Exodus 34

Exodus 34:1-4

God having in the foregoing chapter intimated to Moses his remission to Israel, here gives proof of it, 1. In the orders he gives to Moses, to come up to the mount the next morning, and bring two tables of stone with him, ver. 1—4. 2. His morning him there, ver. 5—9. 3. The instructions he gave him, ver. 15—28. 4. The honour he put upon him, ver. 29—35. In all which God doth with Moses as a public prayer, and mediate between him and Israel, and a type of the great mediator.

1. 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. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. ¶ 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.

God being reconciled through Moses’ intercession, the covenant is renewed.

1. Moses is commanded to hear new tables for God to write upon, instead of those which were broken. Note, (1.) Wherever God through Christ is reconciled to a soul, there he will a new engrave on the heart the law which sin had utterly defaced. Though it is not our covenant of life, it must become our rule of conduct; and we shall be under a dangerous delusion, if we promote ourselves peace with God, and live in the allowed transgression of his commandments. (2.) Whatever pains ministers may take to hear the table of the heart, it is God alone can write his law there. We cannot ascribe too little to man in our connection, nor too much to God.

2. He goes up without delay into the mount of God, whilst the people with fear and trembling, stand at a distance, and are left to lament for a reason their late rebellion against God. Note, (1.) We can never be in too great haste to make up the breaches between God and our souls. (2.) Though God forgives our sins, we ought to remember, and in dust and aths repent of them.

3. And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and ‘proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD’ God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7. 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 34:5-7

Moses is now, at the Divine command, gone up to meet God, and he condescends to manifest his glory in the cloudy pillar, and proclaims those adorable perfections which

are

Before God are not only the hope of Israel, but of all the ends of the earth. May we seriously consider this glorious character, and be duly affected with the proclamation before us.

The hard, the Lord God, the Self-existent, and the Almighty, whose power is able to the uttermost to save or to destroy, and good as he is great, delighting in the darling attribute of mercy. Merciful and gracious, full of such bowels of compastion, as even fathers never knew, and freely disposing his grace without respect to our defects; yea, making the most transendent displays of it to the most undevouring. Long-suffering, though our眩uance is not tired, nor his offers of pardon withheld. Abundant in goodwill and truth; like a mighty river are the streams of his grace, ever flowing, and overflowing: and in his promises pledging his word, yea his oath, for the fulfillment of his most extensive engagements of mercy: Yes, keeping mercy for it unfolds, inexhaustible the fours, and endless the current; the greatness of the number who share it, does not in the least diminish the fulness of mercy in him, and it runs parallel with the days of eternity. Forgiving inquis, trumpet, and sin, so that we may never be afraid to return, after our longest or deepest falls, since He is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever, and have to the uttermost. But remember without, he is as just as he is merciful; as incapable of clearing the impenitent as of rejecting those who return to him; and therefore He encases to-morrow in his enemies, wiping their iniquity upon children’s children. How then should we fear, how should we love this great and gracious and holy Lord God?

8. And Moses made hafe, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. 9. And he said, If now I have found grace in thy fight, O LORD, let my LORD, I pray thee, go amongst us (for it is a fliff-necked people) and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

v. 8, 9. Moses receives this proclamation with reverence, thankfulness, and fulmination; and having such grounds, impresses them into a prayer for the pardon of Israel, and God’s presence among them. The more fliff-necked they had been, the more God’s patience and power to bear with and convert them, was needful. Note, (1.) The ground of all prayer is the promises of God. (2.) We have need continually to be crying for pardon of sin, because we continually need it. (3.) They who have found favour for their own souls, ought never to forget their fliff-necked neighbours.

1. 10. ¶ And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people amongst which thou art, shall be the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee. 11. Observe thou that which I command thee this day: Behold, I drive out before thee the Amorate, and the Canaanite, and the Hirtite, and the Perrazite, and the Hivite, and the Jebuite. 12. ¶ Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whether thou goeth, left it be for a share in the midst of thee. 13. But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves. 14. For thou shalt worship no other God: for the LORD, whose name is Ivalous, is a Ivalous God: 15. Let thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and see call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice. 16. And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods. 17. ¶ Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.

Exodus 34:10-17

God graciously answer Moses in the renewal of his covenant with them; and an astonishing instance of his mercy it was.

1. He promises to go with them, to work his miracles in the midst of them for their comfort, and for the terror of their enemies; and to bring them into the promised land. Note, It is a marvellous thing how any God gets (for to heaven, and we shall be a wonder) to ourselves when we come thither.

2. He solemnly rejoins them to beware of Idolatry, lest his jealousy again should be awakened, and burn like fire against them. They must take care of every occasion which might lead them alike. They must not only worship no other God, nor make any image to represent himself, but they must destroy every monument of idolatry, and utterly avoid every connection with those nations who might enjure them. Learn, (1.) The great danger of being unequally yoked with unbelievers; they will more easily succeed to turn us alike from God, than

we shall to turn them to him. (2.) The necessity of removing from us whatever may be a share to us, and particularly of avoiding every occasion which would stir up our easily begetting sin.

18. ¶ The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep: Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib for in the month Abib thou camed out from Egypt. 19. All that openeth the matrix is mine: and every firfting among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male. 20. But the firfting of an old thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firft-born of thy sons thou shalt redeem: and none shall appear before me empty. 21. ¶ Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt reft: in caring time and in harvest thou shalt reft. 22. ¶ And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firft-fruits of wheat-harvest, and the feast of in-gathering at the year’s end. 23. ¶ Thrice in the year shall all your men-children appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel. 24. For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God, thrice in the year. 25. Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with heaven, neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of passover be left unto the morning. 26. The firft of the firft-fruits of thy land, thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not feethe a kid in his mother’s milk.

18—27. We have here a repetition of sundry laws, which had been before enjoined, relating to the Sabbath and the three solemn feasts, and a particular promise is added, that during their absence from home, none should desire their cities and land then defenceless: God will not only bind up the hands, but the hearts of their enemies. Note, (1.) When God calls, we may safely leave our all in his hands. (2.) Every man is under the restraint of a superior hand; even the wicked are confined in bounds they cannot pass over. (3.) God’s service is a service of great gladness; they who are faithful in it, find that therein only, true joy is to be found.

25. And the LORD said unto Moses, ¶ Write thou thele words: for after the tenour of thele words, I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.

Exodus 34:27

What was before spoken, is now committed to writing; and abundant cause have we to bless God, that His word is thus transmitted to us, and not left to oral tradition. A covenant is entered into between God and Moses, in behalf of the people of Israel: thus peace is re-abolished, and Moses’ mediation effectual. As we have a greater mediator than Moses, we have also a part in a better covenant, established no better promises, and secured by a better title than our own obedience, even by the kindest righteousness of our Divine Lord.

28. And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights: he did neither eat bread, nor drink water: and he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. 29. ¶ And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai (with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount) that Moses will not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. 30. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come nigh him. 31. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. 32. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. 33. And all Moses had done speaking with them, but put a veil on his face. 34. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel, that which he was commanded. 35. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the veil upon his face again until he went in to speak with him.

Exodus 34:28-35

Moses now spends another forty days with God, nor needed other refreshment than what was drawn from the

In the Chord 1457. preference of, and communion with the fountain of his life: no doute be could say, It is good to be here. They who know the blessing of communion with God, will never count the time long they spend with him, but for the sake of it, will sometimes chuse to rob their bodies of the refreshments of meat and sheep. His work being finished.

1. He descends with the tables in his hand, and his countenance bearing a divine impression of the glory he had beheld.

Thus God put upon him a distinguishing badge of honour: they who converses often with God, carry the impression on their

countenances, and shew it in their conversation. A real christian may be known by the brightness and glory of his daily

walk, shining as a light in a dark world. 2. He knew not that such a glory was upon him, but the people were struck, and terrified with it. Note, (1.) The saints that is most distinguished with God’s gifts and graces, will have the lawful opinion of himself, and be least conscious of his own excellences. (2.) Others often see more of true grace in us, than we can see in ourselves; jealously over our hearts leading us to doubt the mercy we have found. (3.) Guilt makes us afraid even of our best friends, when sent with messages of kindness to us, from the consciousness of our own deform. 3. He veiled his face before the people, that they might talk with him, but when he appeared before the Lord, he conversed himself: true humility will lead us rather to conceal, than make a shew of our excellences; and as ministers, rather seek to be useful, than to be admired. The vali on Moses’ face was an emblem of the darkness of that dispensation. In Christ, that vali is done away: only there is the vali of these still a round us; but when death takes away this body of flesh, then, and not till then, shall we with open face behold the glory of the Lord.