Before The Face Of God (Exodus 34:1-10)
Rev. William L. Barron, November 20, 2022Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
God commanded Moses to bring new tablet up the mountain to replace the ones Moses broke because of Israel's sin. God wrote the commandments again on the second pair. In vs. 27 the meaning may be the rest of the Pentateuch; Genesis, Exodus, Numbers Deuteronomy and Leviticus. Isaiah foretold that God would reveal Himself to those who came to Him in humility. God calls His people to submit to the authority of His Word. He descended in the glory cloud in the presence of His people. To us, the presence of God is Jesus Christ. We see His work in the lives of others and in events. Now, in vs. 6, God preaches a sermon to Moses. Our self-existent God promised to be with His people always. He preaches His attributes to Moses: almighty, merciful, gracious, patient, forgiving, cleansing, with a love that never fails. He forgives iniquity, transgression (rebellion) and sin (moral failure). We always miss the mark of holiness, so we need a forgiving God. God's love and grace is fulfilled in Jesus. God is both loving and just and yet does not overlook sin. He deals with sin ultimately in Christ. Moses responds in worship, namely proclaiming God's worthiness. God's covenant of grace began in Eden, carried on through Noah, Abraham, David, and became fulfilled in Christ as the new covenant in His blood. God reveals His glory through Jesus and His people, the Church.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « God's Face Before Us | None | I Bring You Good News » |
Exodus 34:1–10 (Listen)
34:1 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. 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. 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.” 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. 5 The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 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.” 8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. 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.”
10 And he said, “Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.
(ESV)