Exodus 33
1 The Lord said to Moses, “Go up from here, you and the people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’
Jehovah commanded Moses to leave Mount Sinai. Moses was to lead the Israelites to the land which was promised to the patriarchs via the Abrahamic Covenant.
2 I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
The angel is the Lord Jesus Christ. Jehovah will drive out all of the inhabitants of the land.
3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you on the way.”
Jehovah will not be among the Israelites. The Jews are so stiff-necked, that Jehovah may end up destroying them.
4 When the people heard this troubling word they mourned; no one put on his ornaments.
The Israelites will mourn, since Jehovah will no longer be among them. They took off all of their jewelry which they had plundered from Egypt.
5 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I went up among you for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments, that I may know what I should do to you.’”
Jehovah commanded no jewelry. This was to remind Israel of their sinful situation.
6 So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments by Mount Horeb.
The Israelites took off their jewelry.
The Presence of the Lord
7 Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp, at a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. Anyone seeking the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp.
Since Jehovah would no longer be in the Israelite camp, Moses moved his tent outside the camp as well.
8 And when Moses went out to the tent, all the people would get up and stand at the entrance to their tents and watch Moses until he entered the tent.
The people inside the camp watched Moses, who was outside the camp.
9 And whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.
Moses received direct communication from Jehovah outside of the camp.
10 When all the people would see the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people, each one at the entrance of his own tent, would rise and worship.
The Israelites worshipped Jehovah from a distance.
11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, the way a person speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his servant, Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the tent.
Jehovah spoke to Moses as a friend. Joshua was being prepared for the next leadership role.
12 Moses said to the Lord, “See, you have been saying to me, ‘Bring this people up,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. But you said, ‘I know you by name, and also you have found favor in my sight.’
Moses knew the name and character of Jehovah.
13 Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your way, that I may know you, that I may continue to find favor in your sight. And see that this nation is your people.”
Since they were friends, Moses asked to see the actual face of Jehovah.
14 And the Lord said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
The presence of Jehovah would be with Moses. Jehovah would give Moses peace. There is no peace for the wicked. The wicked are those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ.
15 And Moses said to him, “If your presence does not go with us, do not take us up from here.
Moses does not want to enter Canaan without the presence of Jehovah.
16 For how will it be known then that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not by your going with us, so that we will be distinguished, I and your people, from all the people who are on the face of the earth?”
Moses wanted confirmation that Israel had found favor in the sight of Jehovah. If Jehovah found favor in Moses and Israel, then He would deliver them all to the Promised Land. All of the Gentiles would be able to witness this exodus from Egypt to the Promised Land.
17 The Lord said to Moses, “I will do this thing also that you have requested, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”
Jehovah will bring Israel into the Promised Land, because of His promises of the Abrahamic Covenant.
18 And Moses said, “Show me your glory.”
Moses wants to see the true form of God.
19 And the Lord said, “I will make all my goodness pass before your face, and I will proclaim the Lord by name before you; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.”
Jehovah agreed to show His true physical form to Moses.
20 But he added, “You cannot see my face, for no one can see me and live.”
However, Jehovah cannot show Moses His face. Any man who sees the face of Jehovah will die. Jesus claimed to see the face of Jehovah, yet He lived. Therefore, Jesus was God. It is possible that when a person dies, he sees the face of God.
21 The Lord said, “Here is a place by me; you will station yourself on a rock.
Jehovah gave Moses a private showing in the best seat in the house.
22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and will cover you with my hand while I pass by.
Jehovah will cover the eyes of Moses with His hand so that Moses cannot see His face.
23 Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back, but my face must not be seen.”
Moses will only be able to see the backside of Jehovah.