Exodus 33-34

The Covenant Renewed



Chapter 32 ends without forgiveness



Moses came down the mountain and broke the two tablets on the ground.

The covenant was broken.

The ten commandments-which are the covenant of God with Israel-had been violated.

Not just by an individual (that could be covered by a sacrifice),

but by the whole community.

In the covenant at Sinai, individual covenant breaking could be dealt with,

but if the whole community broke the covenant together,

there was no redress.

Israel was the son of God.

As long as the community was faithful,

Individual faithlessness could be dealt with.

But what happens when the community itself was faithless?



God tells Moses and all Israel that he will indeed give them the land that he promised.

But while He will send an angel before them,

He Himself will not go among them.

They are a stiff-necked people,

The community as a whole is stubborn and rebellious.

God cannot dwell in such a people without consuming them.



Once again, Moses is summoned into the divine council.

This is described for us in v7-11 (esp v 11)

God is coming to his friend and discussing the situation.

What will he do with this sinful people?

Moses pleads his status as covenant mediator (v 12-13)

God agrees (v14):

But the "you" is singular.

My presence will go with you-Moses (singular).

So Moses pushes even further.

He is grateful for the promise of God's presence with him,

But he pleads his status as covenant mediator again (v 15-16).

How will God reveal that Moses has found favor in his sight,

Unless Israel has also found favor with God.

After all, a mediator does not represent himself alone!

But here in verses 15-16 we are given a clear example of what a covenant mediator does.

Without the intercession of Moses, Israel has no future.

Israel only survives the wilderness

because Moses has found favor in the sight of the LORD.

Even so, we are to learn that we will only survive this wilderness of sin,

because Jesus Christ, who was not merely a servant in the house,

But a Son over the house,

has found favor in the sight of the Father.

Then in v 17-23 God promises that he will show himself to Moses-not indeed his full glory,

not his face-but his back.



Then in chapter 34 God commands Moses to come back up the mountain,

so that the covenant can be renewed.

Yahweh appears before Moses, and reveals his glory, declaring his name:

v5-7

And Moses replies with his formal prayer of repentance,

asking God to pardon the sin of the whole community,

that they might be restored as the inheritance of God.

It is not simply that God has promised to give Israel an inheritance.

But also that Israel himself is God's own inheritance.

This is what it means to be the Son of God.

It is the adoption of Israel-once again-and the restoration to the promise.

And then God renews the covenant with Israel.

He declares the terms of the covenant and the blessings and curses (v11-26)

These verses echo the emphases of Exodus 20-23, the Book of the Covenant.



What is the difference between Exodus 20-23 and Exodus 34?

In Ex 20-23 the covenant is made with Israel.

In Ex 34:27 we hear God say,

"Write these words, for in accordance with these words

I have made a covenant with you and with Israel."

The first covenant is made between God and Israel-with Moses as the mediator.

The second covenant is made between God and Moses-and all Israel with him

(or in him?)

This is an accurate way to describe the covenant of grace.

The covenant of grace is made between God and the elect, with Christ as the mediator.

But it is also proper to say that the covenant of grace is made between God and Christ,

with all the elect in him.

Moses here reflects this foreshadowing Christ.



And indeed,

Whereas God had written the ten commandments the first time with his own finger,

this time Moses will write out the ten commandments (v28).

He now has become the finger of God.

And through this transfiguration,

Moses himself begins to shine with the glory of God. (v29-35)



The apostle Paul reflects on this in 2 Corinthians 3:7-11.

Why does Paul call this a ministry of death?

As we have seen, it was precisely this renewal of the covenant that brought life to Israel!

How can Paul call it a ministry of condemnation?

It all depends on your perspective:

If you are looking at Moses from the perspective of an Israelite in the wilderness,

then the Mosaic covenant is a covenant of grace that brings life;

But if you looking at Moses from the perspective of an Israelite

after the resurrection of Christ,

then the Mosaic covenant is a ministry of condemnation that brings death.

Paul explains this in 12-18.

The veil that Moses wore to shield the eyes of Israel from the glory of God,

was so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome

of what was being brought to an end.

In other words, Israel was not yet ready to see Christ

-because that is what was revealed in Moses' face.

There was a glory that the law pointed to-which Israel was not ready to see.

Because only through Christ is it taken away.

And when Christ takes the veil away from our eyes,

what do we see?

What is the veil holding back?

It is preventing them from truly understanding the OT.

The veil language is referring to mental hardening

that prevents people from understanding what was written.

WE, now with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,

are being transformed into the same image,

from one degree of glory into another.

For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

(i.e., the Spirit is the presence of the risen Christ with his Church;

they work so closely together in the application of redemption

that the Lord is said to be the Spirit)

Therefore, since we have received the Spirit-since we have received Christ himself,

the glory revealed in Moses looks like a dull, fading shadow!

Yes, it may have brought life to Israel-temporarily;

but in the light of the glory of Christ,

anyone who seeks to go back to Moses is seeking death.

And Paul says that if you would understand Moses properly,

see how he points you to Christ.

If you read Moses apart from Christ,

then you will face the ministry of condemnation,

because the people of God NEVER DID keep covenant with God.

They broke the covenant time after time.

Only in Christ does the covenant with Moses bring us hope,

because we see that final covenant-that new covenant,

where Christ, who is both faithful covenant mediator,

and faithful covenant keeper,

brings eternal life to all his people.

Moses was able to bring about a temporary stay of judgment,

but he could do nothing to ensure the future obedience of the people of God.

Therefore it is a ministry of death and condemnation

because it cannot endure the final judgment seat of God.

Jesus has through his once for all sacrifice forgiven your sins,

and through his perfect obedience he has ensured that this covenant will never be broken.

The final judgment has been declared in Christ.

This is why Paul calls this ministry of righteousness "permanent"

and declares that we are being transformed into the image of Christ,

From one degree of glory into another.

Let us pray: