And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.
And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.
And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.
And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.
And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.
And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.
And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.
Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:
But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:
For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;
And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.
Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.
All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male.
But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.
Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.
Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel.
For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year.
Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.
The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.
And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.
And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.
But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.
And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
Exodus 34 marks a pivotal moment in the relationship between God and Israel after the devastating incident of the golden calf. This chapter reveals God's enduring faithfulness, Moses's intercession, and a renewed covenant, ultimately demonstrating the transformative power of God's presence. This chapter provides profound insights into God's character and the blessings available to those who seek Him wholeheartedly.
Recreating the Tablets (34:1-4)
Following Israel's egregious sin, the broken tablets of the law symbolized the broken covenant. God, in His grace, instructs Moses to hew two new stone tablets, mirroring the first set (Exodus 34:1-4). This act underscores God's willingness to restore the relationship. The LORD promises to inscribe the Ten Commandments upon them once more (Exodus 34:1), reaffirming the foundational principles of the covenant. Moses is commanded to ascend Mount Sinai alone, emphasizing the sacredness of the encounter and the exclusive nature of God's revelation. No one, neither human nor animal, was to accompany him (Exodus 34:3), highlighting the reverence due to God's presence.
The Proclamation of God's Name (34:5-7)
As promised, the LORD descends in a cloud and proclaims His name (Exodus 34:5). This isn't merely a vocal declaration, but a revelation of His very character. He announces, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation" (Exodus 34:6-7).
This self-revelation is a cornerstone of understanding God. He is compassionate, gracious, patient, and overflowing with love and truth. He extends mercy to countless generations. However, His love isn't permissive. God's holiness demands justice. He cannot simply ignore sin. This tension between God's love and justice finds its resolution in the gospel. On the cross, Jesus Christ bore the penalty for sin, satisfying God's righteous demands and making it possible for Him to extend grace to those who repent and believe.
Moses's Intercession and Worship (34:8-9)
Overwhelmed by God's glory and the revelation of His character, Moses immediately bows in worship (Exodus 34:8). He then pleads with God to forgive Israel's iniquity, to accept them as His people, and to continue to journey with them (Exodus 34:9). Moses's intercession highlights the vital role of a mediator, foreshadowing the ultimate mediation of Jesus Christ between God and humanity.
Renewing the Covenant (34:10-26)
Despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God reaffirms His commitment to the covenant (Exodus 34:10). He promises to perform wonders and drive out the inhabitants of the land (Exodus 34:10-11), reiterating His promise to give Israel the Promised Land. God lays out specific commands, emphasizing the importance of obedience. Israel is warned against making treaties with the inhabitants of the land and against intermarrying with them (Exodus 34:12, 15-16). These prohibitions were designed to protect Israel from the corrupting influence of idolatry and to maintain their unique identity as God's chosen people. The LORD's jealousy for His name (Exodus 34:14) underscores the exclusivity of devotion He requires. These verses reiterate earlier instructions regarding the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the dedication of the firstborn, and the observance of the Sabbath (Exodus 34:18-26). The requirement for all males to appear before the Lord three times a year (Exodus 34:23) highlights the importance of communal worship and covenant renewal.
The Shining Face of Moses (34:27-35)
God instructs Moses to write down the words of the covenant (Exodus 34:27), further solidifying the Mosaic authorship of Exodus. Moses spends forty days and nights in God's presence, neither eating nor drinking, as he inscribes the covenant on the tablets (Exodus 34:28). When Moses descends from the mountain, he is unaware that his face is radiant because he has been in God's presence (Exodus 34:29).
This radiance is a tangible manifestation of God's glory. As 1 John 1:5 declares, "God is light." Jesus also said, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). Spending time in God's presence transforms us, reflecting His character and glory to the world. The people of Israel were afraid of Moses's shining face (Exodus 34:30), and Moses began to wear a veil to cover it (Exodus 34:33).
Paul, in 2 Corinthians 3:7-18, draws a powerful contrast between the fading glory of the old covenant, symbolized by Moses's veiled face, and the surpassing glory of the new covenant in Christ. The glory on Moses' face was temporary, but the transformation believers experience through the Holy Spirit is permanent. As we gaze upon the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, we are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). We are called to "shine like stars in the world" (Philippians 2:15), reflecting the light and love of Christ to a world in darkness.
The key to this transformation is spending extended, uninterrupted time in God's presence. Just as Moses's face shone after being with God, our lives will be transformed as we diligently seek Him through prayer, studying His Word, and fellowshipping with other believers. God desires to transform us, and He wants others to see that transformation.
Exodus 34 offers a powerful reminder of God's faithfulness, His holiness, and His desire for intimate relationship with His people. It challenges us to pursue Him wholeheartedly, allowing His glory to transform us from the inside out, so that we may reflect His light to the world.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.
And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.
And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.
And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.
And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.
And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.
And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.
Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:
But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:
For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;
And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.
Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.
All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male.
But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.
Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.
Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel.
For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year.
Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.
The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.
And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.
And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.
But when Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.
And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
Exodus 34 marks a pivotal moment in the relationship between God and Israel after the devastating incident of the golden calf. This chapter reveals God's enduring faithfulness, Moses's intercession, and a renewed covenant, ultimately demonstrating the transformative power of God's presence. This chapter provides profound insights into God's character and the blessings available to those who seek Him wholeheartedly.
Recreating the Tablets (34:1-4)
Following Israel's egregious sin, the broken tablets of the law symbolized the broken covenant. God, in His grace, instructs Moses to hew two new stone tablets, mirroring the first set (Exodus 34:1-4). This act underscores God's willingness to restore the relationship. The LORD promises to inscribe the Ten Commandments upon them once more (Exodus 34:1), reaffirming the foundational principles of the covenant. Moses is commanded to ascend Mount Sinai alone, emphasizing the sacredness of the encounter and the exclusive nature of God's revelation. No one, neither human nor animal, was to accompany him (Exodus 34:3), highlighting the reverence due to God's presence.
The Proclamation of God's Name (34:5-7)
As promised, the LORD descends in a cloud and proclaims His name (Exodus 34:5). This isn't merely a vocal declaration, but a revelation of His very character. He announces, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation" (Exodus 34:6-7).
This self-revelation is a cornerstone of understanding God. He is compassionate, gracious, patient, and overflowing with love and truth. He extends mercy to countless generations. However, His love isn't permissive. God's holiness demands justice. He cannot simply ignore sin. This tension between God's love and justice finds its resolution in the gospel. On the cross, Jesus Christ bore the penalty for sin, satisfying God's righteous demands and making it possible for Him to extend grace to those who repent and believe.
Moses's Intercession and Worship (34:8-9)
Overwhelmed by God's glory and the revelation of His character, Moses immediately bows in worship (Exodus 34:8). He then pleads with God to forgive Israel's iniquity, to accept them as His people, and to continue to journey with them (Exodus 34:9). Moses's intercession highlights the vital role of a mediator, foreshadowing the ultimate mediation of Jesus Christ between God and humanity.
Renewing the Covenant (34:10-26)
Despite Israel's unfaithfulness, God reaffirms His commitment to the covenant (Exodus 34:10). He promises to perform wonders and drive out the inhabitants of the land (Exodus 34:10-11), reiterating His promise to give Israel the Promised Land. God lays out specific commands, emphasizing the importance of obedience. Israel is warned against making treaties with the inhabitants of the land and against intermarrying with them (Exodus 34:12, 15-16). These prohibitions were designed to protect Israel from the corrupting influence of idolatry and to maintain their unique identity as God's chosen people. The LORD's jealousy for His name (Exodus 34:14) underscores the exclusivity of devotion He requires. These verses reiterate earlier instructions regarding the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the dedication of the firstborn, and the observance of the Sabbath (Exodus 34:18-26). The requirement for all males to appear before the Lord three times a year (Exodus 34:23) highlights the importance of communal worship and covenant renewal.
The Shining Face of Moses (34:27-35)
God instructs Moses to write down the words of the covenant (Exodus 34:27), further solidifying the Mosaic authorship of Exodus. Moses spends forty days and nights in God's presence, neither eating nor drinking, as he inscribes the covenant on the tablets (Exodus 34:28). When Moses descends from the mountain, he is unaware that his face is radiant because he has been in God's presence (Exodus 34:29).
This radiance is a tangible manifestation of God's glory. As 1 John 1:5 declares, "God is light." Jesus also said, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). Spending time in God's presence transforms us, reflecting His character and glory to the world. The people of Israel were afraid of Moses's shining face (Exodus 34:30), and Moses began to wear a veil to cover it (Exodus 34:33).
Paul, in 2 Corinthians 3:7-18, draws a powerful contrast between the fading glory of the old covenant, symbolized by Moses's veiled face, and the surpassing glory of the new covenant in Christ. The glory on Moses' face was temporary, but the transformation believers experience through the Holy Spirit is permanent. As we gaze upon the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, we are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). We are called to "shine like stars in the world" (Philippians 2:15), reflecting the light and love of Christ to a world in darkness.
The key to this transformation is spending extended, uninterrupted time in God's presence. Just as Moses's face shone after being with God, our lives will be transformed as we diligently seek Him through prayer, studying His Word, and fellowshipping with other believers. God desires to transform us, and He wants others to see that transformation.
Exodus 34 offers a powerful reminder of God's faithfulness, His holiness, and His desire for intimate relationship with His people. It challenges us to pursue Him wholeheartedly, allowing His glory to transform us from the inside out, so that we may reflect His light to the world.