 Previous Chapter |
 Return to Outline |
 Ask Questions |
 Next Chapter |
Chapter 33 records the following. The people had sinned grievously in the eyes of God, and the Lord was angered. He told Moses to leave Mt. Sinai and head for the Promise Land. He also told him that He would not go with them because He was so angry, He was afraid that He might consume them. He told Moses to tell the people that they were a "stiff necked" people and that they were to take off their jewelry while He decided what to do with them. If they could part with their jewelry for the purpose of sin (the making of the golden calf), surly they could part with it as a token of their sorrow and shame of it.
The Levites had killed some 3,000 of them with the sword for their sin, and they "did not grieve". But with the news that God was denying them His presence because of their sin, "they grieved". Thus the people did not wear any jewelry from this time on until they reached the Promise land.
The Lord had denied them His presence, but He did send them an Angel to guide them. Up until this time the Tabernacle had been positioned in the center of the people with the tribes positioned around it. Now Moses took the Tabernacle a distance outside the camp to indicate that the Lord had separated Himself from them. When Moses would go to the Tabernacle, "pillar of cloud" would appear at the door of the Tabernacle and when the people saw this, they would stand at the door of their tent and worship.
The Lord spoke to Moses as a friend speaks to a friend and Moses spoke to the Lord and said, "You have told me to bring this people up to the Promise Land, but you haven't told me that you will go with me." "You said that I had found favor in your sight, if that is so, show or tell me your plans." Moses did not want to go any further without the leadership of the Lord. If the people of Israel were no longer God's people, he did not wish to leave Mt. Sinai.
Well, the Lord promised Moses His leadership. But Moses was not sure. He asked the Lord to show him His Glory, but God was not intimidated by Moses. He said, "I will be gracious on whom I please and show mercy on whom I please." However, the Lord did allow Moses to partially see His Glory. He hid Moses in a cleft of a rock, covered him with His hand until He had passed by and then allowed Moses to see the "parting Glory" of God.
Previous Chapter |
Return to Outline |
Ask Questions |
Next Chapter |