A Work in Progress….

Exodus 34:9 “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.”

Holy Father, We are a stiff-necked people, even now. We get so entrenched in our own thoughts, ideas, and ways that we often go merrily along our own path until we are brought up short by our own folly. Thank You that You know us, You love us, You lavish us with grace and mercy and forgiveness which we don’t deserve but are so thankful for.

Exodus 34:10 Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. 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. 

Dearest Lord, Forgive us when we get so caught up in castigating ourselves for our past mistakes that we fail to accept and acknowledge Your grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Help us to give ourselves the grace that You give us, that we give those we love. Help us to forgive ourselves for our stiff-necked ways, to give ourselves grace and mercy, too.

Exodus 34:11 Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 

Precious Savior, We can be our own worst critics. But when we fail to forgive ourselves, when we fail to give ourselves mercy and grace despite our failings, we are not acting as Your hands and feet and heart. Help us, Jesus. Help us to be more like You. Amen.

Exodus 34:12 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.

Have a blessed day. 

Exodus 34:5 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. 

Commentary says these verses banish the idea of a “bad God” (I read that as mean) in the Old Testament, and while I will admit that v6-7a is a beautiful picture of a loving, gracious, compassionate God, the latter part of v7 is…off-putting to say the least.

Exodus 34:6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 

The idea of punishing the children and grandchildren to the fourth generation for the sins of the parents is terrible to me. I and my children and my children’s children and their children will all pay for the sins of my parents? Where is the love, grace, or compassion in that sentiment?

Exodus 34:7 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.”

Precious Savior, Thank You that I can wrestle with these difficult passages without fear of being cast out. Thank You that Your love for me is greater than any doubt or fear or misgivings that I wrestle with. Thank You for drawing me closer as I try to make sense of these things that don’t readily make sense to me. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 34:8 Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.

Have a blessed day. 

Exodus 34:1 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. 

I know that one of my quirks is that I get hung up on things that happened, or should have happened, or could have happened but didn’t. I have a hard time dealing only with what is and letting the rest go. 

Exodus 34:2 Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. 

I know it is something that God wants me to deal with, and it’s something that I don’t love about myself either. If I’m so busy looking back, I can’t focus on what’s right in front of me. I miss the blessings in the here and now. I hold on to pain that’s been dealt with. He doesn’t want that for me. I don’t want that for myself.

Exodus 34:3 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.”

Precious Savior, Thank You for the reminder that letting go is something that I still need to work on. Help me to learn the lessons, forgive or ask forgiveness, and move forward so that I don’t get stuck in the past. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 34:4 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.

Have a blessed day. 

Exodus 33:16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

Today’s scripture has me thinking about the Moses we see in Exodus 4, when he asks God to allow Aaron to accompany him to talk with Pharaoh because he, Moses, lacks eloquence. It’s easy to judge Moses as timid, weak, lacking, though, when you think about it, the very act of negotiating with God about the issue is a bold move. 

Exodus 33:17 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

In today’s scripture, we have more of that boldness–Moses has seen God and wants to know more, demands to know more. And God responds favorably to Moses’s bold request, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you….”

Exodus 33:18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

Precious Savior, I will admit that I am more timid than bold, but I never want to be weak or lacking in my relationship with You. Help me to be bold when it comes to knowing You better, knowing You more deeply. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 33:19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

Have a blessed day. 

Exodus 33:9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. 

The first part of verse 11 jumps out at me in today’s reading: “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” I love the idea of the Lord as a valued, trusted friend, of a deep friendship and connection. It speaks of relationship, which I think is important to Jesus.

Exodus 33:10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. 

It also, to me, speaks of the nature of prayer. If the Lord is my friend, I can pray to Him in many different ways–formal prayers like The Lord’s Prayer or scripture-based prayers, informal prayers (Jesus, please), breath prayers (where every breath, in and out, is a prayer in itself). God knows us. He hears us and understands our prayers. Always.

Exodus 33:11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

Precious Savior, Thank You for the reminder of the intimate friendship that You want with each of us, to sit with us, to talk with us “as one speaks to a friend,” not because You need it but because we need it. Your friendship is the single most important friendship in my life, and it is mine by Your grace alone. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 33:12 Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’

Have a blessed day. 

Exodus 33:5 For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.’ ” 

Commentary talks about the steps towards spiritual restoration with today’s verses: showing a genuine heart for God (not just His blessings), forgoing outward ornamentation and instead getting the heart right with God, and actively seeking God (instead of waiting for God to seek you). 

Exodus 33:6 So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.

I’m a rule-follower and a planner, so I am here for a step-by-step plan. But what frustrates me is that often, once all the boxes have been checked, folks check out. It’s more of an “I’ve been restored with God. Now I can go live my life” mentality, and that is not what Jesus wants. He wants an active, living relationship with us. He wants us to be His hands and feet in this world.

Exodus 33:7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 

Precious Savior, Help me never to fall for the “one and done” Christian relationship with You. Drawing closer to You is not a goal to be checked off my list. It is a life-long pursuit. Help me never to forget that. And help me to be Your hands and feet and heart in this world. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 33:8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent.

Have a blessed day. 

Exodus 33:1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ 

Commentary says verse 3 is a test to see if the Israelites are satisfied with God’s promised rewards alone. Are they ok with inheriting the land and losing the nearness of God? Verse 4 shows that the answer is No, they are not. 

Exodus 33:2 I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 

But I was caught off guard by the idea of a test. I’m a rule-follower, which means that I would (probably, hopefully) not have engaged in the golden calf debacle, but it also means I would have taken God’s words here at face value. I would have tried to do what God wanted (go up to the land) to make Him happy, even if it’s not what I wanted (His nearness).  

Exodus 33:3 Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”

Precious Savior, This idea of tests and games is deeply unsettling to me, a rule-follower, a people-pleaser, a God-pleaser. If I don’t understand the game, I can’t play to win, and my ultimate goal is a closer relationship with You. Always. Thank You that You do not play games. Help me to draw closer to You. Amen.

Exodus 33:4 When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments.

Have a blessed day.

Exodus 32:33 The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. 

I’m not going to lie….the God of the Old Testament scares me. He feels unpredictable and mean at times. Even as I type that, it sounds like, perhaps, I’m reverting back to my childhood notion of God, but when I read chapters like this one, it feels true.

Exodus 32:34a Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. 

Jesus, however, is clearly established in my mind and heart as a figure of unconditional love, mercy, and compassion. He puts people first, above theology, ideology, politics. He doesn’t suffer a fool, but His very nature is compassionate love, His decisions and actions are rooted in it.

Exodus 32:34b However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.”

Precious Savior, It is days like today that I feel like I still have so much to unpack and process when it comes to You. Help me to approach Your word with an open mind and an open heart and to draw closer every day. Help me, Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 32:35 And the Lord struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made.

Have a blessed day.