Exodus 33

God Tells Israel to Move On

1 The Lord told Moses, ‘Alright, time to move. Take the people you brought out of Egypt and head to the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the land I swore I would give to their descendants.’

2 ‘I will send an angel ahead of you to drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.’

3 ‘Go on to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I am not going with you all, because if I do, I might have to wipe you all out on the way, you are too stubborn.’

4 When the people heard this, they were heartbroken, and nobody put on their fancy jewelry.

5 The Lord had said, ‘You all are some stiff-necked people. If I was with you all for even a second, I would destroy you. So take off your jewelry and humble yourselves while I figure out what to do with you.’

6 So the Israelites took off their jewelry at Mount Horeb as a sign of repentance.

Moses Meets with God in the Tent of Meeting

7 Moses used to set up a special tent outside the camp, calling it the ‘Tent of Meeting.’ Anyone wanting to talk to God had to go there.

8 Whenever Moses went to the tent, everyone would stop what they were doing and stand at their tent doors, watching him go.

9 As Moses entered, the cloud of God’s presence would come down and hover at the entrance, and God would speak with Moses.

10 When the people saw the cloud, they would bow down in worship at their tents.

11 The Lord would talk to Moses face to face, like two homies having a conversation. Then Moses would head back to camp, but Joshua, his assistant, never left the tent.

Moses Asks for God’s Guidance

12 Moses said to the Lord, ‘You told me to lead these people, but You have not told me who is coming with me. You said You know me by name and that I found favor with You.’

13 ‘If I really found favor, teach me Your ways so I can know You better and continue in Your favor. Remember, these are Your people.’

14 The Lord said, ‘Relax, My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’

15 Moses replied, ‘If You are not coming with us, do not make us leave this place.’

16 ‘How else will anyone know You favor us, If You are not with us, we are not special. It is Your Presence that sets us apart from all the other nations.’

17 The Lord said, ‘Alright, I will do what you ask because I know you by name and you have My favor.’

Moses Asks to See God’s Glory

18 Moses boldly said, ‘Show me Your glory.’

19 The Lord said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you and will announce My name, The Lord, in front of you. I will show mercy to who I want and compassion to who I want.’

20 ‘But you cannot see My face, nobody can see Me and live.’

21 ‘There is a place near Me where you can stand on a rock.’

22 ‘When My glory passes by, I will put you in a cave in the rock and cover you with My hand until I pass by.’

23 ‘Then I will take My hand away, and you can see My back. But My face, You cannot see that.’