Moses’ life was not ordinary.
First, against the Egyptian Pharoah’s edict, his mother hid Moses for three months after his birth. (Exodus 1:22-2:2)
Then Pharoah’s daughter ends up adopting Moses and raising him with the help of Moses’ mother. (Exodus 2:3-10)
After Moses becomes an adult, he murders an Egyptian for beating an Israelite and attempts to hide his actions. (Exodus 2:11-12)
Yet the Lord called Moses to be His spokesperson to reveal Himself to the Israelites and all the other nations around the world. (Exodus 3:1-22)
After much back and forth in this private encounter with the Lord, Moses asks the Lord to send someone else. (Exodus 4:13)
But over time, Moses’ response to God changed.
The question is, why did Moses’ response change?
Responding to Who God Says He Is
Exodus 34:1-9 | Passage Study Questions
The Lord said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.[1]
Why did Moses break the first two tablets? (Review Exodus 32:7-19)
Who will write on the tablets? Why is this an important detail? (Review Exodus 32:15-16)
I see the Lord extending grace to Moses for breaking the tablets as a symbol of the agreement (or covenant) between the Israelites smashed to smithereens from their blatant idolatry.
The Lord is writing this for the second time again as a signal that He will not give up on fulfilling what He has promised, even though the Israelites proved unfaithful.
2 Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain.[2]
What is the significance of Moses presenting himself in the morning on the top of Mt. Sinai to the Lord?
Mount Sinai is the designated meeting place for Moses and the Lord since the Israelites arrived there in Exodus 19.
The Lord gave Moses time to prepare the tablets and to climb the mountain to meet with Him.
3 No one shall come up with you, and let no one be seen throughout all the mountain. Let no flocks or herds graze opposite that mountain.”[3]
Why is Moses going alone to the Lord? (Review Exodus 19:20-23 and 32:7-19)
Moses had just spent forty days and nights along with the Lord on this very mountain. Ascending the mountain again with reminders that no one should follow reinforces the Lord’s holiness is not to be trifled with.
4 So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. [4]
How does Moses’ behavior differ from when the Lord called him from the burning bush?
Why is Moses’ behavior at this moment important for the Israelite community?
Moses immediately did what the Lord asked him to do. No questions asked.
And definitely no, “Please send someone else.”
Moses’ immediate obedience is an example for the Israelite community to emulate, especially considering their recent blatant disobedience.
5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord.[5]
Where did the Lord come from?
What is the purpose of the cloud? (See Exodus 33:20-23)
Why is the Lord proclaiming His own name? (See Exodus 33:19)
To say the Lord descended defines Him as differing from humanity. He is above us in every sense of the word.
Still shielding Himself in a cloud, the Lord is protecting Moses.
6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.[6]
List all the character traits the Lord proclaims about Himself.
What do these character traits reveal about the Lord?
How have Moses and the Israelites experienced these exact characteristics of the Lord from Exodus 3 until this moment?
Based on these accounts in Exodus, is the Lord trustworthy? Why or why not?
Notice the Lord leads by saying He is “THE” Lord. In other words, the capital G, Creator God, and none other. The repetition of “The Lord” reflects this in our English translations.
That the Lord proclaims he will by no means clear the guilty reminds us again that although He is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, He is also just. He will hold those who continue to practice evil accountable.
8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.[7]
Describe the significance of Moses’ response to what the Lord proclaimed about Himself.
Is this your response as well? Why or why not?
The transformation of Moses from the burning bush to this moment results from Moses spending significant amounts of time with the Lord. Moses acknowledges the Lord as his Holy Creator, God.
9 And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.” [8]
What else do you learn about Moses’ transformation by his request of the Lord?
From the beginning of the Lord’s interactions with Moses, their conversations were primarily private, one-to-one meetings.
Initially, Moses tried to get out of what the Lord was asking.
But now, in Exodus 34, Moses is so transformed that he intercedes on behalf of the entire community of Israel of which he is a part.
Responding to Who God Says He Is
Exodus 34:1-9 | Personal Application Questions
How important was Moses’ consistent time alone with the Lord to Moses’ transformation from one who asked the Lord to send someone else to one who immediately obeyed and worshiped the Lord?
Describe what your alone time with the Lord is like.
How would you benefit from a consistent practice of time alone with the Lord?
Will others benefit from you spending consistent time alone with the Lord? Why?
What steps do you need to take today to include the Lord consistently in your life?
Enjoy this song to worship right now!
Share another song that inspires your worship in the comments.
Blessings,
Barbara Lynn
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ex 34:1.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ex 34:2.
[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ex 34:3.
[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ex 34:4.
[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ex 34:4–5.
[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ex 34:6–7.
[7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ex 34:7–8.
[8] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ex 34:9.
Better Than A Hallelujah by Amy Grant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm5kx3xqmg0
Lovely!