RENEWAL, RELATIONSHIP, RESPONSIBILITY. EXODUS 34 Moses carefully carved two stone tablets similar to the ones the Lord inscribed the commandments on during his first encounter with God on Mount Sinai. As the sound of his meticulous work echoed through the camp, people spread the word: "Moses is making stone tablets! He is going up to God again!" The instructions given to the people remained the same as before, and as Moses carried those stones, a sense of quiet reverence and awe likely settled over the camp. Three thousand graves bore witness to the seriousness of obeying God's commands—only in God's way.
God again came and "stood" with Moses. Moses would be reassured by His closeness that the terms of the covenant and the intercessory work he had been engaged in on behalf of the people had allowed for the renewal of God's relationship with His people. God again inscribed the words on the stones intended to go in the ark with the children of Israel as they journeyed. The laws remained unchanged. The standards of God's holiness stay the same regardless of what people might say or claim. No votes by a human congress can alter the standards of righteousness established by the Holy, Righteous, Unchangeable God.
In this meeting with the Lord, God declares His name and His Person, establishing the seriousness of the covenant. God's best description of Himself is what He revealed to Moses, not what humans try to describe. He chose to make Himself known to Moses in a more e*ffective way than a vision of His glory. God's characteristics served as the foundational principles of the covenant with the Israelites and Moses, who was their intercessor.
Mercy, grace, compassion, faithfulness, forgiveness, and justice all describe God. His love and mercy bless us every day. By knowing Him, learning from Him, and acting in ways similar to His, we become the people He intends us to be.
He is the Lord, He is Jehovah—the Self-Existent One. He is the eternal "I AM." He is the Source of Life and being, from everlasting to everlasting. The relationship He has formed with His people is of His choosing. He alone is the Source of life and the Originator of every blessing that has come to us. Seven titles identify Jehovah as the "One with whom we have to do." His mercy is part of His character. Compassion, love, and interest in us are part of His essential being. He is full of compassion, and His mercies fail not. "Gracious" and "merciful" are words generally closely linked because we deserve neither.
John described the Lord Jesus Christ as "full of grace and truth when He was here." The work of grace explains why salvation is offered to all mankind. God is a gracious God, not vengeful or hostile. His longsuffering shows that the Lord God does not have a quick temper. Longsuffering is a trait best understood as a "long temper" contrasted with a short one. In His patience, He looks for genuine repentance from those who sin and is ready to forgive - not because He is weak or His judgment is biased by an inconsistent character. In His grace, He waits for the sinner to repent and the wanderer to return.
The acts of kindness—'goodness" shown toward us are like blessings poured out from the endless supply of His loving nature. The generosity of God's goodness has been experienced by all humanity throughout history, yet most people take all He gives without considering the Giver of "every good and perfect gift." The abundance of His truth teaches us that every part of Jehovah is enduring, steadfast, and everlasting. "We change. He changes not." His Word is settled forever; it remains unaltered and unchangeable. His nature is truth. God cannot lie. That abundant truth was embodied in the Lord Jesus Christ when He was here as "The Way, The Truth, and The Life." He guards what He initiates. His mercy is limitless, and He safeguards that mercy through His own Person, regardless of many complaints from people. He is a merciful God to all who call upon Him in faith and accept His offer of mercy.
Genuine forgiveness involves one person being willing to take responsibility for another's guilt and bear the cost owed. Since it is inherent in human nature that sins occur in thought, word, and deed, God's forgiveness extends to the point that "He was bruised for our iniquities." The legal claims against the transgressor, the rebellious, and the lawbreaker come from the highest authority—the Lord God. Yet, He is able and willing to forgive both the transgressor and the disobedient.
Those who refuse to repent and put their faith in Christ are unaware of their guilt. Release from punishment and guilt due to sin is offered, but it requires "repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." Those who come after us will face the consequences of such high-minded rejection. Our children and grandchildren will feel the sting of sin we have refused to acknowledge and confront in the light of God's holiness.
Moses' response to bow and worship clearly shows his gratitude for God's mercy. His attitude toward the Lord reflects someone who values God for who He is, not based on others' standards. God remains unmatched in His dignity, majesty, and inherent glory. We cannot compare Him to any other being or thing. Moses consistently wished for God "among" them so the people of God would remember who they were and whom they served.
Worshipping God with our faces toward the ground before Him, with humble hearts, focused minds, and bowed heads, is the position where we can worship the Father in spirit and truth. We cannot abandon or compromise our commitment to God based on how we feel or what it might cost us. When a person has a covenant relationship with God, it not only impacts us but also influences others. Our time with God will affect us and those who observe us in our daily walk and listen to our words. A conscious and ongoing awareness of our Holy God will help us stay mindful and recognize that we need to be holy people.
The covenant God made with Israel was reaffirmed almost word for word, just as when it was first established, with the Holy God speaking to His chosen intercessor. The responsibilities of His people were restated to remind them of the terms under which their fellowship with God is maintained. The “jealousy” of God arises from His love and concern for those He cares about. Our role is to have exclusive devotion to Him. The Lord our God is one Lord, and there is no other. The words "jealous" and "zealous" mean almost the same thing in this context.
Covenants are crucial because they involve integrity, reputation, honesty, and personal character. Covenants made by believers in Christ with unbelievers are not divinely approved. They come with many strings attached that tie a person to the opinions and actions of someone who is not willing to submit to God’s Word and standards. This also includes religious affiliations. In Israel, no idols or images of idols were allowed, and today, nothing that is not biblical should be practiced in the house of God.
The covenant terms with Israel included attending the three annual gatherings for the seven “Feasts of Jehovah.” These sacred meetings were vital for publicly showing that the Jews were submit to the will and word of the Lord. God had the right to the first place in their hearts and lives. By observing these feasts each year, they were to trust God to fulfill what He had promised them, even when they were away from their homes during busy times of the year.
During the busy plowing season, they were to pause their work and gather with God and His people for the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven weeks later, at the start of harvest, they were to observe the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) and the Feast of First Fruits. After four months of summer had passed, they were to come together again for the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles.
Public testimony is vital for God’s people at all times. When times are set aside for God’s people from various locations to gather, it becomes a meaningful opportunity for individual believers from small and large assemblies to come together in heartfelt fellowship. During these special moments of fellowship, our voices unite with others in praise and thanksgiving to God for His grace and blessings. Our spirits are uplifted, and our souls are nourished as we hear God's Word read and are spoken to by the Holy Spirit through His servants. Perhaps some of God's people will even have “shining faces" when they leave to go home.
Moses was on the mountain with the Lord for forty days and nights. While there, the Lord took care of His servant, so he didn’t have to eat or drink during that time. When we obey God, “He can keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” During this period, the words of the Ten Commandments were carved into the stone tablets Moses had prepared. No matter what people say or do, the word of the Lord is established and “settled forever.” God does not change, nor does His word change.
Moses' time with God was evident to those who saw his shining face. It reflected the radiant glory of God as a result of his being in God's presence. The glow on his face would fade because of his human nature's imperfection. To prevent the Israelites from seeing his face's radiance fade, Moses put a veil on his face. God continued to honor Moses as the one who represented Him to the people of Israel while he was alive.
The apostle Paul used this incident to compare the supremacy of the new covenant over the old covenant [2 Cor.3:7-18]. The glory of the old covenant was that it was holy, righteous, sound, and spiritual, but that made the knowledge of sin unmistakable and unavoidable. Consequently, we were all condemned by the terms of the old covenant. It was temporary and has been replaced by the new covenant that does not fade, is much more glorious, and lasts forever.
The words of the law are written on believers' hearts, and they live and abide in us richly. The death sentence for sin, based on words from the old covenant, has been replaced by the life-giving, free grace of the new covenant that frees us from the law of sin and death. Without veiled faces, we can look upon and contemplate the glory of our Lord. The glory of our Lord Jesus Christ is full of holy, moral radiance, and as we consider His glory and the fact that we are “in Him,” we are transformed. The Spirit of God changes us into His moral image as we are moved by the Holy Spirit ever more into conformity with our blessed Lord.