Exodus 33
Big idea: The question is no longer forgiveness but presence. God tells them to go up to the land — I will send an angel and drive out the nations — but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you, for you are a stiff-necked people. The people hear it as evil news and mourn, and strip off their jewellery. Moses pitches a tent outside the camp where Yahweh speaks with him face to face, as a man speaks with his friend, while the whole camp watches from their tent doors and worships. And then Moses presses: if I have found favour, show me your ways; consider that this nation is your people. God answers, my presence will go with you — and Moses says the sentence the chapter exists for: if your presence doesn't go with me, don't carry us up from here. Then he asks for more: please show me your glory.
Chapter 33 gets the promise of presence back and ends with Moses hidden in a cleft of rock waiting for God to pass by. Chapter 34 is what God says as he passes — the fullest self-description in the Old Testament.
33:1–11 — Face to face, as a man speaks to his friend
Yahweh tells Moses to depart and go up, he and the people he brought out of Egypt, to the land sworn to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanite and the rest. Go to a land flowing with milk and honey — but I will not go up among you, because you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way. When the people hear this evil news they mourn, and nobody puts on his jewellery; God had said, take off your jewellery, that I may know what to do with you. So the children of Israel strip themselves of their ornaments from Mount Horeb onward. Moses takes the tent and pitches it outside the camp, far off, and calls it the Tent of Meeting; everyone who seeks Yahweh goes out to it. When Moses goes out, all the people rise and stand at their tent doors and watch him until he enters; the pillar of cloud descends and stands at the door, and Yahweh speaks with Moses. All the people see the pillar and rise and worship, each at his tent door. And Yahweh speaks to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend; then Moses returns to the camp, but his servant Joshua, a young man, does not depart from the tent.
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people that you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ 2 I will send an angel before you; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 3 Go to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, lest I consume you on the way.” 4 When the people heard this evil news, they mourned; and no one put on his jewelry. 5 Yahweh had said to Moses, “Tell the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go up among you for one moment, I would consume you. Therefore now take off your jewelry from you, that I may know what to do to you.’” 6 The children of Israel stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb onward. 7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far away from the camp, and he called it “The Tent of Meeting.” Everyone who sought Yahweh went out to the Tent of Meeting, which was outside the camp. 8 When Moses went out to the Tent, all the people rose up, and stood, everyone at their tent door, and watched Moses, until he had gone into the Tent. 9 When Moses entered into the Tent, the pillar of cloud descended, stood at the door of the Tent, and Yahweh spoke with Moses. 10 All the people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the door of the Tent, and all the people rose up and worshiped, everyone at their tent door. 11 Yahweh spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. He turned again into the camp, but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, didn’t depart from the Tent.
33:12–23 — If your presence doesn't go
Moses presses the point: you tell me to bring up this people, but you haven't let me know whom you will send with me — yet you have said, I know you by name, and you have also found favour in my sight. Now therefore, if I have found favour, show me your ways, that I may know you and continue to find favour — and consider that this nation is your people. God answers: my presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. Moses replies: if your presence doesn't go with me, don't carry us up from here — for how else would anyone know that I and your people have found favour, unless you go with us, so that we are distinguished from all the peoples on the earth? Yahweh agrees: I will do this thing also, for you have found favour in my sight and I know you by name. Then Moses asks for more: please show me your glory. God answers: I will make all my goodness pass before you and proclaim the name of Yahweh — I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious. But you cannot see my face, for no man may see me and live. There is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; while my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by, then take away my hand, and you will see my back.
12 Moses said to Yahweh, “Behold, you tell me, ‘Bring up this people;’ and you haven’t let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me your way, now, that I may know you, so that I may find favor in your sight; and consider that this nation is your people.” 14 He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 Moses said to him, “If your presence doesn’t go with me, don’t carry us up from here. 16 For how would people know that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Isn’t it that you go with us, so that we are separated, I and your people, from all the people who are on the surface of the earth?” 17 Yahweh said to Moses, “I will do this thing also that you have spoken; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19 He said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim Yahweh’s name before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” 20 He said, “You cannot see my face, for man may not see me and live.” 21 Yahweh also said, “Behold, there is a place by me, and you shall stand on the rock. 22 It will happen, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; 23 then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).