Exodus

By the beginning of this chapter, Yahweh has yet to fully relent from His anger in the aftermath of the Israelite's worship of the golden calf. Moses successfully intervened to stay God's Hand from consuming them (32:10), but God is unwilling to abide with the children of Israel even though He reaffirms the covenant (v2). No longer willing to go up in their midst (v3), still to the point of consuming them in His anger (vv3, 5), God tells Moses He is instead sending "an angel" before them (v2). Moses tells the Israelites this, and their grief and remorse is finally apparent. Now, the Israelites decide not to wear the vestiges of their Egyptian captivity, the ornaments (jewelry) that had been the objects of their own self-worship (v4). God's response reads confusingly in the English translation (v5), but the meaning is that of a command for them to "put off your ornaments from you (forever) so that I may know what I shall do with you." Just as with the response Aaron failed to anticipate from the Israelites when he hoped they would not want to give up their jewelry to make the golden idol (32:2), the people demonstrated that their desire for God was greater than their attachment to gold. "So the sons of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward" (v6). The reverence paid to Yahweh from this point is more evident as the people stand at the entrances of their tent whenever Moses goes to meet with Yahweh (v10). Because of the intimacy of his relationship with God (v11), Moses persists in his petition to retain God's presence with the people as they continue into Canaan. From verses 12-17, Moses accurately declares to God "His" mind in petitioning for God to abide with His people, ultimately achieving one of the most tremendous affirmations in all of Scripture, "you have found favor in My sight, and I have known you by name." (v17). Today we still speak to God as Moses did in the closing verses of this chapter. We desire to see God, yet He has already made Himself seen in the results of His glory having passed by. The contrast between Moses' interaction with God here and Jacob's from Genesis 32 is the physical and the spiritual. In the flesh, we are incapable of seeing God and surviving. Seek Him in His Word and know Him by the power of His Spirit that resides in you. He has already shown us the effect of His presence.

God's name is יהוה Yahweh. His name means "He Who Makes That Which Has Been Made." Yahweh is the covenant "forever" name of God (Ex 3:15). When God tells Moses the Name he shall declare to the sons of Israel, He tells Moses, "I AM WHO I AM”... “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”(Ex 3:14). "I AM" אֶהְיֶה‎ ('Ehyeh), is the first person singular imperfective form of הָיָה (hayah), 'to be,' and means both 'I am' and 'I will be.' אֶהְיֶה‎ ('Ehyeh) and יהוה (Yahweh) are both the Name of the Lord - breathed differently. When God declares to Moses, "Yahweh, Yahweh God" (v6), He is delivering His own Name for its meaning, for its majesty, and for Moses' complete comprehension of Who is speaking to him. "I AM AND WILL BE HE WHO MAKES THAT WHICH HAS BEEN MADE, YAHWEH, GOD!" The continuation of God's GREAT declaration of Who He is, without interruption, should not disguise how immediate would have been Moses' response in verse 8. "And Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship." To read the words of Exodus 34:6-7 aloud TODAY is enough to prompt the same response even now! Take time to consider that as you read this passage. Then recognize that Yahweh reaffirms His covenant in perfect alignment with Who He just declared Himself to be (vv10-26) and that Moses is (permanently?) marked with a shining face (vv29-30,35) for having been so close to YAHWEH GOD as He declared His Great Name!

In Exodus 25-30, Moses delivered to the sons of Israel the commandments of God for the building of the Tabernacle. These details were delivered with specificity, including all the means by which each implement was to be constructed, the dimensions, and the materials of which they were to be made. Now here, Moses has come down from Mount Sinai and experienced the presence of God. This was after the Israelites had worshipped a graven image of a golden calf, and Moses sent the Levites among them, slaughtering 3,000 (32:28). With a different attitude, the people now stand at the entrances of their tents to worship when Moses goes to meet with God (33:10). Moses' face now shines because he has been in the presence of God and because he has heard God speak His own Name directly to him. Now (chapter 35), as Moses delivers a summary of all that is to be included in building the Tabernacle and states that those whose hearts are wise will come and make all that God has commanded (v10), the people do not have to be reminded of the further details. Their response is immediate "Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel went out from Moses' presence" (v20). They didn't wander about to consider what Moses commanded. They went directly to the tasks he stated. "All whose hearts were willing" (v22) brought gold (v22), fine linen and leathers (v23), silver and bronze (v24), and acacia wood (v24), and the women spun the linen and goats hair (vv25-26) and the rulers brought stones for setting for the ephod and for the breastplate (v27), and spice and oil for anointing and incense (v28). Then Moses said to the sons of Israel, "See, Yahweh has called Bezalel (and filled him with all knowledge for craftsmanship)" and Oholiab to do every work of the engraver and embroidery (vv30-35), just as had been delivered in 31:1-11. What a great response! But it began with a solemn stipulation, that it be done ONLY according to God's plan - working six days, but resting on the seventh, "a sabbath of complete rest to Yahweh" (v2). Breaking this statute was of offense to God and demanded that "whoever does any work on it shall be put to death." (v2). God is indeed "compassionate and gracious, slow to anger" (34:6), as He said of Himself. "yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished." (34:7)

The House of the Lord should never go wanting when there is an opportunity for the people to respond to a need. In the first seven verses of this chapter, we read of two balanced principles for the administration of material to accomplish God's purposes. Moses had commanded the people to respond to the need for material to build the Tabernacle (25:1–9, 35:20–29). Contrite of heart and seeking restoration of Yahweh's presence among them (33:4), the people were eager to honor God with all they could bring, "And everyone whose heart stirred him and everyone whose spirit was willing came and brought the contribution to Yahweh for the work of the tent of meeting and for all its service and for the holy garments." (35:21). When the material to meet the need was adequate for the work, Moses did not allow the people to continue to bring more (vv5-6). The response to the call had been heeded. The need had been met. The acceptance of provision beyond what was called for would have been a mockery of what God directed Moses to do, just as when Yahweh commanded the people to only take enough manna for the need they had each day (Ex 16). God had commanded Moses to tell the people to take only enough for one day (16:4). Moses delivered that command, "And Moses said to them, “Let no man leave any of it until morning.” But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul; (16:19-20). Moses was not going to defy this principle with the provision God delivered for the building of the Tabernacle. God does not desire that we store up beyond our need when there is work that can be done for His Kingdom, nor should the church receive to excess without making use of what God has provided. Christ reinforced this as well in declaring to the disciples how we should pray. "Give us this day our daily bread" (Mt 6:11). Give when called upon to give, and do not waste what the Lord has provided nor seek more than what is needed. The verses that follow in 36:8-38 mirror those declared by Moses in chapter 26, except that here describes what has been made versus what was previously ordered "to be" made.