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Exodus 33: Atonement = Forgiveness + Reconciliation

January 19, 2018 By Peter Krol

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:

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?
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)?
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):

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).
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.
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.

Exodus 32: Our Most Troubling Trouble

January 12, 2018 By Peter Krol

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:

Why does Moses’ delay make the people so nervous that they would resort to such wild idolatry and revelry?
How is it possible for Moses to persuade God to relent from consuming the people?
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?
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):

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.
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.
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).
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.

Exodus 1:1-7:7: Mediator’s Boot Camp

November 11, 2016 By Peter Krol

Step Back

Many who study the Bible get so focused on each passage, one after another, that they 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 and 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.

Mark Stevens (2013), Creative Commons

So, now that we’ve reached the beginning of the end for Pharaoh, it’s a good time to catch our breath. Last week, I mentioned that from Exodus 7:8 to the end, Moses has no further relapses into doubt. And we should notice that Exodus 7:8 begins the long series of brutal confrontations that result in Pharaoh and his army meeting their end in the Red Sea (chapter 14), to the great delight and celebration of the Hebrews (chapter 15). But where have we been so far?

Review

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

Exodus 1: The sons of God have many enemies, but none can prevent God’s promises from being fulfilled.
Exodus 2: God will deliver his people through the hand of his appointed deliverer…just not yet.
Exodus 3:1-4:17: God must deliver his people through the hand of a mediator, however hesitant he may be.
Exodus 4:18-31: One qualified to serve as God’s faithful and merciful mediator must be made like his brothers in every way. Because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Exodus 5:1-21: The LORD makes his people rest and stink.
Exodus 5:22-7:7: Yahweh is a God who provides not only a powerful mediator but also a great high priest to deliver his people and proclaim he is God.

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).

Pull It Together

Now what does this show us about the flow of thought in chapters 1-7?

Chapter 1 serves to introduce the major conflict and need: Nobody can prevent God from keeping his promises. But it left us with a question: HOW will God go about fulfilling his promises in such a dire situation as his people’s oppression and infanticide?
Beginning with chapter 2, the Lord answers this question by raising up a mediator for his people. Each section places another piece into this puzzle.
- Exodus 2: The mediator is not yet ready for these people, nor are these people ready for him.
- Exodus 3:1-4:17: The mediator must overcome his own hesitations.
- Exodus 4:18-31: The mediator must become like his people in every way.
- Exodus 5:1-21: For both the mediator and the people, things must get worse before they can get better.
- Exodus 5:22-7:7: Moses himself is not enough to mediate for these people; even he needs a great high priest to make him what God wants him to be.

In a sense, these early chapters of Exodus serve as Moses’ boot camp. These chapters show us how much it matters to God to make sure his mediator is fully qualified and trained for the task of deliverance. And this boot camp serves as Part 1 of the book’s first act, the demolition of the house of slavery.

We can flesh out 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: ??? [We’ll begin studying this part in a few weeks.]

Act II: Yahweh prepares to rebuild (Ex 16-18).

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

Gaze Upon Jesus

I hope you can already see the many connections to the work of Christ:

Like Moses, Jesus had to be made like his people in every way (Heb 2:17).
- He also had to escape an evil king who murdered all the infant boys (Matt 2:16).
- He also had to escape from Egypt (Matt 2:14-15).
- He also had to experience a terrifying Passover (John 19:36, quoting Exodus 12), a crossing through water (Matt 3:13-17), and temptation in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11)—all to reinforce his identity as God’s Son (Matt 3:17, 4:3, etc.).
Like Moses, Jesus encountered the glory of God—and Moses himself!—on a mountain (Luke 9:28-36).
Like Moses, Jesus had to work through his hesitations, submitting them to God’s will (Mark 14:36).
As with Moses, Jesus’ efforts made things worse before they could get better (Mark 3:6, 14:48-52, etc.).
Jesus didn’t need another high priest; he became a high priest far greater than Aaron (Heb 5:1-10).

Apply

Did you ever realize how much Jesus went through to win you? He couldn’t just snap his fingers to forgive your sins. He had some serious work to do—all to ensure he would be fully qualified and trained to serve as your mediator and high priest.

Marvel at this God who would become a man to do this for you!

Now you represent him to your world. Don’t expect it to be easy. As God sends you out to rescue sinners by preaching the gospel to all nations, he’s not yet finished with you. In fact, he’s probably just getting started on you. Some of your most significant growth in Christ will come only after you accept the call to go out and bring Christ to others. But God sent his Spirit to qualify and train you to this task.

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

Exodus 5:22-7:7: How to Deal with Excruciating Criticism

November 4, 2016 By Peter Krol

In Exodus 5:1-21, Moses brings his message of rest for the enslaved people of God. And this message ends up making the people stink in the sight of their oppressors. They blame Moses for worsening their predicament, and they ask the Lord to judge him for it. What will Moses do now?

Observation of Exodus 5:22-7:7

Moses does what any of us might do in his place: find someone else to blame. Israel’s elders blame him (Ex 5:20-21), so he turns to blame God (Ex 5:22-23). It’s as though Moses’ objections from his conversation with the burning bush are coming true, and he wants God to know it. What will the Lord do with this?

Let me comment on why I’m ignoring two chapter divisions in this section. That is, why did I select a chunk of text from Ex 5:22 all the way to Ex 7:7? This choice came from observing the structure:

A. Moses complains to the Lord – 5:22-23

B. The Lord communicates his plan to Moses – 6:1-9

C. God commands Moses, who complains of his uncircumcised lips – 6:10-13

D. Genealogy of Aaron’s line – 6:14-25

C’ God commands Moses, who complains of his uncircumcised lips – 6:26-30

B’ The Lord communicates his plan to Moses – 7:1-5

A’ Moses and Aaron obey, just as the Lord commanded them – 7:6-7

Matthew Piper (2010), Creative Commons

First, I noticed the almost exact repetition of Moses’ “uncircumcised lips” in Ex 6:12 and Ex 6:30. Then I saw that the passage begins with Moses’ dire complaint and ends with Moses’ complete obedience. In between those sections came speeches from the Lord about his plans, each speech about the same length. The goal stated in God’s first speech is that the Israelites will know this God is Yahweh (Ex 6:7); the goal stated in the second speech is that the Egyptians will know this God is Yahweh (Ex 7:5)—these purposes have obvious parallels. And I couldn’t make sense of why the genealogy was “stuck in” this passage until I saw how the other sections mirrored one another around it.

I could list more observations, but observation and interpretation are so intertwined for me in this study, I find it difficult to distinguish them.

Interpretation of Exodus 5:22-7:7

Some possible questions:

Why is the genealogy of Ex 6:14-25 stuck in the middle of this passage?
How does Moses turn things around so completely from despair to obedience?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

The structure of this passage takes the form of a “chiasm,” named after the Greek letter chi, shaped like an X. The outline above shows visually why the structure is reminiscent of the letter X. This literary form is common in ancient literature, including the Bible, and the form communicates some of the meaning of the passage. Usually, a narrator crafts a text in this form in order to highlight two things: 1) the change of affairs from the first part to the last part, and 2) the center of the structure as the crux or turning point to effect that change. In this case, Moses transforms from complaint to obedience. And the turning point for him is…a genealogy.
The answer is closely connected to the genealogy. This genealogy at first seems to be a listing of the 12 sons of Israel, beginning with the firstborn Reuben (Ex 6:14) and proceeding to next-oldest Simeon (Ex 6:15) and Levi (Ex 6:16). But, instead of proceeding to Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, etc., the genealogy gets stuck at Levi and dives deeper. It follows the line down from Levi to his son Kohath (Ex 6:18), to his son Amram (Ex 6:20), to his son Aaron (Ex 6:23), to his son Eleazar and his son Phinehas (Ex 6:25). We also get a side branch in this family tree through Kohath’s son Izhar (Ex 6:21) to his son Korah (Ex 6:24). Interestingly, Moses is named as Aaron’s brother (Ex 6:20), but then he is ignored. The genealogist cares only about Aaron’s descendants, not Moses’.

What does that genealogy have to do with Moses’ turnaround from Ex 5:22 to Ex 7:6? Remember that when the book of Exodus was written and handed to the people, they were either camping at Mount Sinai or wandering in the wilderness. Either way, they would have immediately thought of Aaron, Eleazar, and Phinehas as the line of high priests. So at the center of this passage, the narrator reminds them of this high-priestly line as the turning point for Moses’ obedience. It is no coincidence that God’s speech right after the genealogy refers to Aaron as Moses’ prophet (Ex 7:1-2). In other words, Moses is not sufficient to carry out this deliverance from Pharaoh. Even he needs a high priest. Even he needs a prophet to speak on his behalf.

Train of thought:

Moses—God’s appointed mediator—hits rock bottom when the elders of Israel accuse him of making them stink to Pharaoh.
God counsels his mediator by reminding him of the promises and plans yet to be fulfilled.
Then, at the drama’s turning point, God (narratively speaking) inserts a glorious reminder of our great high priest.
Suddenly, Moses is like a new man, ready to obey completely.
From this point to the end of Exodus, Moses will have no further relapses into doubt—even in the face of further resistance and accusation (Ex 14:11-14, 17:2, etc.). In fact, he will even remind God a few times to keep his promises (Ex 32:11-14, 33:12-16).

Main Point: Yahweh is a God who provides not only a powerful mediator but also a great high priest to deliver his people and proclaim he is God.

Connection to Christ: In Christ we have both a mediator more perfect than Moses and a high priest better than the line of Aaron.

Application of Exodus 5:22-7:7

I’ve suffered my fair share of criticism as a leader, minister, and missionary. I’ve had the very people I serve turn against me and accuse me of doing them wrong. I know what it feels like to want—no, to need—someone else to blame.

My greatest need in that moment, as in any and every moment of my walk with God, is for a great high priest who will intercede for me before the throne of grace. I don’t need public vindication. I don’t even need to be right or understood. I just need Jesus. And as an under-shepherd of God, rooted in Christ, I also just need to obey.

This is not easy. But this yoke is lighter than any other.

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

Exodus 4:18-31: Made Like His Brothers in Every Way

October 21, 2016 By Peter Krol

God delivers Moses through a watery judgment to preserve him as a deliverer for his people. But those people reject God’s deliverance through Moses’ hand. Forty years later, God appears to Moses in a bush the burns yet is not consumed. And though he once again calls Moses to a compassionate deliverance of the afflicted people of God, Moses is understandably reluctant to commit. He’s willing to try (or at least not risk God’s further anger – Ex 4:14) and see if it just might work.

Observation of Exodus 4:18-31

Significant repeated words in ESV: Moses (12 times), him (9x), go, LORD/Yahweh (8x), he, said (7x), all (6x), back, Egypt, let, people, son (5x).

This list effectively comprises a good summary of observations: Moses and Yahweh go back to Egypt to let all the people/sons of Israel go.

Names/Titles:

Moses, Yahweh, and Pharaoh are all named multiple times.
Zipporah shows up again, with a feat of courageous valor.
Zipporah’s son is not named (unlike Ex 2:22). He’s just “her son.”
Aaron comes on-stage for the first time.

Structure: This passage takes the form of 4 short scenes marked by the changes in setting and characters:

Paragraph 1 (Ex 4:18-20): Moses request Jethro’s permission to leave. God repeats the mission, and Moses departs with staff in hand.
Paragraph 2 (Ex 4:21-23): Yahweh tells Moses what to expect: Do all the miracles, but I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and threaten his son.
Paragraph 3 (Ex 4:24-26): By means of a sudden, bloody circumcision, Zipporah delivers him when God seeks to put him to death.
Paragraph 4 (Ex 4:27-31): Aaron and Moses meet, gather Israel’s elders, speak God’s words, and perform God’s signs. The people believe and worship.

Interpretation of Exodus 4:18-31

Some of my questions:

Why are the first 3 paragraphs here? The story would have made plenty of sense if Ex 4:17 was immediately followed by Ex 4:27-31. And it would have saved us many questions…
Why does Moses say he wants to see if his brothers are alive (Ex 4:18)? Doesn’t he yet understand his mission to rescue them?
What kind of God would harden someone’s heart (Ex 4:21)? Why would God make this deliverance any more difficult than it needs to be?
What on earth is happening at the lodging place (Ex 4:24-26)? Why would God seek to kill Moses when he went through all the trouble of calling him as the deliverer?

Bob Kelly (2015), Creative Commons

Answers (numbers correspond to the preceding questions):

The terminology of this section has much overlap with Genesis 46, where Jacob and his family move to Egypt: go back to Egypt, see if my brother(s) is/are still alive, took wife and sons, describe what they rode on, preparing to meet Pharaoh, encounter with Yahweh at a lodging place along the way, repetition of “people” and “son,” brother coming the other way from Egypt to meet him, happy reunion. Really, you should read Genesis 46:1-34 back-to-back with Exodus 4:18-31. You can’t miss all the similarities.
This question cements the connection to Israel’s descent into Egypt in Genesis 46 (see especially Gen 45:28, 46:30). I think there is much reason to believe the narrator wants us to see the parallels, and think of Moses’ descent into Egypt as parallel to Israel’s descent to Egypt. We’ve already seen that Moses has begun to experience what Israel will later experience (Ex 3:12). If he is to qualify as their mediator, he should understand what it’s like to be them, right? What better way to do that than to have Moses relive Israel’s experience?
Unfortunately, I don’t think this text answers this question. We’ll have to hang on to it for another day. At this point, it seems all we need to know is that he is, in fact, this kind of God. And that he has some reason for increasing the difficulty level of this challenge.
There is much mystery here. Some translations fill in names where there are none in the Hebrew. Yahweh met “him” and sought to put “him” to death (Ex 4:24). Zipporah cut off her son’s foreskin and touched “his” feet with it (Ex 4:25). So “he” let “him” alone. Many things are unclear, but a few are clear: At a place of lodging, God draws near to put someone to death. It has something to do with the son. The thing that causes God to let him alone is the flinging of blood (blood is even repeated two times). Do you get it? This sounds a lot like Passover, yet to come in chapters 11-13! Moses experiences his own Passover-type event as part of his preparation to be a mediator for the people. It’s easy for us to forget how tense and terrifying that first Passover night must have been for the people of Israel. But Moses had already been through it. He could relate to them, and he could help them through it. It takes a gruesome display of blood to rescue God’s sons and make them his true sons.

Train of thought:

Moses leaves the mountain and descends into Egypt, just as Israel did 400 years earlier.
God will defend his son, even if he has to harden Pharaoh’s heart and kill his son.
Moses must experience the worst of what Israel will soon likewise experience.
With Moses now able to both represent God and understand what his people are going through, all are ready for the great deliverance.

Main Point: One qualified to serve as God’s faithful and merciful mediator must be made like his brothers in every way. Because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Connection to Christ: You’ll see I’ve already drawn heavily on Hebrews 2:17-18:

Therefore [Jesus] had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

It’s no coincidence that the very next verses contrast Jesus, the faithful Son, with Moses, the faithful servant (Heb 3:1-6).

My Application of Exodus 4:18-31

Outward, Hands application: When I want to influence others toward Christ, words are not enough. Of course, I must speak God’s words; I cannot make excuses to do away with that step. But I must also enter in. I must experience what they experience, suffer what they suffer, weep with those who weep, and rejoice with those who rejoice. My evangelism should be not as focused on packaging the message just right, as it should be focused on crafting the message to connect with the real-world hopes, dreams, fears, and histories of the people God has called me to serve.

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Exodus 3:1-4:17: The Making of a Mediator

September 30, 2016 By Peter Krol

Exodus begins with God’s people, the nation of Israel, becoming enslaved to a devilish king of Egypt. The narrator makes it clear that God sees, hears, and knows everything that is happening to his people, and that God has not forgotten his promises to make them a great nation. But in the opening narratives, God takes a back seat. He doesn’t do much as a character in the story…

Until you get to chapter 3.

Observation of Exodus 3:1-4:17

First, let me address why I’m tackling more than a single chapter. By portraying a single conversation, the passage compels us to ignore the (somewhat artificial) chapter division and to read Ex 3:1-4:17 as a single unit:

Moses meets the God of his father in a flame of fire – 3:1-6
The LORD reveals his plan to rescue his people through the hand of Moses – 3:7-10
Moses objects to this plan, and God responds to each objection – 3:11-4:17
- Objection #1: Who am I? – 3:11-12
- Objection #2: Who shall I say sent me? – 3:13-22
- Objection #3: They won’t believe me – 4:1-9
- Objection #4: I am not eloquent – 4:10-12
- Objection #5: Please send someone else – 4:13-17

Repeated words in ESV: you/your (58 times), I (31x), God (28x), said (22x), Lord (18), Moses (15), out (14), hand (13), not (12)

Since the passage is a long Q&A between Moses and God, we shouldn’t be surprised to see words like “you” and “I” so often. But they also highlight the nature of the conversation: This discussion isn’t about merely “what” will happen, but about what “you” and “I” will do about it.
The repetition of “hand” is also striking. Whose hand will be mighty enough to care for these people (Ex 3:19)? Pharaoh’s (Ex 3:8)? God’s (Ex 3:20)? Or God’s hand as represented by Moses’ hand (Ex 4:2, 6, 17, etc.)?

Names and Titles:

God’s name—the LORD, or Yahweh—takes center stage. He is I AM (Ex 3:14), the God of their fathers (Ex 3:15), who has seen (Ex 3:16) and promises to do something (Ex 3:17).
Twice, the LORD repeats the list of 6 nations who must be dispossessed from the new land of promise (Ex 3:8, 17).
Four times, God calls himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ex 3:6, 15, 16; 4:5).
Eight times, the people to be rescued are labeled the people/children of Israel (Ex 3:9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18)—connecting them to their forefather Jacob. And once—when Moses is to speak with the king of Egypt—they are labeled as Hebrews (Ex 3:18). This latter term likely connects their identity to their ancestor Eber, in whose days the nations were divided (Gen 10:24-25). Pharaoh wanted to build another Babel (Ex 1:10-11, 14; Gen 11:3-4); he’ll get it unexpectedly, when God splits nations apart once again.

Garry Wilmore (2006), Creative Commons

Interpretation of Exodus 3:1-4:17

A few possible questions:

Why does God appear in a burning bush?
Why won’t God just save the people himself? Why is he so committed to doing it through Moses (Ex 3:10)?
Why does Moses have so many objections?
Why is it so important for Moses to have God’s name to give the people?

Answers (numbers correspond to the preceding questions):

Twice, the text tells us the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. First, the narrator states it (Ex 3:2). Second, Moses mentions it out loud as the reason he turns aside from his shepherding (Ex 3:3). This visual image clearly matters, as it pictures the nature of God: He who burns but does not consume. He is dangerous, but not destructive. You should come close, but not too close. Later, the book will unpack this image—on this very mountain—as the consuming fire dwells in the cloud (Ex 19:18, 24:17-18). And God will more fully reveal his name to Moses as grace and truth (Ex 34:6-7). The image in chapter 3 gives us a beautiful word picture: the bush burns (truth), but is not consumed (grace). This is the nature of God’s glory. Not grace OR truth, but both grace AND truth.
This is how God has chosen to do it. God says both “I have come down to deliver them” (Ex 3:8) and “I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people out of Egypt” (Ex 3:10). Moses clearly represents God to Pharaoh (Ex 3:10) and the people (Ex 4:16). And, by having this experience with this God on this mountain (an experience the people will share later in the book – see Ex 3:12), Moses is representing the people before God. In other words, God will save his people, but the only way to do it is through a mediator.
Well, how would you feel if you had already tried to deliver these people once before? And they had utterly rejected your deliverance? And you had to flee Egypt as a result? And you’ve had 40 years to stew on all this (Acts 7:30)? And you’re very happy with your new life and your new family? And you’ve made peace with being a sojourner in a foreign land (Ex 2:22)? Notice, however, that God is very patient in answering all Moses’ objections…until Moses renders a flat refusal (Ex 4:13). Only then does God’s anger burn against Moses (Ex 4:14). These people are as good as dead to Moses; but this God is not God of the dead but of the living (Mark 12:24-27).
Vast theological treatises explore the philosophical ramifications of God’s self-revelation in Ex 3:14-15. Those are all well and good, but we must not overlook the purpose of this revelation in the story’s context: Moses needs some way to verify his testimony. If he goes back to Egypt, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, to these people who have already rejected him, and he speaks of a meeting with the God of their fathers on a remote mountaintop—they’ll want to verify he’s speaking about the right God. How will they know this is the same God who made those promises to their fathers? And God’s name, his self-existence, his eternality, etc.—all provide the required verification.

Train of thought:

At the beginning, Moses is cheerfully keeping his father-in-laws flocks (Ex 3:1).
At the end, he will request leave from these duties (Ex 4:18).
This conversation on the mountain of God transforms Moses from being indifferent to the people’s plight to being committed to rescue them. He gets there as God lays out the plan and addresses each objection.

Main Point: God must deliver his people through the hand of a mediator, however hesitant he may be.

Connection to Christ: “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5). And though this true mediator wished for some other way, unlike Moses he never refused his calling (Mark 15:35-36).

My Application of Exodus 3:1-4:17

Now that I am in Christ, I, too, have a mediatorial role (James 5:19-20, Jude 23). Am I willing to embrace it? “I’m not eloquent” or “Evangelism isn’t my gift” simply won’t cut it. Unless I’m willing to risk the Lord’s burning anger at my refusal.

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