Exodus 33 Commentary
The tension is still very high. The gap between the LORD and His people becomes even wider. Actually, no longer His people but Moses’ people! Verse 1.
Up to this moment, the LORD’s person has been in the camp and on the travels, as evidenced by the presence of a Pillar of fire by night and a Pillar of cloud by day. But not anymore. The LORD will send His angel for the remainder of the journey. Things are getting worse.
The holy script introduces us to another sanctuary-like structure called the ‘Tent of Meeting’. The LORD would meet Moses here, predating the Tabernacle. This intimate relationship is comparable to the one that the LORD God had with the patriarchs.
Yet for all this, Moses would shock us by asking for God’s glory! These lines are unparalleled in terms of heaviness. It’s like the reader is stepping into the unchartered waters of the beyond. It’s like you are reading things that you shouldn’t read.
The mind tells you not to imagine further. Regardless, Moses is allowed a glimpse of the humanly compressible physical appearance of the LORD’s presence – even then, it’s just in part. There are things which are hidden.
As for the long trip, Moses refuses to accept the angel’s company. It’s a demotion. How will the rest of the world know that Israel is special, he asks. Indeed it’s only the presence of God that makes the saint special. A Christian’s walk is nothing without the LORD by your side.
More resources visit http://www.lovingscripture.com
LOVING SCRIPTURE 