This passage shows us a rare occasion where the Israelites’ actions are worth our emulation. Remember the context: In Exo 32, Israel was caught doing something they shouldn’t. The golden calf was a problem and in this text, we are going to see why it was a problem, what the consequences of it were, and how His people responded to these consequences.
(A) A Covenant-Keeping and Trustworthy God: He continues to call us back to Himself (Exo 33:1-3a)
Let’s trace the Israelites’ journey thus far:
God’s plan for His people is and has always been to draw them to Himself. This is the biblical narrative. A covenant-keeping God calls a covenant-breaking people to Himself
God responds to His people in Exo 33:1-3a. There is something odd about God’s response. God blesses His people abundantly by clearing the land of the enemies so they can enter smoothly. But this is strange because in the chapter before, we learnt that they had just sinned.
We see something of God’s nature here. He is a covenant-keeping, trustworthy, unchanging, not shifting God that does not falter and fail despite what we do. In a day and age when everything seems to change, He does not. His word is true and He remains true to His word even though His people are faithless and flakey. Therefore, the word of this God is also true. Num 23:19 tells us that God is not a man that He should lie or change His mind. His word is true and unchanging.
These verses also serve to show us God’s plan. God’s covenant made with Abraham in Gen 15:13-21 is being fulfilled now in Exo 33, years and generations later. God’s bigger covenant plan remains unchanged. He is still working out this salvation plan for them. God’s plan continues even though they set up the idol.
What does it mean for us today that God’s plan is still happening and being fulfilled? His desire for us is to know Him and to be in relationship with Him. He is calling us back to Him and He desires for us to know Him, for Him to be our God. We like to us “what is God’s plan for me?”. It is this – that we know and desire Him and have a personal relationship with Him.
(B) Two Hearts, Two Responses: continue in idolatry or turn in repentance (Exo 33:3b-6)
Why did God choose not to go with His people? God describes the people as “stiff- necked”, so stubborn that they’re unable to turn and repent to follow God (Exo 33:3b). It describes a position of the heart of people who are stubborn and rebellious. This was a people so idolatrous that they de-Godded God from their lives and replaced God with something else in their lives.
This fundamental rejection of God as God is sin. What was the consequence? God would not go up with them. Sin results in separation from God. God would no longer dwell with His people. A holy God cannot dwell with an unholy people.
Do we take idolatry this seriously? Do we see idolatry as de-Godding God and replacing God’s position with other things? Do we see the consequences – that we cannot dwell with this holy God? Our idols are things we love and cling to that are not God. They could be our pleasure, security, comfort, relationships – basically everything that is not God. Calvin has described us as perpetual idol factories. We are constantly falling in love with things that are not God. What are your idols? What are the things that wreck you or give you great joy? We must turn away from them today, because these lead to separation from God.
Israel responded to this disastrous word by mourning and obeying this word (Exo 33:4). They permanently removed their ornaments and they turned away from their idols and obeyed. Ornaments alluded to their idolatry and notice Exo 33:6 – there seems to be a sense of permanence here.
Do we do this with our idols? Do we treat idolatry too lightly? We casually say “Lord I leave my idols at your feet” and the next day, we turn back to retrieve these idols. We turn back to these things that give us comfort and security, instead of God. We too, must strip off our ornaments and leave them. We must walk away from them, destroy it, burn it, ground it and scatter it (Exo 32:20).
This passage also sets up a question for us: are we content loving God’s stuff without God? We would rather trade God for His stuff. We would, perhaps, consider entering the Promised Land without God. Do we love God or the stuff He gives us? Are you a Christian today? Do you belong to a church, known by people? Or are you just a Christian but not keen to be known by God and His people?
Consider also their context. God’s people had been at the foot of Sinai for such a long time and now God told them to move but without Him. They were terrified! What is the application for us? Like them, we are people going somewhere, and perhaps in the wilderness now. But have we settled down and laid down roots where we are despite knowing that this place is not our home and we are people headed somewhere.
How do you view your Christian life? Do you believe that you are headed to the Promised Land? How do you act? Are you happy just spending time in the desert or do you hunger and long to return to the Promised Land to be with God? If God’s presence is not with you, what is the point? This is an important thing for all Christians to consider. What good is your family, relationship, job if you don’t have God? Is your relationship with God the origin of all of your desires? Where is God in what you do and desire or is He only present on Sundays and Wednesdays? God demands a response from His people. Will you continue in idolatry or do you turn in repentance?
God’s Word and chasing after you demands a response. If you hear God ripping apart your idols, knocking at your heart, take heart and hear His words tonight. We are not alone but we have an intercessor.
(C) Looking to our Intercessor: Rise up be alert, turn our eyes to Christ, worship God (Exo 33:7-11)
Moses sets up a temporary “tent of meeting” and this is different from the tent at the centre of the camp. We are told that this tent is “outside the camp, far off from the camp” and we are reminded again that a Holy God cannot dwell in the midst of a sinful people. Yet, He was gracious enough to still allow for the people to approach Him (c.f. Exo 33:7b).
When Moses went to the tent, “all the people would rise up” and each would stand at his tent door (Exo 33:8). The pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent and the people would worship (Exo 33:9-10). “The LORD used to speak to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend” (Exo 33:11). There was a level of intimacy and closeness! The people would worship God as Moses interceded for them. They would be looking to Moses, their intercessor, who would plead on their behalf for their sin. (c.f. Exo 32:30-34) Moses had previously offered to make atonement and we see Moses’ heart for this people. He was willing to sacrifice himself for God’s purposes and this idolatrous people.
This is the kind of intercessor that God meets with, one who is willing to give up his own life. Do we realise that we also have an intercessor? In fact, we have the one who is greater than Moses. He is not just an intercessor, but is the solution to our sin problem. He is the sacrifice that bears God’s wrath that was due us and He took it on Himself. He destroyed sin and death, paid for sin and satiated God’s wrath. He took our sin and we can take His blessings such that now we can be in the presence of God and have a relationship with Him. In 1 John 2:1-3, we read of Jesus Christ the righteous is our Advocate and the propitiation for our sins. He did not spare His own son (Rom 8:32-34)! Who can bring any charge against us?
If this is the first time you’re hearing the gospel message, that the story of the Bible is about God bringing a sinful people back to Him, turn to Him. God is a trustworthy and righteous God. He took the penalty for our sins and gave us His righteousness. He demands a response, one of repentance. If you are a Christian, the same is true for us every day. We need to repent and turn to Him every day!
The people of Israel modelled for us the pattern of daily repentance, a turning from idolatry to our intercessor (Exo 33:8,10). Take note of the verbs: “rise up”, “stand at your tent door”, “watch”, “worship”. It is a call to be active and to be on the lookout for idols that creep into your heart and into the heart of your brothers. It reminds us to look for Christ our intercessor who is interceding for us and to worship a Holy God because we are wholly His! In Christ, we have a relationship with an unchanging, trustworthy, holy God. Turn your eyes to Christ everyday! He is interceding for us daily.