Exodus 34:1-9
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.” (Exodus 34:1-3)
God had originally prepared the two tables or tablets of stone the law was written on. In anger and frustration Moses broke them when he finally realized how badly the people were behaving. Though his anger was justifiable, it had resulted in destroying what God had done. James 1:20 warns, “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” Though God would rewrite the Law, Moses would have to prepare the tablets himself.
Over the years I have seen a lot of drunkards and people involved in other sins come to Christ. Many of them were miraculously freed from their dependence, never taking another drink. A few went several years, with no real temptation, but becoming upset about something, went back to their old sin. God didn’t instantly deliver them a second time, and some have never gotten the victory again. If we don’t appreciate what God has done for us and waste or destroy it, he may make us work harder for it the second time so we will appreciate it more.
This time Moses was not to bring even Joshua with him and the entire congregation was to stay even farther away than they had been before. Offenses cause separation and distrust in relationships even when they have been forgiven, including our relationship with God. Repentance has to be demonstrated by action, not just saying “I’m sorry“, and until it has, the former closeness will not be restored.
“And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.
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, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:4-7)
After carving out the two tables of stone, Moses returned to the top of the mountain to meet the Lord, and God fulfilled his promise to reveal himself more fully to Moses, starting with his name as a personal thing. Mercy is not treating people exactly as they deserve when they have done badly. God is merciful, forgiving even deliberate sin and known disobedience as well as unintentional ones. He is long suffering, warning the people about their sin and being sure they understand what they are doing. At the same time, he is not like some negligent parent who just yells at their kids to stop, but insists that the consequences of sin be faced even though it affects several generations if they persist in it.
“And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.” (Exodus 34:8-9)
When he saw just a small vision of what God is really like Moses realized just how sinful he and the nation of Israel were. When Isaiah describes his feelings after a vision of God in Isaiah 6:5. “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts.” Daniel describes his reaction in Daniel 10:8. “So I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me; for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.” Similar experiences were recorded by numerous other prophets and saints in both the Old and New Testaments, including both John and Paul.
Like each of the others who saw God, Moses found himself asking forgiveness for himself and for his people. Really meeting God is a humiliating experience, making us aware of just how sinful we are. As a Pastor friend once said, “It isn’t necessary to cry to be saved, but I kind of wonder if anyone who doesn’t seem to want to cry really got saved.”
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.” (Exodus 34:1-3)
God had originally prepared the two tables or tablets of stone the law was written on. In anger and frustration Moses broke them when he finally realized how badly the people were behaving. Though his anger was justifiable, it had resulted in destroying what God had done. James 1:20 warns, “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” Though God would rewrite the Law, Moses would have to prepare the tablets himself.
Over the years I have seen a lot of drunkards and people involved in other sins come to Christ. Many of them were miraculously freed from their dependence, never taking another drink. A few went several years, with no real temptation, but becoming upset about something, went back to their old sin. God didn’t instantly deliver them a second time, and some have never gotten the victory again. If we don’t appreciate what God has done for us and waste or destroy it, he may make us work harder for it the second time so we will appreciate it more.
This time Moses was not to bring even Joshua with him and the entire congregation was to stay even farther away than they had been before. Offenses cause separation and distrust in relationships even when they have been forgiven, including our relationship with God. Repentance has to be demonstrated by action, not just saying “I’m sorry“, and until it has, the former closeness will not be restored.
“And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.
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, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:4-7)
After carving out the two tables of stone, Moses returned to the top of the mountain to meet the Lord, and God fulfilled his promise to reveal himself more fully to Moses, starting with his name as a personal thing. Mercy is not treating people exactly as they deserve when they have done badly. God is merciful, forgiving even deliberate sin and known disobedience as well as unintentional ones. He is long suffering, warning the people about their sin and being sure they understand what they are doing. At the same time, he is not like some negligent parent who just yells at their kids to stop, but insists that the consequences of sin be faced even though it affects several generations if they persist in it.
“And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.” (Exodus 34:8-9)
When he saw just a small vision of what God is really like Moses realized just how sinful he and the nation of Israel were. When Isaiah describes his feelings after a vision of God in Isaiah 6:5. “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts.” Daniel describes his reaction in Daniel 10:8. “So I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me; for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.” Similar experiences were recorded by numerous other prophets and saints in both the Old and New Testaments, including both John and Paul.
Like each of the others who saw God, Moses found himself asking forgiveness for himself and for his people. Really meeting God is a humiliating experience, making us aware of just how sinful we are. As a Pastor friend once said, “It isn’t necessary to cry to be saved, but I kind of wonder if anyone who doesn’t seem to want to cry really got saved.”
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