The following commentary covers Chapters 33 and 34.
A
new mediation
We have now to examine a
little what was taking place among the people, and on
Moses's part, the faithful and zealous witness, as a
servant of God in His house; for we shall find a new
mediation going on peacefully, if one may so speak, and
holily, weighing by faith, these relationships where the
mercy and the justice of God meet in their application to
His government. It is not the indignation of holy wrath,
which had indeed its place at the sight of the evil,
while it knew not what to do—for how put the law of
God beside the golden calf? Jehovah says that He will
send an angel, and that He will not go in the midst of
the people, seeing it is stiff-necked, lest He should
destroy them by the way. But I will state succinctly the
facts connected with this new intercession, which are of
touching interest.
The holy grace of
God
God had first said that He
would come up in a moment in the midst of them to destroy
them. This present excision of the people in judgment,
Moses's intercession had averted, and Jehovah calls upon
Israel now to put off their ornaments, that He might know
what to do unto them. Holy grace of God! who, if He sees
the insolence of sin before His eyes, must strike, but
wills that the people should at least strip themselves of
that, and that He may have time (to speak the language of
men) to reflect as to what He should do with the sin of a
people now humbled for having forsaken Him. However, God
does not forsake the people. Moses enters holily, and by
the just judgment of conscience, into the mind of God by
the Spirit; and, before the tabernacle of the
congregation was pitched, he entirely leaves the camp,
and makes a place for God outside the camp, afar off from
the camp, which had put a false god in His place, and
changed their glory into the similitude of an ox which
eateth grass. He calls it the tabernacle of the
congregation—the meeting-place between God and those
who sought Him. This name is in itself important, because
it is no longer simply God in the midst of a recognised
assembly, which was one of the characters we have already
observed connected with the tabernacle.[1] Moses being
outside the camp, God now declares that He will not go up
in the midst of them, lest He should destroy them by the
way, as He had threatened. Moses begins his intercession,
having taken an individual position, the only one now of
faithfulness to God; but his connection with the people
being so much the stronger by his being nearer to God,
more separated unto Him. This is the effect of faithful
separation when it is for God's glory, and one is brought
near to God in it.
It must be remarked here,
that God had taken the people at their word. They had
said, acting according to their faith, or rather to their
want of faith, "This Moses that brought us up out of
Egypt." God says, "Thy people, which thou
broughtest out of Egypt, have corrupted themselves."
Hence God says to Moses, "Thou," addressing
Himself to the mediator. Moses says to God, "Thy
people." This earnest power of faith does not,
though separating from evil, loose God from this blessed
claim (chap. 32: 1, 7, 12-34). Afterwards, however, the
people having stripped themselves of their ornaments, and
Moses being in the position of mediator, God says (chap.
33: 1), "Thou and the people which thou hast brought
up."[2] Everything now hangs upon the mediator.
Moses having taken his
place outside the camp, God reveals Himself to him as He
never had done before. The people see God standing at the
door of the tabernacle which Moses had pitched; and they
worship, every man at his tent door. Jehovah speaks unto
Moses face to face, as a man speaks unto his friend. We
shall see that it is to these communications that God
alludes when He speaks of the glory of Moses (Num. 12:
8), and not to those on Mount Sinai. Moses, as mediator
in the way of testimony, goes into the camp; but Joshua,
the spiritual chief of the people (Christ in Spirit),
does not depart out of the tabernacle[3] Moses now
recognises what God had told him, that he has to bring up
the people; he is there as the mediator on whom
everything depends. But he dares not entertain the
thought of going up alone, of going up without knowing
who would be with him. God has fully acknowledged him in
grace, and he desires to know who will go before him. He
therefore asks, since he has found grace (for so God had
told him), that he may know His way, the way of God; not
only to have a way for him (Moses) to get to Canaan, but
"thy way;" thus will he know God, and in His
path and conduct, will find grace in His sight. God
replies that His presence shall go, and He will give rest
to Moses: the two things he perfectly needed as crossing
the wilderness. Moses then brings in the people, and
says, "Carry us not up hence," and that
"we have found grace, I and thy people." This
also is granted of Jehovah; and now he desires for
himself to see the glory of Jehovah; but that face which
is to go and lead Moses and the people, God cannot shew
unto Moses. He will hide him while He passes by, and
Moses shall see His back parts. We cannot meet God on His
way as independent of Him. After He has passed by, one
sees all the beauty of His ways. Who could have been
beforehand in proposing such a thing as the cross? After
God of Himself has done it, then all the perfectness of
God in it overflows the heart.
God then lays down two
principles: His sovereignty, which allows Him to act in
goodness towards the wicked—into this He retreats
that any may be saved—for in justice He would have
cut off the whole people: and the conditions of His
government under which He was putting the people, His
character such as it is manifested in His ways towards
them. Hid whilst He passes by, Moses bows down at the
voice of God, who proclaims His name and reveals what He
is as JEHOVAH. These words give the principles contained
in the character of God Himself in connection with the
Jewish people—principles which form the basis of His
government. It is not at all the name of His relationship
with the sinner for his justification, but with Israel
for His government. Mercy, holiness, and patience, mark
His ways with them; but He does not clear the guilty.
Moses, ever bearing the people of God on his heart,
beseeches God, according to the favour in which he stands
as mediator, that the Lord Himself, thus revealed, may go
up in their midst; and this, because they were a
stiff-necked people. How should he bring such a people
safe through without Him?
The relationship between
Moses personally and God was fully established, so that
he could present the people such as they were, because of
his (Moses's own) position; and, consequently, make of
the difficulty and sin of the people a reason for the
presence of God, according to the character He had
revealed. It is the proper effect of mediation; but it is
exceedingly beautiful to see, grace having thus come in,
the reason God had given for the destruction of the
people, or at the very least for His absence, becoming
the motive for His presence [4]. It, no doubt, supposed forgiveness as
well. This Moses asks for, and adds, in the consciousness
of the blessing of the name and being of God, "Take
us for thine inheritance." In answer to this prayer,
God establishes a new covenant with the people. The basis
of it is complete separation from the nations which God
was going to drive out from before the people. It
supposes the entrance of the people into Canaan in virtue
of the mediation of Moses, and the presence of God with
the people consequent upon his intercession. He is
commanded to maintain their relationship with Him in the
solemn feasts under the blessing and safeguard of God.
It is well to have the
order of facts clear here as to Moses's position. He
broke the tables; the Levites at his summons slay their
friends and relations; and then he pitches the tabernacle
far off from the camp. There the cloud comes down (chap.
33: 9). There the basis of all was laid, first in
absolute sovereign grace, and then in the character of
Moses's personal relationship. This was at the door of
the tabernacle outside the camp. Then chapter 34 he goes
up again, and there, he being in this relationship, quite
a new governmental covenant is made, founded on God's
character mediatorially, and the law put into the ark.
They were put back in principle under law; real atonement
could not be made, of course, by Moses (chap. 34: 10-17).
But Israel was never directly and properly under the
covenant of the law, but mediatorially under chapter 34:
5-10; though the commandments were, of course, before
them as their rule. But this new covenant of chapter 34
was what they were under as to the law; and hence they,
as under the law, were apostate and left of God before
they got it; and Moses and the cloud of God's presence
outside the camp. People sought the Lord and went there.
Utter separation from all mixture with the idolatrous
people, and consecration, characterises the new covenant
of chapter 34. In chapter 23 they were told to destroy
their altars and serve Jehovah who would cut these
nations off But the covenant is not so characterised. It
is of moment to see that God retreats into His own
sovereign grace to spare them. But this was at the door
of the tabernacle and with Moses alone; the covenant of
gracious government was based on it. That was on the
mount. The people were only on that ground. There was no
real basis of relationship; the law, which would have
been one, broken, and no atonement made, nor could be.
Moses had a special revelation of grace. But this seems
to have been personal and unrecorded. I have rather
enlarged upon these conversations of Moses with the
people, because (and it is very important to remark it)
Israel never entered the land under the Sinai covenant,
that is, under simple law (for all this passed under
Mount Sinai); it had been immediately broken. It is under
the mediation of Moses that they were able to find again
the way of entering it. However, they are placed again
under the law, but the government of patience and grace
is added to it. In Deuteronomy 10: 1, we see there is no
longer question of introducing the law openly into the
camp where God had been dishonoured. It was to be put
into the ark, according to the predetermined plans of God
[5], arranged to enable the people,
miserable as they were, to draw near unto Him, though
only outside unto the brazen altar. Moses abides there
with Jehovah. There was enough in the contemplation of
what God was, as He had revealed Himself, to occupy him.
He had not now to be occupied with the instructions [6] God was giving him on the details
of the tabernacle, but with God according to the
revelation He had made of Himself; he neither ate nor
drank; he was in a state above nature, where the flesh
could not intermeddle, in some sort apart from humanity [7]. The Lord writes His law anew on
the tables which Moses had prepared. But the effect of
this communion with God was manifest; the skin of his
face shone when he came down. However, here it was a
glory as it were external and legal, not like that of
Jehovah Himself in the Person of Jesus. Thus Israel could
not behold it. We are in quite a different position: for
us, there is no longer a veil; and we behold with open
(that is unveiled) face the glory of the Lord. For the
glory now is not applied to make good the law in the
conscience; for the glory in the face of Moses did this,
only the people consequently could not bear it [8], nor consequently understand the
figures of grace: the law (as rule of human
righteousness) being broken and gone as ground of
relationship with God, and laid up in the ark, they
turned the figures of grace into law, as men do. The
glory we see is the proof of the putting away of sins and
divine righteousness, for it is seen in Him who bore our
sins and is that righteousness for us. We are rather in
the position of Moses when he entered into the most holy
place.
[1]
He anticipates by faith, jealous of God's glory, the
tabernacle which was to be set up according to the
thoughts and commandments of God, which he had seen in
communion with Jehovah. That was indeed the principal
thing; but it was without the camp, and a sort of
disorder in the eyes of men, and was without the
ornaments and the forms commanded of God in the
tabernacle, and there was not one express word of God for
it to be done. Nevertheless, the presence of God was
there, and the main thing for faith was there; that is, a
tent where God was seen, and where He might be sought,
even in a manner in which faith was more manifest than
when the tabernacle was regularly set up. Then the pillar
came down as a blessed testimony to the faith of Moses.
[2] And Moses really represents Christ
here, not Christ outside the camp.
[3] This is the place we have in
spirit, but it is sometimes hard to connect the two.
[4] We know this ourselves; my
sinfulness in itself would be the reason for God's giving
me up. But now I am in grace, I can plead it with God as
a reason, blessed be His name, for His going with me;
never should I overcome and get safe across the
wilderness, if He was not with me. Surely the flesh is
there. But it is wondrous grace. Nothing shews more
clearly the difference between justifying forgiveness,
and governmental mercy, than this part of Israel's
history. God forgives, but does not clear the
guilty—atonement was not made: no doubt, even in
possibility of government all was based on it.
[5] Thus Christ was in reserve, though
at the same time fore-ordained, even from eternity. He
was only manifested as the true propitiation when the law
had been presented, and man had failed under it. Its only
existence now is, as giving great recognised principles
of the righteousness required from man (in its highest
elements we may add from the creature) but hidden and
buried in Him who gives His character to the throne of
God. But it was necessary to break or hide those tables
(terrible to man) of the perfect but inflexible law of
God. God will write them on the heart of once disobedient
Israel in the latter day.
[6] The little that was said to Moses
in the covenant was prohibitory of all association with
the nations strangers to Jehovah, and the establishment
of links with Him, consecration to Him in everything as
redeemed, absence of leaven, and I think the prohibition
of what was devilishly against nature. What was of nature
as of God, was not to be violated There was redemption,
as the key to all connected with the judgment of evil,
but also the firstfruits of nature were to be consecrated
to God, and the relationship of nature not violated.
[7] Here, however, is seen the
excellency of the Lord Jesus, who in all things must have
the pre-eminence Moses, naturally far off, is separated
from his natural state, in order to draw near unto God.
Christ was naturally near there, and more than near; He
separates Himself from nature to meet the adversary on
the behalf of man.
[8] It had the character of claim on
them coming with the law from above, and thus they could
not see the prefigurement of Christ, when it came out
either (see 2 Cor. 3). The whole position is of all
importance. On the ground of law, that is, man's
responsibility, all being gone, God retreated into His
own sovereignty (Moses pleading as to Israel God’s
unconditional promises), and Israel were placed under the
governmental name and dealings of God as they are to this
day, only having since rejected Christ and promise and
grace.
Exodus 33 Bible Commentary
John Darby’s Synopsis
A new mediation
We have now to examine a little what was taking place among the people, and on Moses's part, the faithful and zealous witness, as a servant of God in His house; for we shall find a new mediation going on peacefully, if one may so speak, and holily, weighing by faith, these relationships where the mercy and the justice of God meet in their application to His government. It is not the indignation of holy wrath, which had indeed its place at the sight of the evil, while it knew not what to do—for how put the law of God beside the golden calf? Jehovah says that He will send an angel, and that He will not go in the midst of the people, seeing it is stiff-necked, lest He should destroy them by the way. But I will state succinctly the facts connected with this new intercession, which are of touching interest.
The holy grace of God
God had first said that He would come up in a moment in the midst of them to destroy them. This present excision of the people in judgment, Moses's intercession had averted, and Jehovah calls upon Israel now to put off their ornaments, that He might know what to do unto them. Holy grace of God! who, if He sees the insolence of sin before His eyes, must strike, but wills that the people should at least strip themselves of that, and that He may have time (to speak the language of men) to reflect as to what He should do with the sin of a people now humbled for having forsaken Him. However, God does not forsake the people. Moses enters holily, and by the just judgment of conscience, into the mind of God by the Spirit; and, before the tabernacle of the congregation was pitched, he entirely leaves the camp, and makes a place for God outside the camp, afar off from the camp, which had put a false god in His place, and changed their glory into the similitude of an ox which eateth grass. He calls it the tabernacle of the congregation—the meeting-place between God and those who sought Him. This name is in itself important, because it is no longer simply God in the midst of a recognised assembly, which was one of the characters we have already observed connected with the tabernacle.[1] Moses being outside the camp, God now declares that He will not go up in the midst of them, lest He should destroy them by the way, as He had threatened. Moses begins his intercession, having taken an individual position, the only one now of faithfulness to God; but his connection with the people being so much the stronger by his being nearer to God, more separated unto Him. This is the effect of faithful separation when it is for God's glory, and one is brought near to God in it.
It must be remarked here, that God had taken the people at their word. They had said, acting according to their faith, or rather to their want of faith, "This Moses that brought us up out of Egypt." God says, "Thy people, which thou broughtest out of Egypt, have corrupted themselves." Hence God says to Moses, "Thou," addressing Himself to the mediator. Moses says to God, "Thy people." This earnest power of faith does not, though separating from evil, loose God from this blessed claim (chap. 32: 1, 7, 12-34). Afterwards, however, the people having stripped themselves of their ornaments, and Moses being in the position of mediator, God says (chap. 33: 1), "Thou and the people which thou hast brought up."[2] Everything now hangs upon the mediator.
Moses having taken his place outside the camp, God reveals Himself to him as He never had done before. The people see God standing at the door of the tabernacle which Moses had pitched; and they worship, every man at his tent door. Jehovah speaks unto Moses face to face, as a man speaks unto his friend. We shall see that it is to these communications that God alludes when He speaks of the glory of Moses (Num. 12: 8), and not to those on Mount Sinai. Moses, as mediator in the way of testimony, goes into the camp; but Joshua, the spiritual chief of the people (Christ in Spirit), does not depart out of the tabernacle[3] Moses now recognises what God had told him, that he has to bring up the people; he is there as the mediator on whom everything depends. But he dares not entertain the thought of going up alone, of going up without knowing who would be with him. God has fully acknowledged him in grace, and he desires to know who will go before him. He therefore asks, since he has found grace (for so God had told him), that he may know His way, the way of God; not only to have a way for him (Moses) to get to Canaan, but "thy way;" thus will he know God, and in His path and conduct, will find grace in His sight. God replies that His presence shall go, and He will give rest to Moses: the two things he perfectly needed as crossing the wilderness. Moses then brings in the people, and says, "Carry us not up hence," and that "we have found grace, I and thy people." This also is granted of Jehovah; and now he desires for himself to see the glory of Jehovah; but that face which is to go and lead Moses and the people, God cannot shew unto Moses. He will hide him while He passes by, and Moses shall see His back parts. We cannot meet God on His way as independent of Him. After He has passed by, one sees all the beauty of His ways. Who could have been beforehand in proposing such a thing as the cross? After God of Himself has done it, then all the perfectness of God in it overflows the heart.
God then lays down two principles: His sovereignty, which allows Him to act in goodness towards the wicked—into this He retreats that any may be saved—for in justice He would have cut off the whole people: and the conditions of His government under which He was putting the people, His character such as it is manifested in His ways towards them. Hid whilst He passes by, Moses bows down at the voice of God, who proclaims His name and reveals what He is as JEHOVAH. These words give the principles contained in the character of God Himself in connection with the Jewish people—principles which form the basis of His government. It is not at all the name of His relationship with the sinner for his justification, but with Israel for His government. Mercy, holiness, and patience, mark His ways with them; but He does not clear the guilty. Moses, ever bearing the people of God on his heart, beseeches God, according to the favour in which he stands as mediator, that the Lord Himself, thus revealed, may go up in their midst; and this, because they were a stiff-necked people. How should he bring such a people safe through without Him?
The relationship between Moses personally and God was fully established, so that he could present the people such as they were, because of his (Moses's own) position; and, consequently, make of the difficulty and sin of the people a reason for the presence of God, according to the character He had revealed. It is the proper effect of mediation; but it is exceedingly beautiful to see, grace having thus come in, the reason God had given for the destruction of the people, or at the very least for His absence, becoming the motive for His presence [4]. It, no doubt, supposed forgiveness as well. This Moses asks for, and adds, in the consciousness of the blessing of the name and being of God, "Take us for thine inheritance." In answer to this prayer, God establishes a new covenant with the people. The basis of it is complete separation from the nations which God was going to drive out from before the people. It supposes the entrance of the people into Canaan in virtue of the mediation of Moses, and the presence of God with the people consequent upon his intercession. He is commanded to maintain their relationship with Him in the solemn feasts under the blessing and safeguard of God.
It is well to have the order of facts clear here as to Moses's position. He broke the tables; the Levites at his summons slay their friends and relations; and then he pitches the tabernacle far off from the camp. There the cloud comes down (chap. 33: 9). There the basis of all was laid, first in absolute sovereign grace, and then in the character of Moses's personal relationship. This was at the door of the tabernacle outside the camp. Then chapter 34 he goes up again, and there, he being in this relationship, quite a new governmental covenant is made, founded on God's character mediatorially, and the law put into the ark. They were put back in principle under law; real atonement could not be made, of course, by Moses (chap. 34: 10-17). But Israel was never directly and properly under the covenant of the law, but mediatorially under chapter 34: 5-10; though the commandments were, of course, before them as their rule. But this new covenant of chapter 34 was what they were under as to the law; and hence they, as under the law, were apostate and left of God before they got it; and Moses and the cloud of God's presence outside the camp. People sought the Lord and went there. Utter separation from all mixture with the idolatrous people, and consecration, characterises the new covenant of chapter 34. In chapter 23 they were told to destroy their altars and serve Jehovah who would cut these nations off But the covenant is not so characterised. It is of moment to see that God retreats into His own sovereign grace to spare them. But this was at the door of the tabernacle and with Moses alone; the covenant of gracious government was based on it. That was on the mount. The people were only on that ground. There was no real basis of relationship; the law, which would have been one, broken, and no atonement made, nor could be. Moses had a special revelation of grace. But this seems to have been personal and unrecorded. I have rather enlarged upon these conversations of Moses with the people, because (and it is very important to remark it) Israel never entered the land under the Sinai covenant, that is, under simple law (for all this passed under Mount Sinai); it had been immediately broken. It is under the mediation of Moses that they were able to find again the way of entering it. However, they are placed again under the law, but the government of patience and grace is added to it. In Deuteronomy 10: 1, we see there is no longer question of introducing the law openly into the camp where God had been dishonoured. It was to be put into the ark, according to the predetermined plans of God [5], arranged to enable the people, miserable as they were, to draw near unto Him, though only outside unto the brazen altar. Moses abides there with Jehovah. There was enough in the contemplation of what God was, as He had revealed Himself, to occupy him. He had not now to be occupied with the instructions [6] God was giving him on the details of the tabernacle, but with God according to the revelation He had made of Himself; he neither ate nor drank; he was in a state above nature, where the flesh could not intermeddle, in some sort apart from humanity [7]. The Lord writes His law anew on the tables which Moses had prepared. But the effect of this communion with God was manifest; the skin of his face shone when he came down. However, here it was a glory as it were external and legal, not like that of Jehovah Himself in the Person of Jesus. Thus Israel could not behold it. We are in quite a different position: for us, there is no longer a veil; and we behold with open (that is unveiled) face the glory of the Lord. For the glory now is not applied to make good the law in the conscience; for the glory in the face of Moses did this, only the people consequently could not bear it [8], nor consequently understand the figures of grace: the law (as rule of human righteousness) being broken and gone as ground of relationship with God, and laid up in the ark, they turned the figures of grace into law, as men do. The glory we see is the proof of the putting away of sins and divine righteousness, for it is seen in Him who bore our sins and is that righteousness for us. We are rather in the position of Moses when he entered into the most holy place.
[1] He anticipates by faith, jealous of God's glory, the tabernacle which was to be set up according to the thoughts and commandments of God, which he had seen in communion with Jehovah. That was indeed the principal thing; but it was without the camp, and a sort of disorder in the eyes of men, and was without the ornaments and the forms commanded of God in the tabernacle, and there was not one express word of God for it to be done. Nevertheless, the presence of God was there, and the main thing for faith was there; that is, a tent where God was seen, and where He might be sought, even in a manner in which faith was more manifest than when the tabernacle was regularly set up. Then the pillar came down as a blessed testimony to the faith of Moses.
[2] And Moses really represents Christ here, not Christ outside the camp.
[3] This is the place we have in spirit, but it is sometimes hard to connect the two.
[4] We know this ourselves; my sinfulness in itself would be the reason for God's giving me up. But now I am in grace, I can plead it with God as a reason, blessed be His name, for His going with me; never should I overcome and get safe across the wilderness, if He was not with me. Surely the flesh is there. But it is wondrous grace. Nothing shews more clearly the difference between justifying forgiveness, and governmental mercy, than this part of Israel's history. God forgives, but does not clear the guilty—atonement was not made: no doubt, even in possibility of government all was based on it.
[5] Thus Christ was in reserve, though at the same time fore-ordained, even from eternity. He was only manifested as the true propitiation when the law had been presented, and man had failed under it. Its only existence now is, as giving great recognised principles of the righteousness required from man (in its highest elements we may add from the creature) but hidden and buried in Him who gives His character to the throne of God. But it was necessary to break or hide those tables (terrible to man) of the perfect but inflexible law of God. God will write them on the heart of once disobedient Israel in the latter day.
[6] The little that was said to Moses in the covenant was prohibitory of all association with the nations strangers to Jehovah, and the establishment of links with Him, consecration to Him in everything as redeemed, absence of leaven, and I think the prohibition of what was devilishly against nature. What was of nature as of God, was not to be violated There was redemption, as the key to all connected with the judgment of evil, but also the firstfruits of nature were to be consecrated to God, and the relationship of nature not violated.
[7] Here, however, is seen the excellency of the Lord Jesus, who in all things must have the pre-eminence Moses, naturally far off, is separated from his natural state, in order to draw near unto God. Christ was naturally near there, and more than near; He separates Himself from nature to meet the adversary on the behalf of man.
[8] It had the character of claim on them coming with the law from above, and thus they could not see the prefigurement of Christ, when it came out either (see 2 Cor. 3). The whole position is of all importance. On the ground of law, that is, man's responsibility, all being gone, God retreated into His own sovereignty (Moses pleading as to Israel God’s unconditional promises), and Israel were placed under the governmental name and dealings of God as they are to this day, only having since rejected Christ and promise and grace.