Exodus 33:1-23

Exodus: *Israel becomes a nation

God’s instructions to Moses

Exodus Chapter s 19 to 40

Hilda Bright and Kitty Pride

Chapter 33

The *Israelites realise their *sin – verses 1-6

v1 Then the *LORD continued to speak to Moses. ‘You and the people whom you brought away from Egypt must leave this place. Go to the country that I promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob a long time ago. I made a definite promise to them that I would give the country to their children’s families. v2 I will send an *angel in front of you. And I will force out the people who live there now. Those people are called the *Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. v3 Go to that country because there is plenty to eat and to drink there. But I will not go with you because I might become angry with you. You are proud people and often you do not obey me. And I might kill you on the way.’

v4 When the people heard these sad words, they were very sorry. So they took the rings out of their ears. And they did not wear the other precious stones or gold things. v5 The *LORD had said this to Moses. ‘Tell the *Israelites this. “You are proud people and often you do not obey me. If I went with you, even for a moment, I might kill you. Now take off the precious things that you wear. Then I will decide what I will do with you.” ’ v6 So, the *Israelites took out the rings from their ears. They did not continue to wear any gold things or any precious stones. They did this on the flat land near *Mount Horeb.

Verses 1-3 The *LORD would do what he had promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He would lead their people to the country, where there was plenty of food. He would remove all the groups of people who lived in the country already. But the *Israelites were such proud people, and often they refused to obey God. So actually, he would not be present with them along the way.

Verses 4-6 The *Israelites removed their precious gold rings and other things. They did that as a *sign that they realised their *sin. When people were sad, they did not wear those things for a time. But that became a permanent rule in Israel. They must remember that they had given the gold rings from their ears to Aaron. And he had used them wrongly to make the gold image. Now they gave all their precious things to Moses in order to make God’s special tent and its contents (Exodus 35:22).

The Tent where Moses met God – verses 7-11

v7 Now Moses used to take a tent with him. And he placed it some way outside the camp. He called it the ‘tent where we meet God’. Anyone who wanted to ask the *LORD for advice went to this tent outside the camp. v8 When Moses went out to the tent, all the people stood at the entrance to their own tents. Then they watched Moses until he went into the tent. That was where he met God. v9 As Moses went into the tent, the cloud came down from God. It stayed at the entrance to the tent while the *LORD spoke to Moses. v10 The people saw the cloud as it stayed at the entrance to the tent. Then they all *worshipped God as they stood at the entrance to their tents. v11 The *LORD spoke directly to Moses. It was like a man when he speaks to his friend. Afterwards Moses returned to the camp, but his young helper did not leave the tent. His helper was Joshua, who was Nun’s son.

Verses 7-11 The tent where Moses met God was a simple tent. Moses had not made God’s special tent (the *Tabernacle) yet. Moses placed that tent a distance away from the camp. The cloud showed that God was present there. And the people *worshipped God while Moses was in the tent. The people knew that they had *sinned. Moses talked to God as a person speaks to a friend. God spoke clearly and directly to Moses (Numbers 12:8). Jesus said that a friend understands. When God is your friend, he may tell you to do things. But we know why God gives orders to us (John 15:15). God allowed Joshua to be in the tent with Moses. This was a great honour. And the young helper probably heard Moses’ prayers. So Joshua was learning how to be a leader. This was before Moses knew about the future. Later, God told Moses that Joshua would be the next leader (Numbers 27:15-18).

The *LORD promises to be with Moses – verses 12-23

v12 Moses spoke to the *LORD. ‘You told me to lead these people’, he said. ‘But you have not told me whom you will send with me. “I know your name and you please me”, you have said to me. v13 If I please you, teach me more about you. Then I can know you, and I can continue to please you. Remember that this nation is your own people.’

v14 The *LORD replied to Moses. ‘I will go with you. And I will give rest to you’, God said.

v15 Then Moses spoke to God again. ‘If you do not go with us, do not send us away from this place. v16 Nobody will know that I and your people please you. But if you go with us, then they will know. People will see us. And they will see that I and your people are different from all the other people on the earth.’

v17 So the *LORD replied to Moses. ‘I will do what you have asked. You please me and I know your name.’

v18 Then Moses spoke again. ‘Please show me the wonderful bright light from yourself.’

v19 And the *LORD replied to him. ‘I will make all my goodness pass in front of you. I will announce my own name, the *LORD, in front of you. I will pity anyone whom I choose. And I will be kind to them. I will love anyone whom I choose. v20 But you cannot see my face. Nobody can see me and continue to live’, the *LORD told Moses.

v21 Then the *LORD spoke again. ‘There is a place near me where you can stand on a rock. v22 When I pass by, I will put you in a crack in the rock. I will cover you with my hand until I have passed you. v23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back. But you must not see my face.’

Verses 12-16 Moses was aware that God knew everything about him. God said that he knew Moses’ name. That meant that God knew his character. Moses wanted a promise that God would be present with his people. Moses wanted a clearer experience. He wanted God to be present with them. If God was with the *Israelites, then they would be different from all the other nations. So God promised that he would be present with Moses. And all the people were certain that the *LORD would give to them rest. This would happen in the country called *Canaan. They would remain there.

Verses 17-23 Moses prayed to see God’s wonderful bright light. But God lives in light that nobody can approach. Nobody has seen him, and nobody can see him (1 Timothy 6:16). People can see something about God only when he has passed by them. They can remember his actions in the past. And they can realise his great kindness to them. Then they can begin to understand how he loves them. The best knowledge about God’s character came with Jesus Christ. Those people who saw Jesus had seen the Father (John 14:9). ‘I will pity anyone whom I choose. I will be kind to them’, God said. God can decide about people. He will pity those people whom he chooses. And he will do good things to them because he is kind. Only God has the right to decide his actions. In the *New Testament, Paul reminded people about this verse (Romans 9:15). Paul wanted to emphasise God’s right to make choices.

Israel ~ the nation of people from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the name of the country that God gave to that nation.
Israelite ~ a person from the nation called Israel. Israelite is another name for the Jews. Anything that has a relationship with Israel.

Israel ~ the nation of people from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the name of the country that God gave to that nation.

Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
sin ~ the wrong things that people do against God or against other people; or, not to obey God.
LORD ~ God gave this special name to himself. It translates the word ‘Yahweh’ in the Hebrew language. It links to the words ‘I am’; it means that God has been here always.

Lord ~ a name for God. It translates the Hebrew word ‘Adonai’, which means ‘my ruler’. The word ‘lord’ (without a capital letter) means an ordinary ruler.

Hebrew ~ the language that the Israelites spoke. A Hebrew is a Jewish person or an Israelite

Israelite ~ a person from the nation called Israel. Israelite is another name for the Jews. Anything that has a relationship with Israel.

Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews.

Israel ~ the nation of people from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the name of the country that God gave to that nation.

Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
angel ~ a servant of God who sometimes brings messages from him.
Canaanite ~ the people who originally lived in the country called Canaan; something that comes from the country called Canaan.

Canaan ~ the country that God gave to Israelites. Canaanites lived here, and people called Amorites, Hittites, Hivites, Jebusites and Perizzites lived there also.

Israelite ~ a person from the nation called Israel. Israelite is another name for the Jews. Anything that has a relationship with Israel.

Israel ~ the nation of people from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the name of the country that God gave to that nation.

Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
Mount ~ another name for mountain.
sign ~ a signal; a mark to show that something is special; a powerful act.
worship ~ when people show honour to God, or to a false god. People may sing or pray. Or they may kneel down or give a gift to God.
Tabernacle ~ God’s special tent.
Canaan ~ the country that God gave to Israelites. Canaanites lived here, and people called Amorites, Hittites, Hivites, Jebusites and Perizzites lived there also.

Israelite ~ a person from the nation called Israel. Israelite is another name for the Jews. Anything that has a relationship with Israel.

Canaanite ~ the people who originally lived in the country called Canaan; something that comes from the country called Canaan.

Israel ~ the nation of people from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the name of the country that God gave to that nation.

Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.

'New Testament ~ the second part of the Bible. It tells about Jesus Christ and his followers.