Chap. 34, THE RESTORATION OF THE TWO TABLES OF STONE, AND THE RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT.
34:1-4, THE TWO TABLES RENEWED. The intercession of Moses had caused God to pardon the people; That intercession, along with their repentance, had been accepted as a renewal of the cove-nant on their part; But God had not yet renewed the covenant on His part. The first step to this was the restoration of the tablets of stone containing the basis of the law -- They were essential to the covenant.
34:1 AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, HEW THEE TWO TABLES OF STONE LIKE UNTO THE FIRST: AND I WILL WRITE UPON [THESE] TABLES THE WORDS THAT WERE IN THE FIRST TABLES, WHICH THOU BRAKEST.
A.HEW THEE TWO TABLES OF STONE: God had shaped the first stone tablets (Ex 32:16, "the tables were the work of God"), but the new ones would be without that much glory, in that they would be made by human hand. This shows us that something is always lost to us by sin, even when it is forgiven.
B.I WILL WRITE UPON THESE TABLES THE WORDS THAT WERE IN THE FIRST TABLES: This much would still be done by God's Own Hand.
C.God had already promised that His Presence would be with them on their journey (Ex 33:14), so the renewing of the TABLES would imply that the people were going to return to their obedience. God's Law cannot be altered, nor ignored, with God's approval, so the only way He could walk with them would be for them to walk with Him in keeping His commandments.
34:2 AND BE READY IN THE MORNING, AND COME UP IN THE MORNING UNTO MOUNT SINAI, AND PRESENT THYSELF THERE TO ME IN THE TOP OF THE MOUNT.
34:3 AND NO MAN SHALL COME UP WITH THEE, NEITHER LET ANY MAN BE SEEN THROUGHOUT ALL THE MOUNT; NEITHER LET THE FLOCKS NOR HERDS FEED BEFORE THAT MOUNT.
**This was to be a most serious and solemn occasion. God is to be respected in deep reverence.
34:4 AND HE HEWED TWO TABLES OF STONE LIKE UNTO THE FIRST; AND MOSES ROSE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND WENT UP UNTO MOUNT SINAI, AS THE LORD HAD COMMANDED HIM, AND TOOK IN HIS HAND THE TWO TABLES OF STONE.
34:5-8, THE FULFILLMENT OF GOD'S PROMISE TO MOSES. In Chap. 33 He told Moses He would give him a fresh proclamation of His Name, and that He would pass by him, and let him see as much of His glory as a human being can be allowed to see. NOTE: The word GLORY suggests splendor, honor, majesty, dignity, praise, worship, brilliance, brightness, radiance (Ac 22:11, "And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus"). THE GLORY OF GOD has been defined as "the unfolded fullness of the wealth of God's power."
34:5 AND THE LORD DESCENDED IN THE CLOUD, AND STOOD WITH HIM THERE, AND PROCLAIMED THE NAME OF THE LORD.
34:6 AND THE LORD PASSED BY BEFORE HIM, AND PROCLAIMED, THE LORD, THE LORD GOD, MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS, LONGSUFFERING, AND ABUNDANT IN GOODNESS AND TRUTH,
A.THE LORD DESCENDED...AND STOOD...AND THE LORD PASSED BY BE-FORE HIM: This would be the glimpse of God's glory which He had promised Moses in Ex 33:22-23, ("22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: 23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen"). The vision was so bright and radiant that the light settled on Moses' face and remained there (Verse 30 says Aaron and the others saw that "the skin of his face shone").
B.PROCLAIMED THE NAME OF THE LORD: That is, He made known to Moses Who He really is; showed something about His Character.
C.MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS: CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION says MERCIFUL AND VERY PATIENT.
D.IN GOODNESS AND TRUTH: He can be trusted without question to do the right thing.
34:7 KEEPING MERCY FOR THOUSANDS, FORGIVING INIQUITY AND TRANSGRESSION AND SIN, AND THAT WILL BY NO MEANS CLEAR [THE GUILTY]; VISITING THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN, AND UPON THE CHILDREN'S CHILDREN, UNTO THE THIRD AND TO THE FOURTH [GENERATION].
A.This is still PROCLAIMING HIS NAME, and it shows that when MERCY and TRUTH (requiring justice and light - Cf 1Jn 1:5) are joined together, the union is LOVE. By LOVE He will forgive sins, but that necessarily implies that where GUILT is held on to by those who will not repent, then LOVE requires that punishment has to come. Otherwise, He is not true to Himself.
B.There can be no trust in anyone who is not always true; Truth lies at the root of all moral goodness. If God is found to be untrue or to say anything that is not truth, then so far as any benefit to us is concerned, He may as well not exist.
C.Christ is the end-result of this union of MERCY and TRUTH, and He is its Perfect Example.
D.UPON THE CHILDREN'S CHILDREN: Excerpts from PULPIT COMMENTARY: "God is here made known as indescribably considerate of all the needs of men, and yet at the same time inexorably just (inexorable is strict, absolute, positive, DS). His mercy and love are not as human mercy and love too often are. There is a mercy which, while it may soothe present agonies and smooth present difficulties, is yet essentially nothing more than an opiate; it does not go to the root of the trouble and show how it may be entirely swept away....It may stop suffering for the immediate present, but may be sowing the seed of suffering a hundred times greater in the future. But God's mercy is so offered and exercised that it needs never to be regretted.... It is mercy for the repentant; for those who confess and for-sake their sins; and although from a superficial glance this visitation of suffering upon children and children's children may seem to contradict the mercy of God, we find on further reflection that it is a great warning against human selfish-ness. What a rebuke to the man who, knowing that his sin will involve posterity in suffering, yet goes on with the sin! Who are we, to indulge in aspersions (blame) on the mercy of God, when perhaps at the very moment, we are sowing in self-indulgence what others must reap in pangs which our self-denial and regard for God's wise will might have prevented?"
34:8 AND MOSES MADE HASTE, AND BOWED HIS HEAD TOWARD THE EARTH, AND WORSHIPPED.
**This is the natural response of one who loves/fears Jehovah.
34:9-26, GOD'S RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT.
34:9 AND HE SAID, IF NOW I HAVE FOUND GRACE IN THY SIGHT, O LORD, LET MY LORD, I PRAY THEE, GO AMONG US; FOR IT [IS] A STIFF-NECKED PEOPLE; AND PARDON OUR INIQUITY AND OUR SIN, AND TAKE US FOR THINE INHERITANCE.
A.IF NOW I HAVE FOUND GRACE: Surely he had, as evidenced by the appearance of Jehovah to him. Perhaps that "shook him up" to the extent he forgot that God had already promised to renew the covenant and Personally lead the people, so he asks:
B.I PRAY THEE, GO AMONG US: Again Moses intercedes for the peo-ple, asking that God go with them, and forgive them, and once more take them as His inheritance.
C.AND PARDON OUR INIQUITY AND OUR SIN, AND TAKE US: Moses had offered to give himself for Israel, and he here showed how closely and definitely he was united with them as he said OUR and US. There was no selfishness in him.
34:10-26, A PROMISE, AND ITS CORRESPONDING DEMANDS.
34:10 AND HE SAID, BEHOLD, I MAKE A COVENANT: BEFORE ALL THY PEOPLE I WILL DO MARVELS, SUCH AS HAVE NOT BEEN DONE IN ALL THE EARTH, NOR IN ANY NATION: AND ALL THE PEOPLE AMONG WHICH THOU [ART] SHALL SEE THE WORK OF THE LORD: FOR IT [IS] A TERRIBLE (NKJ, AWESOME) THING THAT I WILL DO WITH THEE.
A.BEHOLD, I MAKE A COVENANT: Without individual answers to Moses' requests, God formally renewed the covenant and promised to work miracles like none seen before. This would include drying up the Jordan, the falling down of the walls of Jericho, and various other wonders which were to come.
B.Contemporary English Version: "I promise to perform miracles for you that have never been seen anywhere on earth. Neigh-boring nations will stand in fear and know that I was the one who did these marvelous things."
34:11 OBSERVE THOU THAT WHICH I COMMAND THEE THIS DAY: BEHOLD, I DRIVE OUT BEFORE THEE THE AMORITE, AND THE CANAANITE, AND THE HITTITE, AND THE PERIZZITE, AND THE HIVITE, AND THE JEBUSITE.
A.OBSERVE THOU: God's part was to do as He said in Verse 10; The Israelites were to do THAT WHICH I COMMAND THEE (in the fol-lowing Verses). Without this obedience on their part, the covenant again would go by default.
B.God further promised to drive out the nations before them when they arrived at Canaan.
C.In the words which follow God added some laws which they were to observe in addition to the Ten Commandments. Those who have counted them say these laws are twelve in number.
34:12 TAKE HEED TO THYSELF, LEST THOU MAKE A COVENANT WITH THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND WHITHER THOU GOEST, LEST IT BE FOR A SNARE IN THE MIDST OF THEE:
**LEST THOU MAKE A COVENANT: A treaty.
34:13 BUT YE SHALL DESTROY THEIR ALTARS, BREAK THEIR IMAGES (NKJ, SACRED PILLARS), AND CUT DOWN THEIR GROVES (NKJ, WOODEN IMAGES):
**This is the first time GROVES are mentioned in the Bible; They will be mentioned many times after this. They seem to have been imitations of trees, made of wood or metal.
34:14 FOR THOU SHALT WORSHIP NO OTHER GOD: FOR THE LORD, WHOSE NAME [IS] JEALOUS, [IS] A JEALOUS GOD:
A.God demands complete loyalty of His subjects.
B.Their destruction of all pagan deities would prevent any temptation that such structures would have offered.
34:15 LEST THOU MAKE A COVENANT WITH THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND, AND THEY GO A WHORING AFTER THEIR GODS, AND DO SACRIFICE UNTO THEIR GODS, AND [ONE] CALL THEE, AND THOU EAT OF HIS SACRIFICE;
A.Any worship of other gods would be spiritual adultery since the relation of believers to God is as binding as marriage.
B.Remember that Christ is the Bridegroom and the church is His bride, so we must "flee from idolatry" (1Co 10:14), and also must remember that covetousness is idolatry - Col 3:5.
34:16 AND THOU TAKE OF THEIR DAUGHTERS UNTO THY SONS, AND THEIR DAUGHTERS GO A WHORING AFTER THEIR GODS, AND MAKE THY SONS GO A WHORING AFTER THEIR GODS.
A.Mixed marriages might cause the child of God to be influenced toward paganism.
B.The people were to be on guard against being trapped into idolatry; To that end, three things have been named which they were to avoid: (1) Make no league with the Canaanites - Cf 1Co 15:33; (2) To destroy all signs of idolatrous worship; (3) To avoid marriage with unbelievers.
34:17 THOU SHALT MAKE THEE NO MOLTEN GODS.
A.They were forbidden to make metal images of gods.
B.This would be a painful reminder of the recent golden calf incident.
34:18 THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD SHALT THOU KEEP. SEVEN DAYS THOU SHALT EAT UNLEAVENED BREAD, AS I COMMANDED THEE, IN THE TIME OF THE MONTH ABIB: FOR IN THE MONTH ABIB THOU CAMEST OUT FROM EGYPT.
A.AS I COMMANDED THEE: In Ex 12:14-20; 13:3-10.
B.If they obeyed God, then they must, in keeping this feast, for seven days eat no bread made with yeast.
34:19 ALL THAT OPENETH THE MATRIX [IS] MINE; AND EVERY FIRSTLING AMONG THY CATTLE, [WHETHER] OX OR SHEEP, [THAT IS MALE].
**All of the first-born males, whether human or animal, belonged to God.
34:20 BUT THE FIRSTLING OF AN ASS THOU SHALT REDEEM WITH A LAMB: AND IF THOU REDEEM [HIM] NOT, THEN SHALT THOU BREAK HIS NECK. ALL THE FIRSTBORN OF THY SONS THOU SHALT REDEEM. AND NONE SHALL APPEAR BEFORE ME EMPTY.
A.The life of a first-born donkey could be saved by sacrificing a lamb in its place.
B.If they chose not to do that, they had to break the donkey's neck.
C.They were to save every first-born son by giving a sacrifice.
D.They must bring an offering every time they came to worship.
34:21 SIX DAYS THOU SHALT WORK, BUT ON THE SEVENTH DAY THOU SHALT REST: IN EARING TIME AND IN HARVEST THOU SHALT REST.
A.IN EARING TIME: In Old English "to ear" meant "to plow," so EARING TIME would be the season for plowing.
B.There was no time and no circumstance which would justify their doing secular work on the sabbath.
34:22 AND THOU SHALT OBSERVE THE FEAST OF WEEKS, OF THE FIRSTFRUITS OF WHEAT HARVEST, AND THE FEAST OF INGATHERING AT THE YEAR'S END.
34:23 THRICE IN THE YEAR SHALL ALL YOUR MENCHILDREN APPEAR BEFORE THE LORD GOD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL.
A.All Israelite men had to go to Jerusalem three times a year; This was at the time of the feasts mentioned in Verse 22.
B.Those who study the feasts tell us that only two feasts are mentioned in Verse 22, THE FEAST OF WEEKS being the same as THE FIRSTFRUITS OF WHEAT HARVEST. The three feasts are named in the BOOK OF THE COVENANT - Exo 23:15-17 ("15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed
of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) 16 And the feast of har-vest, the firstfruits of thy labors, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, [which is] in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labors out of the field. 17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD").
34:24 FOR I WILL CAST OUT THE NATIONS BEFORE THEE, AND ENLARGE THY BORDERS: NEITHER SHALL ANY MAN DESIRE THY LAND, WHEN THOU SHALT GO UP TO APPEAR BEFORE THE LORD THY GOD THRICE IN THE YEAR.
**God would protect their property at the time of their going to Jerusalem these three times each year.
34:25 THOU SHALT NOT OFFER THE BLOOD OF MY SACRIFICE WITH LEAVEN; NEITHER SHALL THE SACRIFICE OF THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER BE LEFT UNTO THE MORNING.
A.When they sacrificed an animal on the altar they were not to offer bread made with yeast.
B.No part of the Passover meal was to be saved for the next day.
34:26 THE FIRST OF THE FIRSTFRUITS OF THY LAND THOU SHALT BRING UNTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD THY GOD. THOU SHALT NOT SEETHE A KID IN HIS MOTHER'S MILK.
A.This is a repetition of Exo 23:19. FIRST OF THE FIRSTFRUITS: The best part of the first harvest was to be brought to the house of worship.
B.THOU SHALT NOT SEETHE A KID IN HIS MOTHER'S MILK: A young goat was not to be boiled in its mother's milk, apparently because it would be out of the order of nature for a mother to have part in the death of her offspring. This tenderness of feel-ing on the part of the people would be a protest against unnatural actions of any kind against man or beast.
34:27-35, THE FINAL DESCENT OF MOSES FROM MOUNT SINAI.
34:27 AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, WRITE THOU THESE WORDS: FOR AFTER THE TENOR OF THESE WORDS I HAVE MADE A COVENANT WITH THEE AND WITH ISRAEL.
A.WRITE THOU THESE WORDS: Moses was instructed to put these laws in writing for himself and the people.
B.AFTER THE TENOR OF THESE WORDS I HAVE MADE A COVENANT: Obedi-ence of the people to THESE WORDS was the condition upon which God was willing to make this agreement with Israel.
C.THESE WORDS are the words of Verses 10-26, where God is renew-ing the covenant and telling them what they must obey.
34:28 AND HE WAS THERE WITH THE LORD FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS; HE DID NEITHER EAT BREAD, NOR DRINK WATER. AND HE WROTE UPON THE TABLES THE WORDS OF THE COVENANT, THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
A.HE WROTE UPON THE TABLES THE WORDS OF THE COVENANT: In English grammar, the antecedent of HE would be the HE who WAS THERE WITH THE LORD -- That is, Moses.
B.Apparently that rule does not always work in Hebrew, for we know from Verse 1 that it was God, not Moses, who did the writing upon the new tables of stone: "And the LORD said unto Moses, hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon [these] tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest."
34:29 AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN MOSES CAME DOWN FROM MOUNT SINAI WITH THE TWO TABLES OF TESTIMONY IN MOSES' HAND, WHEN HE CAME DOWN FROM THE MOUNT, THAT MOSES WIST NOT THAT THE SKIN OF HIS FACE SHONE WHILE HE TALKED WITH HIM.
34:30 AND WHEN AARON AND ALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SAW MOSES, BEHOLD, THE SKIN OF HIS FACE SHONE; AND THEY WERE AFRAID TO COME NIGH HIM.
34:31 AND MOSES CALLED UNTO THEM; AND AARON AND ALL THE RULERS OF THE CONGREGATION RETURNED UNTO HIM: AND MOSES TALKED WITH THEM.
34:32 AND AFTERWARD ALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CAME NIGH: AND HE GAVE THEM IN COMMANDMENT ALL THAT THE LORD HAD SPOKEN WITH HIM IN MOUNT SINAI.
34:33 AND [TILL] (NKJ, WHEN) MOSES HAD DONE SPEAKING WITH THEM, HE PUT A VEIL ON HIS FACE.
34:34 BUT WHEN MOSES WENT IN BEFORE THE LORD TO SPEAK WITH HIM, HE TOOK THE VEIL OFF, UNTIL HE CAME OUT. AND HE CAME OUT, AND SPAKE UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL [THAT] WHICH HE WAS COMMANDED.
34:35 AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SAW THE FACE OF MOSES, THAT THE SKIN OF MOSES' FACE SHONE: AND MOSES PUT THE VEIL UPON HIS FACE AGAIN, UNTIL HE WENT IN TO SPEAK WITH HIM.
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