Exodus 34:1-27
GOD had said to Moses, “And it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover thee with My hand while I pass by: and I will take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts; but My face shall not be seen.” Exo. 33:22,23.
Dear young Christian, we may not always understand God’s ways in the trials He may allow us to pass through, but in it all we are safe in His hand, and how good to know and feel that the “Rock” is under our feet. We cannot always trace Him, but we can trust Him.
Then the “afterward” of each trial is blessed indeed — we see His “back parts.” May we always trust His long hand, for He will never send a trial or sorrow except for our good.
God then told Moses to make two new tables of stone, like the first two that he had broken, and to come up into the mount again the next morning. Moses did so, but he did not bring these second tables of stone into the camp. When the tabernacle was built he put them into the ark type of Christ. There the holy commandments of God were in safe keeping. He could say, “Thy law is within My heart.”
“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, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth...” This was the character of the new covenant God made with His people in order to bring them into the promised land. Under pure law and left to their own responsibility they had already forfeited everything through their sin. But now it is a mixture of grace and law.
However, we must not suppose that this proclamation of divine goodness here is the gospel. They make a great mistake who in this sense quote “Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin,” and stop there. God did not stop there, for He adds, “and by no means clearing the guilty,...” — this awaited the glorious and perfect work of redemption the Lord Jesus would accomplish on the Cross.
The Lord proclaimed His name as Jehovah in His relationship with Israel, but this was not the revelation of the Father which we as His children now enjoy. This proclamation of His name characterized His dealings with Israel all the way from Sinai until the death of Christ. In contrast how sweet the words of the blessed Lord: “I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith Thou Nast loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:26.
God then told Moses He would bring the people into the land (in grace) but warned them they were to walk in separation from the people of Canaan and must not make any covenants with them.
When they entered the land they were to appear before the Lord three times a year. While they went up to keep those feasts they might have feared that the enemy would come and possess their land, but God would watch and keep any one from even wanting it. What an encouragement, for He will do the same for us now. If we put Him first He will take care of our interests. He is too rich to be any one’s debtor. He loves to take care of His own while they lay up treasures in heaven.
“THEIR SINS AND THEIR INIQUIES WILL I REMEMBER NO MORE.” Heb. 8:12.
ML-03/28/1971