Exodus Chapter 33 Discussion



 
  • Tunney on Exodus 33 - 2 months ago
    May we learn to love and praise the LORD. May we forget not of HIS forgiveness of our sin and the power of HIS presence in our lives. It is most unfortunate for us to only really want and desire what we had after we have lost it. Colossians 3:1

    Let us stay close to the "ROCK" of our salvation, and the wisdom of our GOD through our diligent study and application of HIS word. Let us walk in the LORD and not fall to the lust of this world. Galatians 5:16

    GOD bless everyone as we enter into this new year 2024!

    January 1, 2024

    The Lord to shine HIS face on all who love HIM; and bless us gloriously.
  • Gennie on Exodus 33 - 1 year ago
    When he said I'll let you see my back parts, some of us need to see God back parts, I see God back parts sick laying in the hospital bed, the miracle that he working with my life right now, thank you God for letting me see your back parts, and know that your Holy Spirit is with me! I'm going to rest in You and trust you through it all in Jesus name, and it is so!
  • Michael Otu on Exodus 33 - 1 year ago
    Exodus 33:19

    Going by the quote above is God selective when it comes to blessings?
  • GiGi - In Reply on Exodus 33 - 1 year ago
    Thanks Henry,

    That is what I thought.
  • GiGi again on Exodus 33 - 1 year ago
    Ex 33 continued...

    Moses is asking to see God completely unveiled, to see God in His essential Being, without outward manifestation, but to see Him as He truly is. Moses was bold after YHWH had said that he had found grace in His sight and He knew Moses by name.

    YHWH did not grant Moses' request fully, for no man can see God in His true essence (to see His face) and live, for He is so absolutely holy and majestic that we are unable to bear the experience. He lives in inapproachable light. YHWH modifies Moses' request and says that He will have his Goodness pass before him and will proclaim the name of the LORD before Moses. He then says, "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." This is an interesting statement. It doesn't simply say that YHWH will show grace and compassion to Moses. But is rather a statement of His essential nature. Like the name I AM WHO I AM, this statement tells of Who YHWH is essentially concerning His grace and compassion. No one can contest it nor thwart it. YHWH places Moses in a cleft of a rock and covers Moses' eyes with His hand as He walks by and releases His hand so Moses will see the backside of Himself. This must be figuratively speaking as God is Spirit and therefore does not have a body like humans do. It must be that to see God in "full frontal view" would be to see Him in His transcendency, which no man can view, but to see His backside would be to see Him in a way that a human can comprehend and survive the glory of seeing His Being in the most clear and true way that is possible for man to bear.

    Jesus is the perfect revelation of God. In Him we are able to see the fullness of the Godhead and still survive. He, being fully human and fully God, is the perfect Mediator between the Father and mankind. It is Jesus we will see in heaven. And we will be so satisfied with seeing Him face to face. We will realize how seeing Jesus is also seeing the Father ( Jn 14:9-11)
  • GiGi again on Exodus 33 - 1 year ago
    Exodus 33 continued...

    YHWH spoke with Moses as with a friend. How wonderful to know oneself as a friend of God! Moses was not God's enemy, but one with whom YHWH was pleased and one whom YHWH chose to interact with. It was not Moses' doing. It was YHWH who showed up when Moses went to the tent waiting for Him. Do we have a place set aside for meeting with God? Do we wait there in anticipation and faith that He will show up?

    The text says that Moses would go back among the people in the camp, but Joshua remained in this tent of meeting, not departing from it. What lessons Joshua must have learned from dwelling in the place where YHWH would meet with Moses.

    Moses then inquires of YHWH concerning who He will send with Moses to lead these people. Moses then recalls what YHWH had said to him, "I know you by name, and you have also found grace in my sight." So wonderful that God knows us by name and has chosen to place us in His grace. Moses then asks YHWH to show him His way in order to know Him and to be given grace. He also asks YHWH to consider the Israelite nation to be His people. Here Moses not only prays for himself to remain with YHWH and YHWH with him, but also intercedes for the nation, that YHWH would do the same for them.

    YHWH answers, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Moses request was answered with the assurance that YHWH will accompany not only Moses, but the nation as well by His Presence. (What is His Presence here, I wonder?) YHWH also promised to give rest to Moses. Does this mean that Moses' task of leading these people to the Promised Land will end once they arrive or is it speaking of his death? Here, rest is spoken of as a good thing to receive.

    In the next section of this chapter we have the account of Moses asking YHWH to show him His glory. What a bold request! Moses had met with YHWH on the mountain and in the tent of meeting visible manifestations of YHWH's Presence. Yet, to Moses, he wanted even more!
  • GiGi again on Exodus 33 - 1 year ago
    Exodus 33 continued....

    This morning I continue in this chapter. There is a change of focus in the chapter at this point. It begins by speaking of Moses moving the his tent of meeting (tabernacle) outside of the camp. Whereas before, Moses' tent was within the camp, this move graphically shows how YHWH had separated Himself from dwelling within the midst of the people to dwelling outside, still near, but not within. The difference here is very significant. YHWH did not leave the Israelites, but by meeting with Moses outside the camp, He spared them from being consumed by His just punishment for their gross sin of idolatry. This shows (also graphically) how sin separates us from God. Interesting, the purpose for the separation in this chapter is given as to prevent God from consuming them. This is an act of grace on God's part. I have always thought of the separation from God being because He cannot dwell with sinfulness. However, this chapter puts a new viewpoint on this separation that I had not realized before. Even though YHWH was outside of the camp, He is always omnipresent, therefore, always near enough for us to call upon Him.

    The people would go to Moses' tent of meeting (Tabernacle) to seek YHWH. Whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle (his tent), all of the people rose and stood at the door of their tents and watched Moses until he had entered this tabernacle. Whereas before Moses would go up Mt. Sinai to meet with YHWH, now YHWH meet with Moses at his tent, descending with the cloudy pillar, positioning before the door of the tent. In this way, YHWH spoke with Moses. When this happened, all the people rose and worshipped YHWH, each at their own tent doorway. What a beautiful depiction of worship being done by the Israelites without any false image, but because God's Presence was evident in the pillar of clouds at the door of Moses' tent. They would drop all that they were doing and stand in honor of YHWH and worship Him. Worship was simple here.
  • Henry - In Reply on Exodus 33 - 1 year ago
    Gigi It's a figure of speech synecdoche which represents the abundance of

    What the land would produce when worked. There are more figures of speech

    Used in the bible than any other book. Other examples the hand of God, the

    Ground is thirsty, He maketh our steps like a hinds feet or mountain goats

    Sure footed steps in our walk with God. God used these with absolute perfection

    And precision and they hold tremendous truths when worked.
  • GiGi again on Exodus 33 - 1 year ago
    Exodus 33 continued...

    The people were deeply dismayed that YHWH was not going to "tabernacle" among them on this journey. They may have thought that the God who delivered them from slavery in Egypt would be "afar off" now because of their idolatry. How little they understood of YHWH at this time. The Angel would be YHWH's Representative among the people, the Mediator between His sinful people and Himself. Here we may have a statement concerning the role of the Son of God, pre-incarnate. He is eternally the Mediator between God and Man. Otherwise, there would be no interactions between the Father and humanity other than judgment. But we do not know for sure if this Angel was, indeed, the Son of God.

    The sinfulness of these people who had consecrated themselves to YHWH required a "go-between". Let us remind ourselves how serious sin is to God. We cannot approach Him without a Mediator, and that Mediator is only Jesus. YHWH stepped out of the people He had saved as an act of mercy and grace to prevent them being consumed by Him.

    It says that the people mourned and did not put on their ornaments, as YHWH had instructed them to do, thus showing repentance. I do not know what these ornaments were; perhaps jewelry from the Egyptians. These ornaments would remind them of their sin of idolatry because the calf was made of such ornamentation. They stripped themselves of any such self-adornment. They instead took the dress of one who is penitent, remorseful, in mourning. There, at Mt. Sinai, otherwise known as Horeb, where the Decalogue was given, and the people were soon rebellious against it, they stripped themselves of what was valuable to them in the carnal way, and then turned from wearing them again. They did not put these ornaments back on.

    We would be wise to do likewise. when we confess our sin to Jesus, we are to do so with repentance, with the intent of not returning to these sins, divesting ourselves of all that entangles us in sin, avoiding such snares.
  • GiGi again on Exodus 33 - 1 year ago
    Exodus 33 continued...

    God promised to drive out all of the inhabitants of the Promised Land for the Israelites. It would be HIs working. The Israelites would have to trust Him, believe Him, and not try to do it themselves apart from Him. We must do the same. I am thankful we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us to be the one who defeats our enemies who oppose God and us, His precious possession.

    YHWH said that the land was flowing with milk and honey. There are 20+ Scriptures that use this phrase for the Promised Land. I have always wondered what this phrase actually means. I did a quick inquiry on line and found some good points to mention.

    1. The Land was filled with grasslands and vegetation to sustain their livestock, so the females would be calving and giving milk.

    2. The Land was able to sustain many colonies of bees, which require vegetation for nectar and in turn, the bees pollinate the vegetation. so there was good symbiosis in the land among the plants and animals abiding there.

    3. The Land had nutrient rich soil (re: the cluster of grapes that was so large that two men were needed to carry it). the soil would yield bumper crops of food.

    4, Being a coastal region, the Marine climate from the Mediterranean would bring ample rain to provide water to drink and to grow food.

    5. In this time, the Land of Promise was most likely less desolate that today. It was well forested, which would require more rain then there is today.

    6. The reference to milk indicates that the land was suitable for farming and raising livestock to sustain the people's food needs.

    7. The reference to honey indicates that the land would provide beyond mere sustenance, but much delight and ease of living.

    These thoughts may help us understand the phrase better. I don't believe that the Scriptures ever defines this phrase.

    YHWH says that He will not go among the people on their journey, lest he consume them for being a stiff-necked people. The Angel would go with them.
  • GiGi on Exodus 33 - 1 year ago
    Exodus 33

    Today I praise the Lord for His goodness!

    In this chapter we read what comes after the incident of the golden calf where we learned that sin, especially idolatry requires that God bring judgment upon the sinners. It is the most serious thing in all of creation because if God acted on His righteous judgment, humanity would have ended with Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden. They thought they would be like God and know how to direct their own life. We see in Exodus chapter 32 how the Israelites thought they could direct their own ways, too, and made an object that they thought could truly represent YHWH or even BE Him. How little did they know YHWH! We can fall into this same mindset if we do not increase our knowledge of God in Christ. We should endeavor to know Who God is from what He has revealed to us in His Word, in history, and especially in Jesus. Idolatry flourishes when true knowledge of God is limited. If one is not reconciled to God through Christ and not in the Word to learn of Him, one will have an inaccurate (and most often, too human-like) view of Who He is. We begin to think that He is altogether like us because we are made in His image. But such an image of Him, even in our thoughts, is idolatry.

    Yet we also learned in Ch. 32 that God accepted the intercession of Moses because He already had accepted the sacrifice of Jesus to atone for sin before the foundation of the world) and in doing so, showed mercy to this nation He brought out of Egypt.

    In Chapter 33, YHWH tells Moses to get up and move on into the way God directs them. YHWH says that they will go to the land He promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Despite the resistance and stubbornness of these people, YHWH was still going to fulfill his promise to these patriarchs. He will always be true and faithful to what He promised. His will will be done!

    He also promised to send His Angel to go before them and drive out the peoples between their location at Sinai and Canaan.
  • Devin higgs on Exodus 33 - 2 years ago
    The mark of the beast.

    1.adrenal chrome Pfizer elixir filled with the beast system DNA.

    2. A device that can heal control and make the human body dependent on for living. Elon musk invented the company that invented the neuralink! Created for after taking the Jab.

    3. money to allow dependency on buying and selling. Implanted in the right hand.

    The lord is my savior amen. Christ lord bless lord Christ Christ glory lord Christ lord lord Christ glory Christ amen.
  • Danielle Brown on Exodus 33 - 2 years ago
    Love
  • Danielle Brown on Exodus 33 - 2 years ago
    God is good all the time.......God is good
  • Chris - In Reply on Exodus 33:11 - 2 years ago
    Hello Tony. I remember your question coming up a few weeks ago, so it remains fresh in my mind.

    We know from Exodus 33:18-23, when Moses desired to see God's Glory, the LORD gave him clear instructions as to what would happen; i.e. His Glory (His Goodness) would pass by Moses but his eyes would be shielded from seeing God's Face, "for shall no man see me, and live" (v20).

    So, if this is such a clear Truth that was given to Moses, & then we read "And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend." (v11), how should we understand it? It seems correct to understand this ("face to face") as a metaphor to describe the closeness that Moses shared with the Almighty, as when a friend shares intimately with his friend. With that in mind, we can almost hear the words & tone of voice that Moses used to speak to God in verses 12-18: one of a special friendship, having liberty to speak from the heart. Just as we today might speak to God from our heart as submissive loving children to our Wise & altogether loving merciful Heavenly Father.

    We have many other metaphors used in the Bible: e.g. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 describe Paul's special love for the believers there as a nursing mother feeds, cares & protects her children. Or, Matthew 3:16, showing the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus. Even though some Churches depict the Spirit as a dove (which is heresy: Deuteronomy 4:15-19), we see the Spirit's descent was observed in a special revelation to John, like the slow graceful descending of a dove - no bird involved here at all. So Moses speaking to God 'face to face' is given in similar fashion - a picture of intimacy yet Moses being shielded & withheld from instant death.
  • Rod - In Reply on Exodus 33:11 - 2 years ago
    He was speaking to God as we would to a friend, Exodus 20 explains that it is impossible to see God's face and live.

    the rest of chapter 33 explains what happened in detail.

    Exodus 33:9 "And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses."

    Exodus 33:11 "And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle."

    Exodus 33:18-23 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. 20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. 21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: 22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: 23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
  • Tony on Exodus 33:11 - 2 years ago
    What does that interpret? Did Moses actually saw god, the whole face?
  • Chris - In Reply on Exodus 33 - 2 years ago
    Hello Marie. These verses can be confusing as we are not given a lot to work with to get a full understanding. We can see that in verse 11 ("the LORD spake to Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend"), that Moses is describing the close presence of the LORD in the Tabernacle as opposed to God's Words coming to him from a distance (i.e. from Heaven) or as how the prophets received God's messages for the people. And this 'closeness' is representative of a friend speaking to a friend intimately, which requires both close proximity & maybe a hushed conversation.

    And then we read something of their conversation (vv 12-17) before Moses, in that intimate meeting, then begs: "shew me thy glory." To which the LORD replies that He will make all His Goodness (also referred to as His Glory v22) pass by him. It appears that Moses has been transported away from the Tabernacle, into a rock's cleft, so that God's Glory may pass by him, revealing His Glory in Spirit, yet Moses being prevented from seeing the Face of God. We are not told why seeing God's "back parts" & not God's Face is so different that can warrant Moses' demise - but that's what it is.
  • Marie on Exodus 33 - 2 years ago
    Verse 11 says: And the LORD spake unto Moses, face to face, but in verse 20: it says "Thou can not see my face, for there shall no man see me, and live. I'm confused between these two verses. Can someone please explain what the different? Thank you and God bless you.
  • Chris - In Reply on Exodus 33:20 - 3 years ago
    You're correct, that "no man can see God's Face & live". And so here in Exodus 24, I don't believe the people saw God's Face, only that which God chose to reveal to them. You can have a look at Ezekiel 1;26-28 to read of Ezekiel's vision of God, that he too was limited to what he saw 'of God' but certainly, what was shown to him was so glorious & powerful, that he could only "fall upon his face" (in awe & in dread of being instantly consumed) - such was his sight. And so too, was Moses spared, when God, in Mercy, covered Moses' face as God's Glory passed by him.
  • Dianne - In Reply on Exodus 33:20 - 3 years ago
    Gods word says no man has ever seen God for God is spirit that being stated biblically there are places in Gods word where there are manifestations of His Glory and power, children of Israel pillar smoke by day fire by night, moses seeing bush not burning the greatest example of course being Jesus Christ being example of almighty Gods love and grace and power on display. This is what I gather.
  • Judy Jerde on Exodus 33:20 - 3 years ago
    If no man can see God's face and live, then please explain Ex 24:9-11 to me that says Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 70 elders saw the God of Israel. Was this a special circumstance as it says He did not lay His hand on them? Yet Moses was instructed to go to the cleft of the rock and just see God's back.
  • Bendito Palavra - In Reply on Exodus 33 - 3 years ago
    You are correct, death is the devil's way. The Canaanites dedicated themselves to the devil resulting in their own miserable destruction. God gave them more than 400 years to repent ( Genesis 15:16). Then the LORD, to whom the promised land belongs, judged righteously and cleaned them out.
  • Daniel Raymond Gibbs on Exodus 33 - 3 years ago
    EXODUS 30, 27, killing people instead of allowing them to repent for sin for what they have done. I thought God was supposed to be someone of peace and loving, not death. Death is the Devils way!
  • Jesse withrow on Exodus 33 - 4 years ago
    This I like Joshua 1:9. He will be our strength.
  • Patty Tozi on Exodus 33 - 4 years ago
    There is much Power in Love!! When you choose to say yes to Love-- you are saying yes to everything God is, because God is Love! The more you choose to walk in Love, the deeper and stronger your roots will grow. Remember-- Love is the Greatest Feeling He can build in you. He brings Security in you and empowers you to Live the Life of Blessings He has in store for you!! AMEN...PRAISE GOD ALWAYS!
  • Jerry - In Reply on Exodus 33 - 4 years ago
    We look upon that which is not seen. Jesus says that he will manifest himself to us, and to see him is to see his Father.
  • Stanjett - In Reply on Exodus 33 - 4 years ago
    Yes, but not in this life, but in the life to come in heaven.
  • Sherry on Exodus 33 - 4 years ago
    His Word Is True !!! THANK YOU FATHER FOR YOUR SON !!! KING JESUS !!!
  • Jaime Johnson on Exodus 33 - 4 years ago
    Thank you God for your beautiful shield of protection, you are AWESOME.


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