Introduction
2. The re-establishment of fellowship ch. 33
Breaking God’s covenant resulted in the Israelites’ separation from fellowship with Him. It did not terminate their relationship with Him, but it did hinder their fellowship with Him. Similarly when Christians sin we do not cease to be God’s people, but our fellowship with the Lord suffers.
"Moses had now returned to Mount Sinai and there God spoke with him again. The text has several indications that the author now wants to show that Israel’s relationship with God had been fundamentally affected by their ’great sin’ of worshiping the golden calf. All was not the same. The narrative shows that there was now a growing distance between God and Israel that had not been there before. Each of the following sections of narrative demonstrates specifically the changes that have occurred in God’s relationship to Israel. We should also note that the Levites are chosen in this narrative; in Numbers 3 they replace the firstborn Israelites as priests. This represents a further change in Israel’s relationship with God in the Sinai covenant." [Note: Sailhamer, The Pentateuch . . ., p. 313.]
Notice some comparisons and contrasts between the narrative of the original giving of the covenant and this narrative that describes the renewal of the covenant. [Note: Adapted from ibid., pp. 313-17.]
| The Giving of the Covenant(Exodus 20-31) | The Restoring of the Covenant(Exodus 33-34) |
| All the people were to be priests (Exodus 19:5-6). | Only the Levites would be priests (Exodus 32:29). |
| Moses ascended Mt. Sinai and God spoke with him there while the people waited below (Exodus 19:20). | Moses ascended Mt. Sinai and God spoke with him there while the people waited below (Exodus 32:31). |
| God sent His angel to destroy Israel’s enemies (exo Exodus 23:23). | God sent His angel lest He destroy Israel (Exodus 33:2-5). |
| The tabernacle in the center of the camp was to be the "tent of meeting" where God would meet with the people (exo Exodus 25:8; Exodus 27:21; Exodus 28:43; Exodus 29:42-43). | Another "tent of meeting" outside the camp was where God met with Moses and Joshua only (Exodus 33:7). |
| God displayed His glory for all the people to see on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 24:16-17). | Only Moses could see God’s glory partially (Exodus 33:18-23), and the people only saw God’s glory reflected on Moses’ face (Exodus 34:29). |
| God covered Moses’ face lest he see too much of God’s glory (Exodus 33:18-23). | Moses covered his face lest the people see too much of God’s glory (Exodus 34:34-35). |
| God revealed His glory to test the people and to keep them from sinning (Exodus 20:20). | God revealed His glory to show His grace and compassion (Exodus 33:19; Exodus 34:6-7). |
| God wrote the Ten Commandments on stone tablets (exo Deuteronomy 10:1-4). | Moses wrote the Ten Commandments on stone tablets (Exodus 34:28). |
| God gave the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17). | God gave the "ten words" (Exodus 34:27-28). |
| The structure of the narrative begins and ends with warnings against idolatry (Exodus 20:22-23; Exodus 23:13) and instructions for proper worship (Exodus 20:24-26; Exodus 23:14-19). | The structure of the narrative begins and ends with warnings against idolatry (Exodus 34:11-17) and instructions for proper worship (Exodus 34:11-26). |
| Moses expressed amazement when he saw the people (Exodus 32:19). | The people expressed amazement when they saw Moses (Exodus 34:30). |
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