Exodus 33

The Command to Leave Sinai

1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Depart and go up from here, you #Ex. 32:1, 7, 13; Josh. 3:17and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, #Gen. 12:7‘To your descendants I will give it.’ 2#Ex. 32:34; Josh. 5:14And I will send My Angel before you, #Ex. 23:27–31; Josh. 24:11and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 3Go up #Ex. 3:8to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest #Num. 16:21, 45I consume you on the way, for you are #Ex. 32:9; 33:5a stiff-necked people.”

4And when the people heard this bad news, #Num. 14:1, 39they mourned, #Ezra 9:3; Esth. 4:1, 4; Ezek. 24:17, 23and no one put on his ornaments. 5For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you. Now therefore, take off your ornaments, that I may #(Ps. 139:23)know what to do to you.’ ” 6So the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.

Moses Meets with the Lord

7Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and #Ex. 29:42, 43called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who #Deut. 4:29sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp. 8So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood #Num. 16:27at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. 9And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord #Ex. 25:22; 31:18; Ps. 99:7talked with Moses. 10All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and #Ex. 4:31worshiped, each man in his tent door. 11So #Num. 12:8; Deut. 34:10the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but #Ex. 24:13his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.

The Promise of God’s Presence

12Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, #Ex. 3:10; 32:34You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, #Ex. 33:17; John 10:14, 15; 2 Tim. 2:19‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ 13Now therefore, I pray, #Ex. 34:9if I have found grace in Your sight, #Ps. 25:4; 27:11; 86:11; 119:33show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is #Ex. 3:7, 10; 5:1; 32:12, 14; Deut. 9:26, 29Your people.”

14And He said, #Ex. 3:12; Deut. 4:37; Is. 63:9“My Presence will go with you, and I will give you #Deut. 12:10; 25:19; Josh. 21:44; 22:4rest.”

15Then he said to Him, #Ex. 33:3“If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, #Num. 14:14except You go with us? So we #Ex. 34:10; Deut. 4:7, 34shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”

17So the Lord said to Moses, #(James 5:16)“I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”

18And he said, “Please, show me #Ex. 24:16, 17; (1 Tim. 6:16)Your glory.”

19Then He said, “I will make all My #Ex. 34:6, 7goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. #(Rom. 9:15, 16, 18)I will be gracious to whom I will be #(Rom. 4:4, 16)gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” 20But He said, “You cannot see My face; for #(Gen. 32:30)no man shall see Me, and live.” 21And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. 22So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you #Song 2:14; Is. 2:21in the cleft of the rock, and will #Ps. 91:1, 4; Is. 49:2; 51:16cover you with My hand while I pass by. 23Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall #Ex. 33:20; (John 1:18)not be seen.”

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Exodus 33: NKJV

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