Old Testament · Law

Exodus chapter 33

Yahweh told Moses, “Get moving — you and the people you brought up from Egypt. Head toward the land I to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’I’ll send an ahead of you, and I’ll drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.Go to that land . But I will not go with you myself, because you are a , and I might destroy you on the way.”When the people heard this devastating news, they , and no one put on any jewelry.Yahweh had told Moses, “Tell the Israelites: ‘You are a stubborn people. If I went with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. So take off your jewelry, and I’ll decide what to do with you.’”So from onward, the Israelites stripped off their jewelry.Moses would take the tent and set it up outside the camp, a good distance away, and he called it the “.” Anyone who wanted to ask something of Yahweh would go out to the Tent of Meeting, outside the camp.Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would stand at their own tent entrances and watch Moses until he disappeared inside.As Moses entered the tent, the would come down and stand at the tent’s entrance while Yahweh spoke with Moses.When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tent’s entrance, they would each stand and at their own tent entrance.Yahweh would speak to Moses , the way someone talks to a . Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant son of Nun stayed at the tent and never left it.Moses said to Yahweh, “Look, you keep telling me, ‘Lead this people forward,’ but you haven’t told me who you’re sending with me. You’ve said, ‘, and you have my .’So if I really do have your favor, show me so I can and continue in your favor. And remember — this nation is your people.”Yahweh answered, “ will go with you, and I will give you .”Moses replied, “If your presence isn’t going with us, don’t send us from here.How will anyone know that I have your favor — that your people and I have your favor — unless you go with us? That’s the only thing that from every other nation on the face of the earth.”Yahweh said to Moses, “I will do exactly what you’ve asked, because you have my favor, and I know you by name.”Then Moses said, “Please — show me your .”Yahweh said, “I will make all my pass in front of you, and I will announce the name ‘Yahweh’ right in front of you. I show to whoever I choose to show kindness, and I show to whoever I choose to show compassion.”“But,” he said, “you cannot see , because no one can see me and survive.”Then Yahweh said, “Look, there’s a place near me where you can stand on .When my glory passes by, I’ll put you in a gap in the rock and until I’ve passed by.Then I’ll take my hand away and you’ll see — but my face must never be seen.”