Exodus 33

Ex 33:1-23.

THE

LORD

REFUSES TO

GO WITH THE

PEOPLE.

1. the Lord said--rather "had" said unto Moses. The conference

detailed in this chapter must be considered as having occurred prior to

the pathetic intercession of Moses, recorded at the close of the

preceding chapter; and the historian, having mentioned the fact of his

earnest and painful anxiety, under the overwhelming pressure of which

he poured forth that intercessory prayer for his apostate countrymen,

now enters on a detailed account of the circumstances.

3. I will not go up . . . lest I consume thee--Here

the Lord is represented as determined to do what He afterwards did not.

(See on

Ex 32:7).

4. when the people heard these evil tidings--from Moses on his

descent from the mount.

5. put off thy ornaments--In seasons of mourning, it is

customary with Eastern people to lay aside all gewgaws and divest

themselves of their jewels, their gold, and every thing rich and

splendid in their dress. This token of their sorrow the Lord required

of His offending people.

that I may know what to do unto thee--The language is

accommodated to the feeble apprehensions of men. God judges the state

of the heart by the tenor of the conduct. In the case of the

Israelites, He cherished a design of mercy; and the moment He discerned

the first symptoms of contrition, by their stripping off their

ornaments, as penitents conscious of their error and sincerely

sorrowful, this fact added its weight to the fervency of Moses'

prayers, and gave them prevalence with God in behalf of the people.

7. Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the

camp--Not the tabernacle, of which a pattern had been given him,

for it was not yet erected, but his own tent--conspicuous as that of

the leader--in a part of which he heard cases and communed with God

about the people's interests; hence called "the tabernacle of the

congregation," and the withdrawal of which, in abhorrence from a

polluted camp, was regarded as the first step in the total abandonment

with which God had threatened them.

8. all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent

door--Its removal produced deep and universal consternation; and it

is easy to conceive how anxiously all eyes would be directed towards

it; how rapidly the happy intelligence would spread, when a phenomenon

was witnessed from which an encouraging hope could be founded.

9-11. the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the

tabernacle--How would the downcast hearts of the people revive--how

would the tide of joy swell in every bosom, when the symbolic cloud was

seen slowly and majestically to descend and stand at the entrance of

the tabernacle!

as Moses entered--It was when he appeared as their mediator,

when he repaired from day to day to intercede for them, that welcome

token of assurance was given that his advocacy prevailed, that Israel's

sin was forgiven, and that God would again be gracious.

18-23. I beseech thee, show me thy glory--This is one of the most

mysterious scenes described in the Bible: he had, for his comfort and

encouragement, a splendid and full display of the divine majesty, not

in its unveiled effulgence, but as far as the weakness of humanity

would admit. The face, hand, back parts, are to be understood

figuratively.