Savor the taste of our previous brew

In our previous passage, verses 5-9, the LORD revealed His glorious presence to Moses––as promised. The word, “then,” at the beginning of v.5 not only continued the story, but also told us that what happened next was the LORD’s reaction to Moses’ humble response in v.4, to verses 1-3. That the LORD “then came down in a cloud and stood there with him,” after Moses arrived––meant Moses acted on faith––accepting as fact the LORD's invitation in 33:21 to “stand near me on this rock.” Climbing the mountain before the LORD arrived, he reminded us of Christ, who allowed Himself to die on the cross trusting His Father to raise Him from the dead. The LORD’s name embodies everything He is. The first time He revealed it to Moses, He associated it with coming down to deliver the people from Pharaoh and Egypt (Exod. 3:8)––in other words with justification––setting them free from their past. On their way to Canaan, He identified it with sanctification––the journey of the justified to the Promised Land. The LORD promised to show Moses His presence (33:23), but instead of telling us what Moses saw, this passage only reported eight statements Moses heard––three pairs of positive attributes followed by a single negative quality. From philosophers who ask questions the Bible doesn't answer to mystics who claim rogue channels to truth, people have repeatedly confused going beyond scripture with accessing divine knowledge. Even rank and file Christians mistake hearing something new with spiritual learning. Instead of something new, God plumbed the depths of His name, or character showing more of Him from what He had already revealed––just as John does in the Book of Revelation. The “revelation of Jesus Christ” unveils deeper truth about Christ by exposing finer details from existing scriptures. The language of verses 6-7 dealt with sanctification, the process of getting the pardoned people to their destination––the Promised Land. It began with God calling Himself by name––not once, but twice. “Yahweh! the LORD,” is the forerunner of Jesus’ self-proclamation, “I am alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end…the first and the last” (Rev. 1:8, 21:6; 22:13). Alpha and omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet––the equivalent of today’s, A to Z. They symbolize the LORD as both Creator, and Redeemer, the eternal Ruler of the past, present, and future. Isaiah called the LORD of history, “the First and the Last,” long before John (Isa. 41:4). Proclaiming Himself its Creator and Redeemer, Yahweh reminded Israel that it owed its existence to Him, and recommended depending on Him for its future. Alpha and Omega also pointed to the LORD as the “author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). From start to finish there is no other name under heaven by which people may be saved (Ac. 4:12). That’s why Paul urges everyone to call upon the LORD’s name and no other for salvation (Rom. 10:13). Jesus fit the description of the, “Alpha and Omega,” the supreme LORD of all ages, because, He explained: “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One” (Rev.1:8). Lasting or existing forever, without beginning or end, Jesus launched and will wrap up history, and rules everything that happens in between. So, the repetition of the divine name also pointed to Heb. 13:8, where the inspired writer describes Jesus as, “the same yesterday, today, and forever.” By tying the covenant to His permanent name and character, the LORD told Moses that it would never fail, and its terms must remain the same, forever. After emphasizing His unique role in the covenant, the LORD described Himself seven ways––with six illustrations of His mercy, and a single affirmation of His justice. “Compassion and mercy” describe God’s character––His ability to feel what others do and to spare them from the consequences of their mistakes. Derived from the same root for the word “womb,” “compassion” describes the type of understanding or feeling for human weakness a mother shows to her child. The word translated “mercy,” means “gracious” and expressed the same kindness to someone who has no claim on us as the Good Samaritan showed to the Jew beaten half dead and left sprawled on the road to Jericho. This verse inspired Paul to say in Rom. 5:8, “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

Brewed verse-by-verse to bring out the full flavor of the text

Now Serving:

The Grind

Exod. 34:10-14

“Slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness,” described the application of that character to real-life situations and explained the meaning of “compassion and mercy.” These attributes are so rich that God can “lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations,” preparing the way for saving the next generation as an act of kindness to the one about to die short of the promises. Moses will repeatedly remind the next generation that the LORD is giving them the land He “promised to your fathers” (Deut. 6:10, et al). Though God’s anger is real, many have mistaken His patience for reluctance to deal with sin. While few doubt God’s anger only a handful take it seriously or appreciate His self-restraint. God’s “unfailing love and faithfulness” described His trustworthiness or dependability. We can rely on Him to stick to the covenant regardless of human failure. The expression “a thousand generations,” is a metaphor for continuance, for things remaining as they are, indefinitely. Neither human error nor time will exhaust God’s reservoir of grace, loyalty, and love.

To balance leniency with justice after six expressions of His kindness, the LORD warned: “I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty.” God can put up with twisted human nature, resistance to His authority, and even failure to live up to His expectations––but He cannot let us off the hook. God is above all, just––He always does what is morally right and fair. So, the LORD does not spare His people from the practical consequences of their sins, “laying the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.” Startling, perhaps even puzzling, this aspect of God’s character emerged as the centerpiece of the passage. Essentially a repeat of Exod. 20:5-6, the OT confirms its importance by quoting it ten times in whole or in part, something OT writers rarely do. It also plays a big part in synagogue worship. The upshot of it all is this––God cannot entirely waive punishment, though He can defer it––even to a later generation. Take for example, God’s announcement in 1 Kg. 21:29: “Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has done this, I will not do what I promised during his lifetime. It will happen to his sons; I will destroy his dynasty.” Human justice naturally limits itself to the original perpetrator: but God’s unconditional right to dispense reward and punishment transcends generations––so He is free to deal with descendants who follow their ancestors’ ways. Deut. 24:16 makes it clear however: “Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes.” Postponement of divine justice points to Christ who died for the sins of the whole world. His death ratified the sacrifices of the OT and also established forgiveness for sins committed since.

Though they will enter the land, the children still carry the marks of their parents. They will have to deal with their upbringing as part of entering and staying in God’s promises. But while sin’s effect may span three or four generations, God’s pledge to keep the covenant for “a thousand generations” guarantees grace and mercy will eventually triumph over iniquity and rebellion. It pointed to the victory Christ will one day give God’s people over death, mortality and corruption (1 Cor. 15:51-58). Jude celebrates this turnaround, saying: “Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.” Moses asked God to “Show me your glorious presence” in 33:18. God did just that with a preview of His end time triumph over sin. A symbolic glimpse of God bringing into His glorious presence all those who build each other up in their most holy faith as they await God’s mercy through Christ––is His greatest revelation and glory (Jude 20-25).

The only sensible reaction to the truth about God and His plan of salvation––is “worship.” Moses reminded us of John in Rev. 5 who wept bitterly because no one could open the scroll for God’s covenant people to inherit the divine promises written on it. Then, the news that the Lamb who died on the cross deserved to open the scroll dried John’s tears and inspired the redeemed––represented by 24 elders carrying generations of prayers by God’s people––to sing a new song celebrating Christ as the long-awaited answer to their appeals. Countless angels plus every creature that ever lived joined the chorus––and the 24 elders “fell down and worshiped the Lamb” (Rev. 5:14).

Paul paraphrases the thousand-generation slant toward grace, saying: “God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant” (Rom. 5:20). As grace overtook sin, people became right with God and eternal life replaced death––through Christ (5:21). The first Passover lambs spared the lives of people to make the journey to Canaan with Moses. God’s pledge to outlast sin gave Moses a glimpse of the great Passover Lamb who will eventually bring God’s people into all the promises––symbolized by Canaan. The view brought him to his knees. The ultimate success of Christ, God’s greatest shepherd––dried Moses tears and filled his heart with songs of deliverance. This preview of the

Let Dr. Lee pour you a fresh cup, ground verse-by-verse from today’s passage

Lamb’s fulfillment of his symbolic mission to bring the people into the land instantly overwhelmed Moses’ concerns, and he “immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped,” as if he had already arrived at the final destination in heaven. The words “immediately threw,” implied that we don't have to wait for a certain day of the week or hold off until we get to a certain location to worship. A deeper understanding of, who God is and His plan for our salvation should send us right to our knees regardless of when or where we are.

Christians have so much more to go on than symbolic previews and distant hopes. Christ has already defeated death and placed us on heavenly thrones––when He ascended to heaven (Eph. 1:3). Just the thought of what He means to us should wring worship from every Christian pore. The 24 elders sang to God because He made people from all the families of the earth––a kingdom of priests who will eventually reign on earth (Rev. 5:9, 10). That’s why Paul urged the Romans, as priests “to present your bodies as living sacrifices to God.” If a glimpse of the Lamb drove Moses to his knees, then the additional light of the cross and Christ’s resurrection should drive us to serve Him every moment of our lives. As Paul went on to say in Rom. 12:1––this is “truly the way to worship Him.”

Once again, Moses tested the waters of favorability with God to make a request of Him. Like Lot asking God to spare Sodom for the sake of ten righteous men, Moses asks God to “please travel with us… if it is true that I have found favor with you.” Moses reasoned that if God would have spared wicked Sodom for the sake of ten, He might spare His own people for the sake of a single friend. An early example of the principle of substitution, the high priest and friend of God points to Christ as the one for whom God would spare a world of sinners (1 Jn. 2:1, 2). The fact that He has survived a deeper revelation of God without dying, reminds us of the way Jacob survived wrestling with an angel who could have vanquished him in a heartbeat. Fighting against Jacob’s sin with one hand, while fighting even harder for him with the other, God finally convinced Jacob He was his friend rather than an enemy. In a similar way, the thousand-generation slant toward grace persuaded Moses that God would rather spare lives than destroy them. His upbeat perception set a precedent for Bible writers and later Jewish practice––to ignore God’s punitive qualities and recite only His redemptive attributes.

Taking God’s grace for granted, this mindset is epitomized in Neh. 9:16-18 where the post-exilic governor of Judah evaluates the golden calf incident, saying: “our ancestors were proud and stubborn, and they paid no attention to your commands. They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt! But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them, even when they made an idol shaped like a calf and said, ‘This is your god who brought you out of Egypt!’ They committed terrible blasphemies.” Jewish tradition sees thirteen attributes in the eight statements of verses 6, 7. Pious Jews recite them as a prayer for forgiveness on holidays, fast days, and other penitential occasions––especially the Days of Awe (or, High Holidays). With a God like this, Moses argued that Israel’s stubbornness and rebellion is no real bar to God’s presence. Ignoring God’s punitive qualities, Moses appealed to His tender attributes––admitting, “Yes, this is a stubborn and rebellious people,” then pleading for forgiveness. He actually asks God to reinstate Israel as His own people. The request “claim us,” literally means, “take us back.” The expression, “your own special possession,” is a metaphor for God’s attachment to His people (Deut. 4:20; 9:29). The attributes and qualities of verses 6-7 are the ways of God that Moses asked the LORD to show him in 33:13. God described disclosing them to Moses as, “I will make all my goodness pass before you” (33:19). Counting on the kindness God shows him, Moses asked for forgiveness rather than justice, companionship rather than company, reinstatement rather than resumption. More than a favor to him, Moses asked God to be true to His merciful self.

In today’s passage, verses 10-14, the LORD renews the covenant with Israel, and explains that they must not make any covenants with other nations. So, please open your Bibles to Exodus chapter 34, and let me pour you a hot CuppaJesus from today’s brew, starting with verse 10. 10 The LORD replied, “Listen, I am making a covenant with you in the presence of all your people. I will

The Brew

perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people around you will see the power of the LORD the awesome power I will display for you. The previous passage ended with Moses’ appeal that God would forgive Israel and reclaim it as His personal property. Verse 10 reported His reply to Moses. The announcement, “I am making a covenant with you,” amounted to God taking Israel back as His personal possession (v.9). However, the people felt left out of the first agreement at Sinai, and had the impression it was more of a personal contract between Moses and the LORD rather than with them. He had been their sole contact with the LORD and exclusive mediator of His power and guidance. Gone nearly 40 days on the mountaintop with God, the people doubted he would return. Uncertain of what had happened to Moses, they wanted a god to replace him and lead them. So, they asked Aaron to, “make us some gods who can lead us” (32:1). To avoid a rerun, the LORD took steps to make the people feel more included in the covenant. The NLT made it hard to see God’s remedy by linking “I am making a covenant with you” with “in the presence of all your people.” Joining them with a comma––they make the text say: “I am making a covenant with you, in the presence of all your people.” Actually, “in the presence of all your people” goes with what follows, so the verse reads: “I am making a covenant with you; in the presence of all your people, I will perform miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation.” In other words, God will re-establish the covenant––but instead of deriving it from what He had already done for the people back in Egypt, this renewal is also based on what God will do for them in the future. “All your people,” an expression that means, “the nation as a whole,” will physically witness and experience unprecedented “miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation,” not even in Egypt. At Sinai, the people based their loyalty to God on memories of what happened in Egypt. But memories fade and any bond based solely on recollections of the past gradually weakens and disappears. By the time the people asked Aaron to make the golden calf, they had forgotten what the LORD had done for them in Egypt, and believed that Moses brought them out of Pharaoh’s land (32:1).

So, instead of an agreement based solely on their exodus from Egypt, the LORD plans to maintain an active connection between Him and the people from one moment to the next, with fresh demonstrations of His power in the years to come––a metaphor for a day-by-day relationship. The idea that He will perform, “miracles that have never been performed anywhere in all the earth or in any nation,” means that, instead of repeating what He did before, God will do something new for the people. The plural “miracles” also implies that God will do this not once, but many times. In other words, salvation does not rest entirely on justification––separation from the past––but also on sanctification––continued exposure to God’s power. Paul told the Corinthians that, “anyone in Christ is a new creation” (2Cor. 5:17). After God declares us right with Him, we must also, “become the righteousness of God”––that is, become just like Jesus (2Cor. 5:21).

This reminds us of what Jesus told His disciples before He left this world, saying, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father” (Jn. 14:12). Instead of holding people to an agreement based on the past, Jesus told the disciples that they would personally participate in demonstrations of divine power throughout their relationship with Him. What’s more, improvement from “the same” to “even greater” is a metaphor for progress. Jesus wanted His followers to know that they cannot cruise into the kingdom on the power of their conversion. They must also undergo transformation throughout their Christian life in order to spend eternity with God.

When the people built the golden calf, they counteracted God’s efforts to discourage the people in the land from attacking them. Rivals for the land God promised were delighted to see Israel divorce itself from the True God who had already defeated the mighty gods of Egypt. By performing unprecedented miracles in the future, the LORD will not only maintain a fresh relationship with His people, but also sustain a witness to the nations. Instead of relying on His people to impress their neighbors with stories of what He did in Egypt, God will create respect for and ward off attacks on, Israel with fresh displays of His “awesome power” that the people around them will see for themselves. To the world, seeing is––believing, and a picture is worth a thousand words.

11 But listen carefully to everything I command you today. Then I will go ahead of you and drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Like the first version of the covenant, this edition begins with a preamble that repeats the same purpose and goals as before, followed by a summary of the Book of the Covenant in chapters 21-23. The LORD ties this renewal to the previous covenant two principal ways. First, He “will write [on the new tablets] the same words that were on

the tablets” that Moses smashed (34:1). Since there is only one everlasting covenant, the same is true for the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:25-27). Like this renewed covenant with Israel, it is new because of a new power rather any new covenant conditions. And second, by repeating the promise from Exod. 23, “I will go ahead of you and drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.” The goal of the covenant remains the same as before: the conquest of Canaan; only this time, it is the LORD instead of an angel who will personally expel Canaanite trespassers from their land. The word “then” makes “listen[ing] carefully to everything I command you today,” a condition for victory. The word “everything,” implies the LORD wants the people’s complete attention; and, the word “today,” takes away the excuse of forgetfulness. Instead of memories, this covenant is based on up-to-the-minute communication. The LORD will maintain His people’s loyalty with the constant interaction of sanctification rather than resting on the laurels of justification. People who think that salvation is about what God has already done for them tend to compromise. But those who understand that God is still saving them, that God is still deciding their fate as in Exod. 33:5––tend to live by faith. Aware that “God is working in [them], giving [them] the desire and the power to do what pleases Him,” Paul urges Christians to “work out [their] own salvation with deep reverence and fear” (Phil. 2:12, 13). 12 “Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped. The so-called, Book of the Covenant in chapters 21-23 concludes with two directives. The first, in v. 32, is repeated here in v.12: “Make no treaties with them or their gods.” The second, in v. 33, “If you serve their gods, you will be caught in the trap of idolatry,” is repeated in v.13. Verse 33 emphasizes the importance of driving out the trespassers by warning: “They must not live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me.” As the Life Application Bible says: “God continually warned the people to avoid false religions and false gods. In Egypt they had been surrounded by idols and sorcerers, but leaving that land did not mean they were free from pagan religious influences. The land of Canaan was just as infested with idol worship. God knew his people needed extra strength, so he continually emphasized guarding against the influence of pagan religions.”

When the church began to expand, it did not know how much of the past and Judaism to retain, or how much of what it encountered on its way to the ends of the earth, to acquire from its new neighbors. In a way, Israel underwent the same trials. At Sinai, the people deserted the LORD for an idol. Too much of Egypt from the past remained in them to stay loyal to Him. In the Promised Land, they will face the other threat to loyalty––picking up the pagan ways of their new neighbors. To avoid coming under the influence of the Canaanites, God warns them: “Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going,” because the sinful nature is too willing to be natural rather than spiritual. The Hebrew word translated, “be very careful,” literally means, “to guard…to keep an eye on,” and so, stay under control and protect oneself from a natural tendency. Jesus warned the people, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other” (Mt. 6:24). Nothing divides loyalties faster than trying to serve two gods. The only way to avoid this is to have an exclusive relationship with one God. Otherwise, “you will follow their evil ways and be trapped.” The word “trapped,” implies no escape once they take this course. The entire verse also speaks the language of sanctification––during which self must die, even though it is constantly tempted to defect from God.

13 Instead, you must break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles. Verses 13 and 14 virtually repeat Exod. 23:24: “You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars,” only in reverse order. The word “instead,” at the beginning of verse 13 orders the people to undertake the opposite to v.12. Rather than making treaties with the Canaanites, the people must destroy pagan gods. They must do this first, because loyalty to God calls for more than just obeying a set of rules or piously praising God for His power. It requires active commitment, demonstrated by utter rejection of the world’s other gods. Rather than setting themselves up like sitting ducks to follow Canaanite ways, they must, “break down their pagan altars, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles.” They must go on the offensive and “fight [a holy war] against…evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). Like them, Christians must bring down enemy strongholds for Christ to win the world. Salvation is more than saving them. As a kingdom of priests, it is also caring enough about others to take on enemy forces for others.

14 You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you. Verse 14 repeats the command, “You must worship no other gods,” from Exod. 23:24, but offers another reason for it. Besides the corrosive effect of idolatry on the people and their lifestyle, God deserves better. As the people have asked God to make them exclusively His own, so God now demands that they make Him their only God. God demanded complete loyalty at Sinai the first time. He now repeats the same terms to the people––not for His ego, but for their good. The expression, “the LORD, whose very name is Jealous,” is both an inspired commentary on and explanation of Exod. 20:5––because it describes God character in terms of His demand for absolute devotion. Referring to rivals for the people’s devotion, the LORD demanded, “You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.” The word “jealous,” emphasizes that God deserves their undivided loyalty, because it was always His intention to have an exclusive relationship with the people. In fact, that’s why, according to 20:5, the LORD threatens to, “lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me.” The LORD wants to save every generation of His people, not just the current one––but without the complete loyalty of parents, He cannot rescue children from inherited sinful tendencies. As He treats them special––different from all others––so they must reciprocate. That’s what makes a relationship fly.

Well, we hope you enjoyed this morning’s CuppaJ for the Day, brewed verse-by-verse to bring out the full-flavor of the text. Now it’s your turn to explore the passage for yourself––to make this study good to the last drop. Remember, you haven’t really studied the Bible, God’s Written Word––until it connects you with Jesus, God’s Living Word. Then Jesus can customize the text, so every word comes across written just for you.

This morning’s CuppaJ is just a taste of what’s in the text––the starting point for a deeper learning experience with Jesus. So, go ahead; spend time alone with Him to go over this passage together. Let Jesus pour a tastier CuppaJ from the same brew, for you, today. Use the following form to jot down whatever Jesus shares with you. Text: ________________________________________________________________ Translation: ________________________________ Date: _________________

1. Open your Bible to today’s passage and review today’s brew. 2. Then savor the passage, one verse at a time, listening for God’s still small voice. 3. Write whatever the Spirit brings to mind.

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A Tastier CuppaJ

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