenant is far more glorious than was the first covenant, before there was any need of repair—but only if it’s here to stay.

In addition, my overview of the whole book led me to this overall main point:

Who is Yahweh, and why should you obey him? He is the God who 1) demolishes the house of slavery (Ex 1-15), 2) prepares to rebuild (Ex 16-18), and 3) builds his house in the midst of his people (Ex 19-40).

The main idea of Act I (Ex 1:1-15:21) was that Yahweh demolishes the house of slavery. He does this in two parts:

  1. He trains up a qualified mediator to deliver (Ex 1:1-7:7).
  2. He delivers his people from their enemies into a frightful joy (Ex 7:8-15:21).

The main idea of Act II (Ex 15:22-18:27) was that Yahweh prepares the house of his people by showing them they need his law to know him.

Now in Act III, Yahweh builds his house in the midst of his people. We’ve already covered two parts:

  1. In Part 1 (Ex 19:1-24:18), God prepares the conditions for a perfect paradise with his people, where they can draw near to him through the blood of a substitute.
  2. In Part 2 (Ex 25:1-31:18), God delivers blueprints for a tent, so he can re-create heaven on earth by living among his people.

Pull It Together

Now what do these things show us about the flow of thought in chapters 32-34? We are in between the tabernacle’s instructions and the tabernacle’s construction. In giving the tabernacle instructions, how does God build his house?

  • Act I describes God’s deliverance of his people. Act II shows how God prepares them for a covenant relationship with him. Act III now constructs that covenant relationship.
  • Part 1: Exodus 19-24 opens the gates of paradise by drawing the people close through the blood of a substitute and endowing them with a utopian vision.
  • Part 2: Exodus 25-31 recreates heaven on earth, proposing a place where God will dwell with his people, through a series of building plans.
  • Part 3: Exodus 32-34 now shows us what happens when a righteous God tries to live with a sinful people.
    • Exodus 32:1-35 shows that sin remains alive and well, even in a redeemed people, but it suggests there still might be a way to make the relationship work.
    • Exodus 33:1-23 describes the formula for repair; forgiveness is not enough without reconciliation.
    • Exodus 34:1-28 proves it is possible to find such reconciliation and draw closer to Yahweh than ever before.
    • Exodus 34:29-35 illustrates the glorious implications of such complete reconciliation, while leaving us wishing it wouldn’t fade but be settled once and for all.

These chapters show us that our relationship with God involves more than a legal transaction, such that he is only obligated to take us back after he redeems us. This relationship with God involves an intimate connection and a deep friendship unlike anything we’ve experienced. And believe it or not, this relationship—after we sinned and rebelled and were brought back—is better than what we had with him at first. Our delight and satisfaction can be no greater than when we get more of him.

Barney Moss (2015), Creative Commons

We can expand our outline of the book a little further:

Act I: Yahweh demolishes the house of slavery (Ex 1-15).

Introduction: Nobody can prevent Yahweh from keeping his promises, but we’re not sure how he’ll do it (Ex 1).

Part 1: Yahweh appoints a mediator and ensures he is fully qualified and trained for the task of deliverance (Ex 2:1-7:7).

Part 2: Yahweh delivers a deserved destruction to his enemies and a frightful joy to his people (Ex 7:8-15:21).

Act II: Yahweh prepares to rebuild by exposing how deeply his people need his law to know him (Ex 16-18).

Act III: Yahweh builds his house in the midst of his people (Ex 19-40).

Part 1: Yahweh architects a perfect paradise for the community of his people, so he can bring them near through the blood of a substitute (Ex 19-24).

Part 2: Yahweh explains how his people can re-create this paradise on earth (Ex 25-31).

Part 3: Yahweh hands them something more glorious than paradise; he hands them more of himself (Ex 32-34).

Gaze Upon Jesus

Like a shot of dopamine to the brain’s pleasure centers, this section stimulates our deepest joys and leaves us desperate for more. If only it could be so. If only we could see his glory (John 1:14). If only we could be with him forever (John 14:3, 1 Thess 4:17). If only we could have assurance that he will never again move out (Heb 13:5-6). If only we, too, could become partakers in the divine nature (2 Pet 1:3-4). If only we could be not only saved but also reconciled (Rom 5:10-11). If only we could build a place to live with God (Rev 21:2-4), be his people (Rev 21:7), see the light of his face, and worship him alone (Rev 22:1-5)—forever (2 Cor 3:16-18).

Dare I say it may, in fact, be so (Heb 1:1-4)?

Apply

Head: Understand your greatest need is not for more blessing or more forgiveness. What you need is more of the Lord.

Heart: Do you expect anything else to satisfy you?

Hands: Seek him. Love him. Abide in his word so you can abide in him (John 8:31-32). Rejoice in what Jesus has made possible. Praise him for his merciful inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you (1 Pet 1:3-4).

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

What Value is the Old Testament to the Christian Life?

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On the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper fields this question: “What are the best uses of the Old Testament for giving shape to our Christian lives today?” After all, we clearly don’t keep many of the instructions in the Old Testament anymore (offering sacrifices, pursuing ceremonial purification, etc.).

After a brief but thorough explanation, Piper concludes with two glorious suggestions:

First, meeting God for who he really is so that we can know him and worship him since his character was revealed as truly in the Old Testament as in the New Testament.

Second, letting the hundreds of promises in the Old Testament wash over you as your blood-bought birthright in Christ Jesus so that every day, you set yourself free from sin by the superior pleasures of the promises of God.

Piper gives a skillful and clear answer to an important question. Check it out!

Exodus 34:29-35: Is This Glory Here to Stay?

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After the Israelites broke covenant with God, he refused to live with them any longer. But Moses mediated a new deal, with a new covenant, which would enable total restoration and a more intimate relationship than ever before. Moses has seen the glory of Yahweh’s new covenant identity (the one full of both grace and truth); will the Israelites be allowed to see such glory for themselves?

Observation of Exodus 34:29-35

Most repeated words: Moses (10 times), face (6x), came (5), all (4), Israel (4), people (4), skin (3), speak (3), veil (3), when (3)

  • This is the first narrative unit since chapter 1 where the name Yahweh (“LORD”) is not one of the top 10 repeated words. The long speeches given by God (Ex 20-23, 25-31) also do not repeat the name Yahweh much, but mostly because Yahweh is telling other people what to do. It’s noteworthy that this climactic episode, describing the people reunited to their God, names that God only twice. Moses goes in to speak with him (Ex 34:34) and then tells his commands to the people (Ex 34:32).
  • Our main character here seems to be not even Moses himself, but Moses’ face.

The setting: When Moses came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony.

  • Moses’ descent from the mountain is not a part of the main plot line, but merely the backdrop for Moses’ ignorance of his shining face (Ex 34:29).
  • This shining takes place in the context of Moses’ role in shaping this glorious new covenant, having literally shaped the stone tablets with his own hands (Ex 34:1, 4).

The reason for Moses’ shining face: “he had been talking with God” (Ex 34:29).

  • This is the reason for the first shining, and it remains the reason for all subsequent shinings (Ex 34:34-35).

The response to Moses’ shining:

  • Aaron and all the people are afraid to come near (Ex 34:30). This is the same response to had to the unmediated glory of God on the mountain (Ex 20:18-21).

The aftermath of Moses’ shining:

  • Moses calls to them (Ex 34:31).
  • Aaron and the leaders return to him.
  • Moses talks with them.
  • The rest of the people come near (Ex 34:32).
  • Moses commands them all that Yahweh had spoken on the mountain.

The cycle of events from here on out:

  • Moses veils his face (Ex 34:33).
  • He removes the veil when he speaks further with God, presumably in the new tent of meeting, presumably no longer outside the camp (Ex 34:34).
  • When he comes out, he speaks God’s words, with his face still unveiled. “The people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining” (Ex 34:35).
  • Then Moses replaces the veil until the next time he speaks with God.

    Fr Lawrence Lew (2009), Creative Commons

Interpretation of Exodus 34:29-35

Some possible questions:

  1. Why does Moses’ face shine only now, and not the first few times he descended from the mountain (Ex 19:14, 25; 24:3, 32:15-16)? The first tablets were written with the finger of God (Ex 31:18)! Why would there be no shining then?
  2. Why are the people afraid to come near, merely on account of a shining face?
  3. Why does Mose veil his face?
  4. So what does all this mean for the final New Covenant in Christ?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. Chapters 32 and 33 are remarkable in that they show Moses fully executing his mediatorial role between Yahweh and the people. According to the narrator, he persuades Yahweh both to relent from destroying the people and to move back in with the people. This special new role was pictured in Yahweh’s request for Moses to cut these new tablets himself (Ex 34:1). The flow of chapters 32-34 shows that this new covenant is far more glorious than the first covenant was, because Moses (a man) fully participates in shaping it and in beholding the glory of God, full of grace and truth (Ex 34:6-7). This greater glory now blossoms publicly through a brilliantly shining face.
  2. Clearly, the shining face is more than a makeover or pleasant countenance. This is the glory of Yahweh’s grace and truth, being reflected in the image of God’s appointed mediator. No-one can see God’s face and live (Ex 33:20), so even the reflection of this glory, as in a mirror dimly, is nearly as terrifying as the thing itself (Ex 20:18-21).
  3. Here is the narrative’s key idea, and one that is easy to miss. Moses does not veil his face to protect the people from the reflected glory. He covers his face to conceal the fading glory until he gets it recharged (Ex 34:34-35). When the glory recharges from speaking with Yahweh, Moses makes sure the people see his shining face again (Ex 34:35).
  4. Paul uses this episode from Exodus to make a profound point about the glory of the New Covenant in Christ (2 Cor 3:1-4:18). If we assume that Moses’ veil was covering the glory itself (when it was actually concealing the fact that the glory was fading), we miss Paul’s point. In the last year, I’ve read two otherwise excellent books by respected New Testament scholars that make this very mistake. Paul’s argument:
    • The people he ministers to are themselves the proof of Paul’s recommendation from Christ (2 Cor 3:1-3).
    • His sufficiency as a minister of the new covenant comes from Christ who makes him sufficient (2 Cor 3:4-6).
    • While Moses’ ministry had a blazing, terrifying glory, it was always a fading glory (“the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end” – 2 Cor 3:7-11).
    • Therefore, Paul is not like Moses, who tried to conceal the fact that his glory was fading (“Moses…put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end” – 2 Cor 3:12-13).
    • Even today, the Jews fail to see the temporary, fading nature of the Old Covenant when it’s read to them (2 Cor 3:14-15).
    • But when they turn to Christ, they finally see the Old Covenant for the fading and temporary thing it is. They behold the Lord’s face and become perpetually and increasingly glorious (2 Cor 3:16-18).
    • This is why the people, whose reflection of Christ’s glory never fades but always brightens, are themselves the proof of Paul’s qualification for ministering this superior covenant (2 Cor 3:1-3, 4:1-15).
    • This gives Paul tremendous courage to persevere when ministry is hard (2 Cor 4:16-18).

Train of thought:

  • The mediator of the new covenant brings with him a glory the world has never yet seen.
  • Yet this glory is anything but permanent. Something even better must still be on its way.

Main point: Yahweh’s new and repaired covenant is far more glorious than was the first covenant, before there was any need of repair—but only if it’s here to stay.

Connection to Christ: Jesus Christ brought the final new covenant, which is forever here to stay (Heb 7:15-17, 8:13). Knowing Jesus is eternal life (John 17:3). Participation in Jesus is participation in the unfading glory of God (2 Cor 3-4, John 1:14-18).

My Application of Exodus 34:29-35

Like Paul, I need not lose heart when I face a season of harsh criticism. Of course I’m a sinner. Of course I make loads of mistakes. But my sufficiency doesn’t come from any perceived perfection on my part; it comes from Christ. And Christ is at work, replicating his glory in the people he’s transforming by his Spirit. The proof, as they say, is in the puddin’. Trails of people, being united to God through Christ, and growing perpetually in the glory of increasing Christlikeness—these folks are my letter of recommendation from Christ.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

When Sprinkling is Not Enough

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On his blog, Russell Moore wonders whether Bible quoters have replace Bible readers. By these terms, he refers to those who use the Bible as an encyclopedic reference book with wise sayings and quotable verses to support their perspective. Moore laments a generation of Christians that rarely read a Bible book from beginning to end and are unable to follow a narrative arc or train of thought.

I’m delighted to see this situation turn around in part through the readers of this blog. In fact, it gives me some ideas for what to write on this coming year.

If you’re currently blasting your way through the whole Bible, I hope you’re having a terrific time. Keep pressing on! Some days, it feels like you’ll never finish, but that’s not true. Stay the course for only 45 minutes a day, and you’ll finish in about 70 days.

As Moore writes in his post:

To engage with a narrative requires…not just a sprinkling but an immersion in the text.

Check it out!

Exodus 34:1-28: The Glorious New Covenant

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Moses has requested proof from Yahweh that he will, in fact, go up with his people into their new land. God will show up, and he will stay in relationship with these rebellious people. But how is that possible?

Observation of Exodus 34:1-28

Most repeated words: Lord (16 times), God/god (12x), no (6), tablets (6), covenant (5), days (5), make (5), not (5)

  • much emphasis on Yahweh, God, in contrast to the other gods of the nations
  • new tablets and the making of a covenant are also primary themes

The first paragraph (Ex 34:1-9) shows Yahweh keeping his promise (Ex 33:19-23) to show his glory to Moses.

  • First, Moses needs to cut new tablets to replace the ones he broke (Ex 34:1-4) and bring them to the top of the mountain.
  • Then Yahweh descends in the cloud to speak to Moses (Ex 34:5, compare with Ex 33:9).
  • Yahweh shows his glory to Moses by…declaring his name and its implications (Ex 34:6-7).
    • Yahweh is a God merciful and gracious, abounding in love [grace/mercy] and faithfulness [truth].
    • He keeps love and forgiveness for thousands.
    • He also will by no means clear the guilty. Sin has consequences for multiple generations.
  • Moses responds in worship, once again begging God to stay among his people (Ex 34:8-9).
    • He recognizes that this cannot happen unless God pardons their sin.

The rest of the section (Ex 34:10-28) is a speech by Yahweh in response to Moses’ pleading.

  • The topic statement of the speech is: “Behold, I am making a covenant” (Ex 34:10).
  • And, as though the burning bush and the plagues and the Passover and the exodus and the Red Sea and the manna and the water from the rock and the victory over Amalekites and the pillar of cloud and the fiery mountain—as though all these things weren’t enough, this new covenant will be something “awesome” unlike anything ever seen before (Ex 34:10).
  • This covenant involves a promise and a series of 8 laws all repeated from earlier in the book (Ex 34:11-28).
    • A promise to drive out the nations in the Promised Land (Ex 34:11, compare with Ex 23:23).
    • Don’t make covenants with the inhabitants of the land (Ex 34:12-16, cf. Ex 23:24, 32-33).
    • Don’t make gods of cast metal (Ex 34:17, cf. Ex 20:4-6, 20:23, 32:4).
    • Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread and redeem the firstborn (Ex 34:18-20, cf. Ex 12:17, 13:1-16, 23:15).
    • Rest on the seventh day each week (Ex 34:21, cf. Ex 16:26-30, 20:8-11, 23:12).
    • Celebrate 3 festivals each year (Ex 34:22-24, cf. Ex 23:14-17).
    • Include no leaven in sacrifices, and allow no leftovers from feasts (Ex 34:25, cf. Ex 23:18).
    • Bring the best of the first fruits into Yahweh’s house (Ex 34:26, cf. Ex 23:19).
    • Don’t boil a young goat in its mother’s milk (Ex 34:26, cf. Ex 23:19).
  • Yahweh wants this new covenant (particularly the 10 Commandments) written on the new stone tablets. Moses take 40 more days (cf. Ex 24:18) to complete this work (Ex 34:27-28).

    Stephen Zucker (2012), Creative Commons

Interpretation of Exodus 34:1-28

Some possible questions:

  1. Why does Moses need new stone tablets?
  2. Why does Moses need to replace the stone tablets himself?
  3. Why is God’s glory wrapped up in his name?
  4. How is this new covenant any more awesome than what Yahweh has done before?
  5. Why does this new covenant simply repeat the promise and 8 laws from earlier in the book?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. He broke the first ones (Ex 34:1) when he saw the people worshipping the golden calf (Ex 32:19). He did this as a representative of Yahweh’s fierce anger (Ex 32:10, 19), signifying the covenant relationship broken seemingly beyond repair (Ex 33:3-5).
  2. The first ones were carved and written on by the finger of God himself (Ex 31:18, 32:16). But Moses has now demonstrated his full potential as mediator. When God repairs the covenant, part of what makes it more “awesome” than anything seen before is that it now includes a human mediator in the crafting of it. This foreshadows the significance of the last part of chapter 34, which I’ll cover next week.
  3. God’s decision to deliver these people was deeply rooted in the glory of his name (Ex 3:13-15). His plan to train Moses as a mediator was deeply rooted in the glory of his name (Ex 6:2-9). He toyed with Pharaoh so the whole earth would know the glory of his name (Ex 9:15-16). One of God’s foundational commands prohibits people from making light of his name (Ex 20:7). The whole book of Exodus has been concerned with the glory of Yahweh’s name. And now we learn the essence of the name, the essential identity of this God: he who is full of both grace and truth (Ex 34:6, John 1:14, 17-18). It was pictured early on in a bush that burned but was not consumed (Ex 3:2). Now we finally see the truth of his judgment on a sinful people combined with the grace of a new covenant to restore them to him.
  4. It is more awesome because it involves not only rescuing a needy people but even restoring and cohabiting with a blatantly rebellious people. It is not merely God’s plans for humans, but even his inclusion of them in his eternal purpose (e.g. requiring Moses to inscribe the new tablets). This is an awe-inspiring glory the world had never seen.
  5. Most of the repetition comes from chapter 23, the conclusion to the original Book of the Covenant. The repetition here highlights the fact that this covenant is still on. Though Yahweh threatened to destroy the people and start over (Ex 32:10), and though he refused to keep living among them (Ex 33:3-6), he has not followed through on those threats. He has restored their relationship in full to the way that it was before. In fact, there are even hints that it’s better than it was before (e.g. Moses’ shaping and writing the new tablets).

Train of thought:

  • Yahweh’s glory is revealed through the inclusion of a human mediator to shape the new covenant, and his fundamental identity of combining grace and truth.
  • The glorious new covenant involves not only a full and total restoration of the broken relationship between God and his people, but also a few hints of something more.

Main point: The glory of Yahweh’s new covenant lies in total restoration and a more intimate relationship than ever before.

Connection to Christ: Jesus, once again, is our true mediator. He forgives our sins and rescues us from slavery. These things are wonderful. But he also reunites us to God in a way superior to anything we would have had before sin entered the world. Jesus makes possible our full and final adoption as the sons of God.

My Application of Exodus 34:1-28

Head: I can trust that my God and Father is not grudgingly obligated to take care of me; no, he is ecstatic and delighted to have me for his son in Christ.

Heart: I cannot find such divine and eternal intimacy anywhere else. Nothing can satisfy my deepest longing for close relationships like what I have in Christ.

Hands: Stop sucking the life out of people. Don’t manipulate circumstances or conversations for my own security or self-fulfillment. I can take risks, speak the truth, extend the grace that has been extended to me. This will generate more patience with my children and greater eagerness for outreach.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

How Reading the Bible Should be Something Ordinary

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Tommy Keene writes at The Christward Collective about reading the Bible in an ordinary way. What he means by that is that we should read the Bible as we’d read any other book. Not just a sentence or paragraph at a time, but consuming chapters and books and more in great gobbles.

First, he suggests we ought to read the book and not merely read around the book. Set aside all your commentaries and study notes so you can soak in the text itself. Reader’s Bibles help immensely by clearing out all the gunk that has accumulated over the generations.

Second, he encourages us to read entire books of the Bible in a single sitting. Don’t bother to stop every time you hit something you don’t understand. Don’t pause or rewind; just keep going. Let the big picture impact you first, and then go back to the difficult parts as needed.

As Keene says:

Over the years we have trained ourselves to read the Bible in an unnatural way, so we’re going to have to break some bad habits.

Keene’s sound advice is well worth considering. Check it out!

Exodus 33: Atonement = Forgiveness + Reconciliation

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After the people commit a “great sin,” Moses offers to go back up Mt. Sinai. His hope? “Perhaps I can make atonement for your sin” (Ex 32:30). This work of atonement began with begging God’s forgiveness (Ex 32:31-32), but that clearly wasn’t enough (Ex 32:33-35). Full atonement requires something more.

Observation of Exodus 33

Most repeated words: people (14 times), Moses (12x), said (11), tent (11), Lord (9), up (9), go (8), not (8), face (5), favor (5), know (5), sight (5)

  • As Moses is trying to bring the Lord and the people back together, I’m not surprised to see repeated mention of these characters
  • But what role do the tent, and the favor of God’s face, play…?

In the first section (Ex 33:1-6), Yahweh assesses the situation as it stands.

  • Yahweh speaks to Moses
    • He will keep his oath to give them the land
    • But Moses must lead them (Ex 33:1)
    • Yahweh will send an angel to clear out the inhabitants (Ex 33:2)
    • But he himself will not go with them, lest he consume them on the way (Ex 33:3)
  • The people mourn at this “disastrous word” (Ex 33:4)
  • Yahweh’s speech is repeated (Ex 33:5)
    • There is real danger for these people if Yahweh were to be with them!
  • The people strip their ornaments (Ex 33:6)

In the second section (Ex 33:7-11), Yahweh speaks to Moses at the tent of meeting face-to-face.

In the third section (Ex 33:12-23), Moses pleads with Yahweh to alter this course of events.

  • Moses leverages the favor he’s already got with Yahweh (Ex 33:12).
  • He pleads for even more favor (Ex 33:13).
  • Yahweh then promises to go with them (Ex 33:14).
  • But Moses is not assured. He wants to make sure Yahweh will be with them (Ex 33:15-16).
  • Yahweh agrees to this very thing (Ex 33:17).
  • But Moses is still not assured. He requests proof that Yahweh will be with them. And the requested proof is that Yahweh will show Moses his glory (Ex 33:18).
  • Yahweh agrees, but with conditions to preserve Moses’ life (Ex 33:19-23).

    Julie Gibbons (2010), Creative Commons

Interpretation of Exodus 33

Some possible questions:

  1. If Yahweh has agreed to forgive their sin (and not wipe them all out to start over with Moses), why all this fuss? Why won’t he just go with them?
  2. What is going on with the tent of meeting in Ex 33:7-11? Why is this little anecdote stuck right here? Wouldn’t the story make more sense without it (if we read Ex 33:1-6 and then jumped to Ex 33:12-23)?
  3. Why won’t Moses take God at his word? Why does he request proof that God will be with them?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. Though Yahweh has forgiven (most of) the people and chosen not to destroy them for their sin, this passage shows us vividly that forgiveness alone is not enough to accomplish full atonement. Though the legal transaction of forgiveness has taken place, there is still the relational damage between Yahweh and the people that must be dealt with. Yahweh will keep his word to give these people the land of Canaan (Ex 33:1-2). But the relationship has been so damaged that, if Yahweh was with them, there could be more explosions (Ex 33:3).
  2. We must not read Ex 33:7-11 in a vacuum, divorced from the context. This has everything to do with the flow of the chapter! I’m honestly not sure why the ESV (along with NASB, NIV, and NRSV) add the “used to” to Ex 33:7, as an interpretation of the Hebrew’s shift in tense. But the CSB, NET, NKJV, and LEB all translate with a straightforward, “Now Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp,” which makes more sense in the context. Of course, the tabernacle hasn’t been pitched yet, but Moses set up a proto-tabernacle, a mini-mountain, where the glory cloud could descend and Yahweh could speak to Moses (Ex 33:9). But from God’s speech in Ex 33:1-3, Moses knows that God can no longer live with his people. The relationship is too damaged. So this tent must go outside the camp. When Moses goes to speak with Yahweh, all the people wait breathlessly at the doors of their own tents, hoping beyond hope that their God will move back into camp with them. Yahweh speaks to Moses as to a friend (Ex 33:11), but that is not good enough for Moses. Moses wants God to have this relationship with all his people. This causes Moses to plead for a change and to request proof that it will happen.
  3. Moses knows how high the stakes are. God has placed his favor on Moses in a special way, but Moses won’t back down until Yahweh sets such favor on all the people. According to Ex 33:15-16, “me” and “us” are a package deal. “You can’t take me up, Yahweh, without taking all of us!” So Moses asks God to put his money where his mouth is; he wants to see the ring on Israel’s finger to know the wedding is still on. “Please show me your glory!” And he gets more than he bargained for. Yahweh will make all his goodness pass by, and he will become a witness to Yahweh’s lavish grace and mercy (Ex 33:19) when he repairs the relationship between his people and himself.

Train of thought:

  • Forgiveness, on its own, clearly wasn’t enough to provide full atonement.
  • The relationship has broken to the point that Yahweh must move out.
  • The grace of true reconciliation is astoundingly glorious (and life-threatening).

Main point: Full atonement = forgiveness + reconciliation

Connection to Christ: When God, before the world began, set his affection on his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, he got us as a package deal. Jesus came to die for his people, that he might bring us to God. And God loves us, not because we are lovable or particularly noble, but because Jesus claimed us as his own. When Jesus worked to provide atonement, to cover our sins, he did what had to be done so we could be forgiven. But he didn’t stop there. He also brought us close to God, as an intimate part of his family.

My Application of Exodus 33

The world does not work this way. The world tries to forgive and forget. Most people walk on eggshells, hold grudges, or give in to backbiting when relationships go sour.
But it must not be so with me (or with our community). The more I delight in the full reconciliation Jesus has provided for me with God, the better equipped I will be to not only forgive but also reconcile with those around me.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

The Lost Skill of Listening to the Bible

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Last week, The Gospel Coalition published an article with the intriguing title “Don’t Just Read the Bible.” I was expecting the article to be about Bible study (Don’t just read the Bible but study it.) But in fact, the author went in a different direction: Don’t just read the Bible; listen to it being read.

I have valued Bible listening for quite some time, which is why I’m happy to allow for audio-Bible listening in our 90-day reading challenge. Listening to the Bible is a marvelous way to soak in the big picture, the main ideas, the overarching story line. And in his TGC article, Jonathan Bailey makes a good case for the practice:

So how do reading and listening shape us in different ways? When we read, our default tendency is to study, to pull apart the text and piece it back together, and to draw conclusions. We’re after comprehension: to grasp with the mind, to sharpen our thinking, to learn, and, above all, to understand. When we read, we want to get something out of it. 

When we listen, we have to leave all that behind. We lose our ability to be precise; there’s no underlining, cross-referencing, or consulting commentaries. Listening is more leisurely. When we listen we’re after apprehension: to lay hold of something, or better said, to have something lay hold of us.

Now of course, comprehension is not a bad thing. But I certainly appreciate the useful distinction between comprehension (getting something out of it) and apprehension (merely beholding the wonder). This sounds just right. And anyway, having our own Bibles to read is a rather recent development in the history of the world. Before the 16th century, most people would only get to listen.

So in the bio at the bottom, I noticed that Mr. Bailey just launched a Kickstarter project for a new Bible listening mobile app. An app designed to perfect not the reading experience but the listening experience. Different vocal tracks with a variety of English-speaking accents. Seamless synchronization. Original music scored to highlight the text. Listening plans and playlists.

I must say I am impressed. So impressed that I immediately backed the project to get a lifetime subscription to the app. Perhaps you might want to consider this project as well. It became fully funded within 3 days, but it’s still open to new backers. The more they raise, the more features they can add at launch. But regardless of how much they raise now, it sounds like many more features will come over time.

So I encourage you to check it out! Here is the Kickstarter campaign for the listening app. And here is the article at TGC about the unique value of listening to the Bible.

Exodus 32: Our Most Troubling Trouble

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God has explained to Moses how to recreate heaven on earth by building a place for God to live with his people. Moses holds in his hands two tablets of stone inscribed with Yahweh’s testimony (Ex 31:18). Now it’s time to execute the Lord’s instructions. But what will happen when a uniquely righteous God tries to dwell among his sinful people?

Observation of Exodus 32:1-35

Most repeated words: said (21 times), people (20x), Moses (17), Lord (13), out (12), Aaron (9), brought (9), sin (9), up (9), made (8)

  • while these words summarize the main action of the story, I don’t see any further significance to their repetition (but I always start observing with repetition, as it’s easy to observe, and it often suggests a direction for inquiry).

The first section (Ex 32:1-20) describes parallel scenes at the top and bottom of the mountain

  • Bottom of the mountain (Ex 32:1-6): The story’s conflict/tension arises when the people get nervous at Moses’ delay and ask Aaron to make them gods for revelry.
    • Top of the mountain (Ex 32:7-10): Yahweh tells Moses what is happening at the bottom, and he prepares to consume the people (“your people,” not “my people.” Yikes!).
    • Top of the mountain (Ex 32:11-14): Moses implores Yahweh and persuades him to relent from consuming the people.
  • Bottom of the mountain (Ex 32:15-20): Moses delays no longer but descends and sees the gods and revelry.

The second section (Ex 32:21-24) shows Moses uncovering Aaron’s motive for leading the people into “such a great sin”

  • First, Aaron blames the people (Ex 32:22).
  • Second, Aaron blames his circumstances (Ex 32:24) – “It’s not my fault, Moses; out came this calf!”
  • In between Aaron’s two self-justifications, he reveals his presenting problem: the nervousness people felt at Moses’ delay (Ex 32:23).

The third section (Ex 32:25-35) narrates a quasi-resolution to the conflict between the people and God

  • The Levites prove to be on Yahweh’s side by executing their countrymen (Ex 32:25-29).
  • Moses will go back up the mountain; perhaps he can cover (“make atonement for”) their sin (Ex 32:30-32).
  • But to move forward, Yahweh must punish sin (Ex 32:33-35).

    Nicolas Poussin, public domain

Interpretation of Exodus 32

Some possible questions:

  1. Why does Moses’ delay make the people so nervous that they would resort to such wild idolatry and revelry?
  2. How is it possible for Moses to persuade God to relent from consuming the people?
  3. Does God truly relent, if he visits their sin on them and sends a plague (Ex 32:34-35)? Is he just a whiny, capricious god?
  4. So what is the point of these three resolutions in Ex 32:25-35? How do they help?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. We were told that Moses was on the mountain for 40 days (Ex 24:18), but the characters in the story were never told. All they knew was that they were to take care of any disputes while they waited for Moses to return (Ex 24:14). But Yahweh has heard the cries of these people before (Ex 3:7). They were to him as a son (Ex 4:22-23). They are now his treasured possession among all peoples (Ex 19:5). But now they forget who actually rescued them (compare Ex 20:2 with Ex 32:4) and who now leads them (Ex 32:1, where they want “gods who shall go before us”). In forgetting these things, they bring into question whose people they truly are (no longer “my people” but “your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt” in Ex 32:7). Clearly, this is extremely unsettling for them.
  2. In this chapter, we finally see Moses settling into his appointed role as the mediator between God and his people. The main point of Ex 1:1-7:7 was to train him for this role. Clearly this was a part of Yahweh’s plan all along, and this incident of sin is no real surprise to him. It’s no accident that Moses appeal to the same promises (Ex 32:13) that motivated Yahweh to free these slaves in the first place (Ex 2:24-25). Thus, in speaking to Yahweh, Moses is acting like Yahweh. And when Moses goes to speak to the people, he still acts like Yahweh (compare Ex 32:9-10 with Ex 32:19). Here is just the mediator they need.
  3. Yahweh does not follow through on his threat to consume the people and re-create a nation through Moses (Ex 32:10). But he can’t just wave his hand and pretend the sin didn’t happen. He shows that payment must still be made for it (Ex 32:33-35).
  4. First, Yahweh blesses non-conformity to the fear and sin of the age (Ex 32:25-29). Second, there is hope that he just might cover (“atone for”) their sin (Ex 32:30-32). Third, this covering can only take place if payment is made (Ex 32:33-35).

Train of thought:

  • They get themselves into trouble when they forget who rescued them and now leads them.
  • This brings into question whose people they are.
  • The most troubling part is the potential severing of this covenant relationship and closeness to Yahweh!
  • Self-medicating the fear and anxiety with false assurance and pleasure does nothing to help.
  • But Yahweh’s mediator might make it right again by not conforming but covering the sin by paying for it.

Main point: God has a superior solution to our most troubling trouble. He can make a way to bring us back to him.

Connection to Christ: Moses couldn’t do it himself, but Jesus could. Jesus not only acts or speaks like Yahweh; he is Yahweh in the flesh. He never confirmed to the sinful pattern of this world. He shed his own blood to pay for our sin, such that his blood now covers those who trust him with their life.

My Application of Exodus 32

Head: I know the theology, that Jesus is the only savior. But when I feel anxious or afraid, I am still mostly inclined to self-medicate with pleasure, selfishness, blame-shifting, or anything else. When I face such temptation, I must remind myself of who alone can save me and lead me.

Heart: When I remember the Lord Jesus, I love him more than my false saviors.

Hands: I can close the browser window, set aside the video game, and choose not to attack my critic. Such things have never been able to save me in the past or lead me into paradise. Jesus is all in all, and being close to him is all that matters.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

The Staggering Consequences of Neglecting Your Bible

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Erik Raymond looks at Psalm 1 to draw out “The Staggering Consequences of Neglecting Your Bible.” He observes the severe contrasts in the psalm to draw the following conclusions:

So often we minimize doctrinal differences, but we cannot forget, doctrinal error leads to eternal punishment. We must be sure above all that we have that essential doctrine clear and see the Bible as God’s holy Word, given to us as a treasure to for reading, meditation, prayer, preaching, and singing. Too often our doctrinal confessions that assert a belief in the inspiration and inerrancy of the Scriptures are betrayed by lives that ignore them. We must be sure that we are not succumbing to the false teaching that denies the supernatural nature of the Bible.

When we look at the result of a life lived drinking and delighting in the Word contrasted with one that rejects and belittles it, we have ample cause for evaluating our habits and our hearts.

Here in the dawning of a new year, it is certainly healthy to ask yourself what changes you should make with your life in order to give yourself more faithfully to this Word. For motivation, you need only to consider the staggering consequences of neglecting your Bible.

Check it out!