Exodus 34:1-28 - Homilies By J. Orr

Renewal of the tables, and fourth intercession.

One more mighty effort of intercession, and Moses will bear away the blessing which he seeks. It needs, however, that it be a mighty one. The covenant is not yet restored in its integrity. The people's sin is not yet perfectly forgiven. God, indeed, has promised to go with them, but he has not said, as of old, " I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God" ( Exodus 6:7 ). The new relations are not those of perfected friendship. They are moreover, unstable. New transgressions of the people may at any moment upset them. Moses, accordingly, would not only have the covenant renewed—restored in its old completeness and integrity—the last trace of the Divine displeasure wiped away—but would have God give him a pledge of grace beyond anything he has yet received—a pledge that he will show great forbearance with the people: that he will not deal summarily with them, or cast them off, on account of backslidings which he now perceives to be inevitable ( Exodus 34:9 ). It was a high thing to ask: too high, Moses may have thought, for him to be able to attain to it. If he did, it could only be as the result of an earnestness, a perseverance, and a sublimity in intercesssion beyond everything of which he had yet felt himself capable. The strength he needed, however, was not to be withheld from him. He had already, though, probably, without this being present to his mind as a motive, put himself in the way of getting it, by asking for a vision of the Divine glory. From this would flow into his soul a spiritual might which would make "all things possible" to him. By sheer power of prayer, he would obtain what he desired. Jehovah, on his side, was too well pleased with his servant's zeal and devotion, too willing to be entreated of him, too entirely in accord with the object of his supplication, not readily to grant him the opportunity of pressing his request.

I. JEHOVAH 'S " COME UP HITHER " ( Exodus 34:1-4 ).

1 . The command to hew out tables ( Exodus 34:1 ). Formerly, it was God himself who furnished the tables on which the law was written ( Exodus 32:16 ). Now, the tables are to be provided by Moses. This may have had reference to the facts

View the command to hew out tables as

2 . The command to ascend the mount ( Exodus 34:2 ). The summons to ascend the mount was,

3. The command to preserve the sanctity of the mount ( Exodus 34:3 ). This was to be done by keeping man and beast from approaching it. Moses was to ascend alone. The command—a parallel to that in Exodus 19:12-13 —has for its end the warning back of intruders from what, for the time being, is "holy ground" (cf. Exodus 3:5 ). Other reasons are, that there might be

"The manifested glory of the Lord would so surely be followed by the destruction of man that even Moses needed to be protected before it" ( Exodus 33:21 , Exodus 33:22 ).

II. THE NAME REVEALED ( Exodus 19:4-8 ).

1. The name itself . Note here in regard to it—

Love is the union of goodness and holiness. The history of revelation has been but the spelling out of this name. Christ is the perfect embodiment of it.

2 . The effects on Moses.

"Though none may fathom thee—thy sight

Upon the angels power bestows," etc.

III. THE COVENANT RESTORED ( Exodus 33:9 , 27, 28).

1 . The intercession . This fourth and last intercession presents us with several noteworthy features.

2 . The success . The prolonged, fervent, and sympathetic intercession of Moses did not fail of its reward. "The Lord," he tells afterward, "hearkened unto me at that time also" ( Deuteronomy 9:19 ). Nothing was wanting to the completeness of his success. The last frown had. disappeared from the countenance of Jehovah. Covenant relations were perfectly restored. The people were reinstated in privilege. No wonder that the mediator's face "shone" as he descended from the mount! We, too, have an intercessor whom the Father "heareth always" ( John 11:42 ).— J . O .