Chapter 34
Does anyone remember stereograms? These images were often found in newspapers, magazines, and books in the 1990s and early 2000s. You had to focus your eyes in a special way to reveal a hidden 3D image within what seemed like a random pattern of colors or shapes.
Here’s an example:
It’s all about how you focus your eyes. Most of the time, I struggled to see the picture. But every now and then, when I got the focus just right, the image would pop out, and I thought it was really cool!
Reading the Bible can be like that, too. We can clearly see what’s obvious, but when we put on our “Jesus glasses,” it changes our focus. This chapter is full of information. It has a straightforward, logical storyline, and the mental picture is clear. But when we focus just right, something new emerges – the shadow of Jesus’ second coming!
We already know that Moses is a type and shadow of Jesus in many ways. But what struck me in this chapter was the parallel to Jesus coming down from the clouds. In verse 5, the “Shekinah Glory” rests on top of the mountain. Moses then comes down from that glory, bringing with him the perfect Law of God (Moses first coming the Law was broken and shattered). Moses’ face radiated with God’s glory, and people could hardly look at him. This reminds me of Revelation 1:7, which says, “Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the people on earth will mourn because of Him.”
The Holy Bible certainly beats any stereogram I’ve ever seen! And it’s far more reliable. Just keep your heart focused on Him, and He’ll help you see things clearly.
The New Stone Tablets
1 The LORD said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. 3 No one is to come with you or be seen anywhere on the mountain; not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain.”
4 So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the LORD had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 5 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, [Literally: YAHWEH, repeated perhaps to represent His unchangingness.] the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” [This has less to do with “generational curses” and more to do with God’s continued accountability of sin. “Generational curse” has long been a justification for giving in to sin by many, “My mom or grandfathers sinned so I am cursed in this sin.” First, if one is a Believer, they are in no way bound to curses, for Jesus redeemed us from the curse of sin and death. With that said, a generational curse can very much be a generational inclination, or temptation to one specific sin over another. It is not uncommon to see the same “type” of sin offered to a family. Alcoholism, immorality, anger, etc. These spiritual forces may camp within a family group and offer the same temptation to all. However, the temptation of sin is not sin. Only one giving into that temptation. So, we are all still very accountable for every choice we make without the justification of “generational curses.”]
8 Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. 9 “Lord,” he said, “if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.”
The Covenant Renewed
10 Then the LORD said: “I am making a covenant with you. [God had already established an unconditional covenant with Abraham. One that still exists today. That covenant is one of pure grace, regardless of the choices or behavior of Israel. But because of the sovereign choice of God alone. This covenant now spoken of will be a conditional covenant. Renewed after Israel’s sin, this is one that involved Israel directly and is based on their choices and action. This reintroduces more specific details of Mosaic Covenant, which included the Law.] Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the LORD, will do for you. 11 Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 12 Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you. 13 Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. [Don’t keep ungodly things around to influence you.] 14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, [unwilling to take second place before anything. Another way of confirming the first Commandment, God ONLY] is a jealous God.
15 “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; [repeated again from verse 12 for our emphasis. Mankind in our sin nature tends to allow outside influences distract us away from God.] for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. 16 And then you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.
17 “Do not make any idols. 18 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days [number of perfection] eat bread made without yeast [without sin], as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv, for in that month you came out of Egypt. [Came out of the “world”] [Sounds a lot like what Jesus did for us!]
19 “The first offspring of every womb belongs to me, [As Jesus was the first born of all creation] including all the firstborn males of your livestock, whether from herd or flock. 20 Redeem the firstborn donkey [represents fallen man] with a lamb, [represents Jesus] but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. [Unredeemed/unsaved man – the wages of sin is death] Redeem all your firstborn sons. [God does not require human sacrifice; He will fill that role. Instead, He wanted the Lamb to take the place as a substitute for the later LAMB.] “No one is to appear before me empty-handed.
21 “Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest. [Even with a busy schedule, don’t put work before God.]
22 “Celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the year. 23 Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD, the God of Israel. 24 I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the LORD your God.
25 “Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast, [Jesus’ blood was pure, without sin, offered to God on our behalf.] and do not let any of the sacrifice from the Passover Festival remain until morning. 26 “Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. “Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.” [This was a practice of perversity by other pagan cultures. To take the like giving milk of a mother only to then boil her own offspring with that substance. It speaks of immorality and perversity and God makes a distinguishing call to Israel for purity, compassion and separation from the world’s way. *This verse is why Jewish Kosher laws separate milk and meat from each other.]
27 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28 Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant–the Ten Commandments.
The Radiant Face of Moses
29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant [Literal: shot forth beams] because he had spoken with the LORD. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. 32 Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.
33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. 34 But whenever he entered the LORD’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35 they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.
