{"id":11273,"date":"2024-02-02T18:45:29","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T17:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.versebyversebible.cz\/?p=11273"},"modified":"2025-10-12T15:54:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T13:54:15","slug":"2-mojzisova-kapitola-33","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/nezarazene\/2-mojzisova-kapitola-33\/","title":{"rendered":"2. Moses - chapter 33"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1 The Lord spoke to Moses: \u2018Go\u2019&nbsp;<em>.<\/em>&nbsp;Bring us out of here, you and the people you led out of the land of Egypt, to the land,&nbsp;<em>the<\/em>&nbsp;as I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying: \u2018I will give it to your descendants.\u2019&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The calf disaster is behind us \u2013 after every setback, you have to pick yourself up and carry on.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nothing was by any means lost yet. The goal can and must be achieved. The age-old covenants still hold true. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In this formulation, God once again \u2018distances\u2019 Himself somewhat from the people and \u2018shifts\u2019 the responsibility for leading them out of Egypt onto Moses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Quite understandably, the incident with the calf left God with a certain \u2018bad taste\u2019 in His mouth regarding Israel.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When infidelity occurs in a marriage, the betrayed partner may decide to forgive the other and carry on with their life together. However, trust and enthusiasm have been shattered \u2013 and the question is whether they can ever be fully restored. Even if they can, it requires genuine, deep repentance on the part of the betrayer (which the Israelites lacked) as well as time \u2013 sometimes a great deal of time. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>God partly concedes to Moses\u2019 earlier argument when He says: \u2018I will not give up on you, but it is the historical covenants rather than you yourselves.\u2019\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>God\u2019s emotions are quite similar to those of humans (or rather, humans are created with emotions similar to God\u2019s), and the pain caused by unfaithfulness is still all too raw. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>God says something like: \u2018I\u2019ll stay with you, even though you\u2019ve betrayed me \u2013 because of the promise I made to you at the town hall.\u2019 But my love for you has taken a considerable knock. We\u2019ll remain husband and wife, and I\u2019ll continue to look after you \u2013 but don\u2019t expect much warmth for a while; I don\u2019t want to see you too often.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We shall also see in the third verse that God is thus wounded, when He refuses to walk amongst the people. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2 I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The objective remains the same, as do the protection and escort duties.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The difference seems to lie in the fact that the Lord had originally planned to go amongst the Israelites Himself and deal with the enemies personally. Now, instead of going Himself, He is sending a representative.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>So something along the lines of: You\u2019ll still be looked after \u2013 my secretary will take care of everything. But I\u2019ll be sleeping away from home. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is strange that the land was promised to the Israelites without it being unoccupied. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There were several reasons:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The inhabitants were to keep it in a habitable and civilised condition whilst the owners were away; it was not to become a wilderness overgrown with jungle. Ex 23:29\u201330 <em>\u201cI will not drive them out before you in a single year, lest the land become a wasteland and wild animals multiply against you. I will drive them out before you little by little, until you have multiplied and taken possession of the land.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They waited until the inhabitants\u2019 sin had reached its full measure: Gen 15:16 <em>\u201c\u2026 the fourth generation will return here, for the measure of the Amorites\u2019 iniquity has not yet been fulfilled.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Last but not least, for the Israelites it was a test or \u2018training\u2019 \u2013 they had to claim God\u2019s promises for themselves, in part through their own faith, initiative and perseverance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There were many local inhabitants, hailing from many different nations. And they were all, without exception, fatally corrupt \u2013 it is said that archaeologists have uncovered many remains of sacrificed children in Canaan.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Such depravity is extraordinary even amongst pagan peoples. As far as I know, it was otherwise commonly practised only by the South American empires of the Maya, Aztecs and Incas. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3 <em>Go<\/em>&nbsp;to a land flowing with milk and honey. But&nbsp;<em>I<\/em>&nbsp;I will not bring it forth amongst you, for you are a stiff-necked people. Otherwise, I would&nbsp;<em>s<\/em>&nbsp;He met his end on the way, because of you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>according to the LXX<\/em>:<em>&nbsp;And I\u2019ll bring you<\/em>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>n.: amongst you; [the Hebrew term \u2018qereb\u2019 is frequently used in this way as a preposition (as are other anthropomorphic prepositions); its original meaning is \u2018bowels\u2019]<\/em>;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You and the others carry on with the agreed plan \u2013 the agreement that you will reach the promised land still stands.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>But you will go without Me \u2013 I am already so fed up with these people that I cannot vouch for myself: If I were to have them constantly around me, if I were to have to listen to their complaints and discontent all the time and overcome their resistance, it is quite possible that I would lose my temper and destroy them. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>God had already lost all joy in dwelling amongst his people.  \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Once again, there is nothing here that is incomprehensible or unimaginable to us \u2013 we move into a new environment, into a new family. We are invited in, and we are given a room to suit our needs. At first, it seems that we are welcome and that living together will be possible. Gradually, however, the new family turns out to be so toxic that remaining in its midst would exceed the limits of our psychological resilience. There would be a risk of violent conflict. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To avoid any relationship disaster, we\u2019d rather move out \u2013 we won\u2019t cancel our planned plans together, but we\u2019re no longer willing to live together.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is an incredibly sad story \u2013 what initially seemed like a great love affair ends in estrangement. A divorce solicitor would say that there has been <strong>a permanent and profound breakdown of the marriage<\/strong>, which is <strong>incorrigible<\/strong>.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One cannot blame the Lord \u2013 if His \u2018wife\u2019, Israel, \u2018runs off\u2019 with the first wretch who happens to come along, is it any wonder that the husband loses interest in their life together? He may not throw her out onto the street out of respect for the marriage covenant, but the joy of living together will be gone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Above all, we can clearly see that <strong>God is by no means \u2018calm by nature\u2019<\/strong> \u2013 He is neither a Stoic, a phlegmatic nor a Buddhist. He experiences relationship issues very intensely. If someone systematically goads and provokes him, he may explode in a devastating rage and destroy the provocateur with a wave of his hand. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Once again, nothing unimaginable \u2013 if a husband is of a yielding and calm nature, he may put up with a quarrelsome, provocative and perpetually dissatisfied wife for a long time. But when his patience finally runs out, a terrible outburst may ensue.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On the contrary, there are many examples of abused women who suffered in silence for a long time, but then pulled a knife or a gun on their abuser. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Even human courts often show understanding in such cases. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>4 When the people heard this&nbsp;<sup>(<\/sup>bad news,<sup>)<\/sup>&nbsp;they mourned and&nbsp;<sup>(<\/sup>They did not wear any jewellery.<sup>)<\/sup><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>h.: \u2026 bad;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>h.: no one adorned themselves; <\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When it comes to a person <strong>the consequences of his actions,<\/strong> It comes as a shock to him. Situations where someone has been testing someone else\u2019s patience for years and is then suddenly taken by surprise are by no means uncommon.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the case of one married couple, we witnessed the wife rejecting, humiliating and insulting her husband for years, and even having affairs with other men. She got away with it all for a long time \u2013 her husband meekly put up with everything, carried on \u2018functioning\u2019 as normal, and took care of everything. But then one day, he presented her with divorce papers. The wife was in shock \u2013 suddenly she had to face the consequences of her behaviour: she had to start looking after herself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Life without God has no meaning. What use is the Promised Land to me, what use is a comfortable life to me, what use is anything to me? \u2013 if God is not with me? <\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>They did not wear any jewellery<\/strong> It is an outward expression of inner sorrow. For a long time, the Israelites were \u2018festive\u2019 \u2013 dressed up, \u2018all dolled up\u2019, decked out in ornaments and gold. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They were like the unfaithful wife or husband mentioned earlier, returning in the early hours of the morning, high on the excitement of a night out. Dressed in their finest clothes and wearing their best jewellery. They come home to find the flat empty. Suddenly, their jewellery \u2018turns sour\u2019 and they begin to take it off in disgust.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>5 For the Lord said to Moses: \u2018Tell the Israelites: You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to\u2014\u2019<em>li<\/em>&nbsp;Just one moment in your presence, and I\u2019ll be done&nbsp;<em>s<\/em>&nbsp;you. Now take off your jewellery so that I may see how&nbsp;<em>.<\/em>&nbsp;what to do with you.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>[As is typical of the book, here too, in Exodus 33:4, a statement is first made, followed by an explanation of why it happened;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is further explained that the removal of the ornaments was not a spontaneous reaction on the part of the people, but a response to Moses\u2019 words.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For Moses had informed the people of the situation \u2013 that the Lord still refused to dwell amongst them and that the Lord was still full of wrath.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Walking around decked out in gold, on the brink of destruction, is both inappropriate and provocative. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If a husband catches his wife in the act and only just manages to restrain himself from shooting her on the spot, it would be unwise of her to flaunt herself in front of him, wearing the very necklace with which she committed her infidelity. It could quite easily happen that she would suffer the very fate she had narrowly escaped a moment earlier. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>6 So the Israelites removed their ornaments at Mount Horeb.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>One could say that, since the \u2018incident\u2019 with the calf, fashion in Israel has changed \u2013 both men and women have started to dress less provocatively. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>7 Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp, some distance from the camp, and called it the Tent of Meeting. Anyone who sought the Lord would go out to the Tent of Meeting, which&nbsp;<em>was<\/em>&nbsp;outside the camp.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Moses\u2019 next move was an interesting one \u2013 he found himself a quiet place in which to meet with the Lord. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What exactly happened during Moses\u2019 conversations with God before Mount Sinai? \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>God spoke to Moses repeatedly and on many occasions, but nowhere do we read of any specific place where this took place. The tent is therefore a novelty.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>So this is something new.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The first time the Lord spoke to Moses was by the burning bush, which was in fact Mount Horeb \/ Sinai.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They then speak to him on various occasions in Egypt, without the location being specified.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The place was<strong> outside the camp<\/strong> and quite a lot <strong>far away<\/strong> \u2013 What does that mean? A kilometre, perhaps? Or further? <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A camp for several million people must have been quite large in its own right.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To give you an idea, let\u2019s compare this to the size of Prague, with \u2018just one million inhabitants\u2019 \u2013 it would take several hours to walk from the city centre to the outskirts  \u2013 plus some distance from the outskirts to the tent. It would be a walk of at least ten kilometres.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is more likely, then, that Moses lived somewhere on the outskirts of the camp, so that he would not have to walk so far to the tent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was not yet the Tabernacle in the sense of a sanctuary, for which Moses had received detailed instructions on Mount Sinai. The construction of this Tabernacle had not yet even begun (we do not learn of it until Chapter 40).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>So it was a sort of \u2018ordinary\u2019 tent of Moses, which he used as a temporary meeting place.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It must have been outside the camp, presumably because, following the sin involving the calf, the Lord was unwilling to \u2018take up residence\u2019 there or even to come amongst the people. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The sin involving the calf still \u2018hung over them\u2019; it still \u2018stank\u2019 in God\u2019s sight. It was only later that it was washed away by the blood of the sacrifices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Interestingly, this tent was not intended to serve Moses alone, but <strong>to everyone who sought the Lord<\/strong>. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>So does that mean anyone who wanted to could have gone there? \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It would have been a significant change \u2013 until then, access to the Lord had not, in principle, been open to \u2018just anyone\u2019 \u2013 the people had been prevented from having a personal relationship with God, under threat of death at Sinai.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rather, people went there to see Moses as an intermediary, wanting him to present their cases to the Lord. Perhaps they were waiting to catch him as he was coming. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It seems unlikely that people would be \u2018trickling in\u2019 there one by one.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As we shall see later, the young Joshua used to go into the tent with Moses and spent a great deal of time there.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>8 And it came to pass that as Moses was going out to the tent,&nbsp;<em>all<\/em>&nbsp;All the people rose to their feet; each one remained standing&nbsp;<em>at<\/em>&nbsp;the blood&nbsp; <em>He<\/em>&nbsp; from their tent and watched as Moses went in until he had entered the tent.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Moses\u2019s visit to the tent was no ordinary occurrence. It was a significant event \u2013 the people knew this and showed it through their respectful demeanour. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>9 And whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and come to rest&nbsp;<em>at<\/em>&nbsp;the blood&nbsp;<em>He<\/em>&nbsp;tent; and&nbsp;<em>The Lord<\/em>&nbsp;spoke to Moses.<\/strong> <strong>10 When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing&nbsp;<em>at<\/em>&nbsp;the blood&nbsp;<em>He<\/em>&nbsp;In the tent, all the people rose to their feet and bowed down, each one&nbsp;<em>at<\/em>&nbsp;the blood&nbsp;<em>He<\/em>&nbsp;his tent.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It was apparently Moses who initiated the meeting \u2013 he got up and went out beyond the camp to the tent. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>God responded and also appeared at the meeting place in the form of a pillar of cloud. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It was an exceptionally powerful public affirmation of Moses\u2019 authority.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>11 The Lord spoke to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. Then he returned to the camp, but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the tent.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>[This term is most commonly used to refer to priests, the servants of the Lord, but also to the servants of Moses, Amnon (2 Sam 13:18, Solomon (1 Kings 10:5) and Elisha  (2 Kings 6:15ff)];<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Moses\u2019 encounters with the Lord were an utterly extraordinary event in human history \u2013 we have no other example of anyone conversing with the Lord in such a direct and intimate manner. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We don\u2019t even read anything of the sort about Jesus. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Given that it is true that no human being can see the Lord face to face (as is stated explicitly in verse 20 below<sup data-fn=\"cdf083be-7f68-4049-897c-e33ff5e075bd\" class=\"fn\"><a href=\"#cdf083be-7f68-4049-897c-e33ff5e075bd\" id=\"cdf083be-7f68-4049-897c-e33ff5e075bd-link\">1<\/a><\/sup>), Asher Intrater\u2019s theory that Jesus met with Moses in the tent makes sense. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Joshua was an extraordinary figure \u2013 he was Moses\u2019s assistant, utterly loyal and zealous. His zeal was even greater than that of Moses himself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>12 Moses said to the Lord: \u2018Look, you tell me, \u201cLead this people out\u201d, but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have also said, \u2018I know you by name, and indeed you have found favour in my sight.\u2019 13 Now, if I have truly found favour in your sight, let me know your ways, that I may know you&nbsp;<em>.<\/em>&nbsp;that I may find favour in your eyes, and may you see that this nation&nbsp;<em>\"I have<\/em>&nbsp;your people.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What follows is an account of one of the conversations that took place in the tent. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There were probably more conversations, perhaps many \u2013 but Moses considered this one significant enough to record it. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Moses begins to clarify two things: <strong> Look, you\u2019re telling me<\/strong>. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>One might say that he is beginning to negotiate. Not, however, for his own benefit, but for the benefit of the people. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Which of God\u2019s words does Moses refer to? <strong>Lead these people out<\/strong>: Yes, this is what the Lord asked of Moses in the first verse of this chapter (<strong>Go&nbsp;<em>.<\/em>&nbsp;Bring us out of here, you and the people you led out of the land of Egypt, to the land,&nbsp;<em>the<\/em>&nbsp;which I swore \u2026<\/strong>). after he had brought the discussion with the calf to an end, much to his regret.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>But you didn\u2019t let on who you\u2019d be sending with me<\/strong>: For God had told Moses to set out with the people, but also that He Himself would not go with them; instead, He would send an angel in His stead. Moses is therefore presumably asking which angel this will be \u2013 who it is, in fact, who will set out on the journey with them. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And the second thing that interests Moses:  You yourself, God, have admitted that I <strong>You know me personally and you like me<\/strong>. I believe that is the case. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>But I would like this acceptance on your part to lead to <strong>(if I have truly found favour in your eyes<\/strong>), more than before. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To put it another way: if you say you love me, I\u2019d like more from our relationship. I\u2019d like two things:<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Firstly: <strong>I would like to discover my path so that I may come to know you<\/strong>. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This is a rather unusual request: to know God\u2019s way probably means understanding His purposes, gaining a deeper insight into the ways in which He guides the world \u2013 or at least Israel.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And secondly: <strong>I would like you to regard this nation as your own people. <\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Moses intercedes on behalf of the people \u2013 he does not agree with the idea that, whilst Israel will indeed journey to the Promised Land under the guidance of an angel and arrive there safely, God will no longer be with them.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It\u2019s a similar idea to a married couple who have children, and those children go astray. The husband would say to his beloved wife: \u2018I\u2019ll take care of our children\u2019s future; I\u2019ll pay for their education and their housing. But don\u2019t let them come near me. I don\u2019t want to see those brats any more.\u2019 The wife replies: \u2018I don\u2019t want that \u2013 if you say you love me, don\u2019t cast our children aside either.\u2019 <strong>I\u2019m not in it for the money, but so that we can be one family again. <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Moses once again proves himself to be a great intercessor and man of prayer. He recently turned down a generous offer of a fresh start for himself and his family; now he is rejecting a formal \u2018economic\u2019 relationship devoid of love. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>14 He replied: \u2018My presence will go\u2019 <em>with you<\/em>&nbsp;and I\u2019ll give you a rest.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Lord does not appear to respond immediately to Moses\u2019 intercession on behalf of the people \u2013 he offers his presence, but only to Moses. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Once again, the offer is a generous one \u2013 after all, what more could one ask for than for God to walk with me through life, for me to have a relationship with Him, and for my physical and emotional needs to be looked after?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>15 And he said to him, \u2018If you do not go with me\u2019&nbsp;<em>with us<\/em>, don\u2019t drag us out of here.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Moses does not accept this offer; he is unyielding \u2026 and puts everything on the line: Either you give us what I demand, or nothing at all. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The risk is enormous \u2013 after all, the Lord could very well have said: \u2018My offer of friendship was intended solely for you \u2013 if you are insatiable and want me to extend it to everyone at any cost, you will get nothing. If you don\u2019t want it, so be it.\u2019 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>And the Lord might have departed \u2013 Moses would have been left alone in the wilderness, without God\u2019s power, in the midst of a rebellious, unmanageable people. It is reasonable to assume that, had he not saved himself by fleeing quickly (perhaps to Midian), he would not have survived for long without God\u2019s protection. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>This is a truly extraordinary \u2018Christ-like\u2019 display of courage. After all, Jesus acted in a similar way \u2013 he, too, risked his life to save people. Christ also said to God: \u2018If you do not save this wicked and rebellious human race, I would rather die.\u2019 <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>16 How, then, can it be known that I have found favour in your eyes, both I and your people? Is it not by&nbsp;<em>the fact that<\/em>&nbsp;You will come with us, so that we \u2013 I and your people \u2013 will be set apart from all the nations which&nbsp;<em>are<\/em>&nbsp;on the earth\u2019s surface?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Moses continues his argument. He says: <strong>After all, nothing else but Your presence amongst us has any meaning.<\/strong> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>After all, it\u2019s not about prosperity, security and a comfortable life, but about RELATIONSHIPS. <\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Moses highlights the most important aspect of our relationship with God \u2013 he realised that <strong>A relationship is everything,<\/strong> <strong>The circumstances are of secondary importance.  <\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This truth is not easy to uncover, and not many people discover it. Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David and Job all understood it. A relationship does not mean perfection or sinlessness. A relationship has nothing to do with how well I am doing in life. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Furthermore, a relationship has this characteristic: one can be certain of it. <\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>That is why, and only why, the troubled David was able to stand firm in his righteousness. That is why Job was able to steadfastly withstand the attacks of his friends \u2013 not because Job or David were perfect, but because they were certain of their relationship with the Most High.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Christianity is nothing other than a relationship with God \u2013 what sets Christians apart from other people is not sinlessness or better lives, but the fact that they know God and have a relationship with Him. The following is absolutely true:  <strong>How, after all, can it be known that I (a Christian) have found favour in your eyes, both I and your people? Is it not by&nbsp;<em>the fact that<\/em>&nbsp;You will come with me, so that I may be set apart from all the nations which&nbsp;<em>are<\/em>&nbsp;on the earth\u2019s surface?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>17 The Lord said to Moses: \u2018I will do even what you have asked, for you have found favour in my sight, and I know you by name.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Moses even \u2018persuaded\u2019 the Lord on this matter \u2013 God says so quite plainly: \u2018I will grant your request, because we are friends, because I love you.\u2019 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In other words, he is making a concession in that he will travel amongst the people in person, rather than simply sending a representative, as he had originally intended.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>18 He said, \u2018Show me your glory!\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>n.: Let me see;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Moses \u2018strikes whilst the iron is hot\u2019 \u2013 he sees that God is \u2018in a good mood\u2019, that He is currently inclined to grant his requests, that He is favourably disposed towards him. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He is therefore making a purely personal request \u2013 one that has nothing to do with the circumstances or with anything that is happening around him. Moses wants to get to know God better. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Up to this point, the Lord had revealed Himself to Moses in a truly extraordinary way \u2013 it is likely that the Son of God Himself meets with him in person during these encounters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>But Moses wants more \u2013 he longs for <strong>to know the glory of the Lord. <\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We do not know exactly what this is all about, or what the glory of the Lord is \u2013 Moses somehow longs to look \u2018behind the curtain\u2019; he wants to know God not \u2018merely\u2019 as a (divine) human being, but as the Creator God, the ruler of the universe.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jesus \u2018is not enough\u2019 for him; he wants the Father. He wants to see how things are in heaven, where God sits on his throne and all creation gives him glory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>19 He replied: \u2018I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will show mercy to whom I show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What does God say to this? The Lord gives neither a yes nor a no. He does not dismiss Moses\u2019 request out of hand, but neither does He grant it in full.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It offers or advertises two things: <strong>I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. <\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The outpouring of all God\u2019s goodness upon humankind<\/strong> \u2013 we don\u2019t know what it\u2019s all about, but God\u2019s goodness is one of the fundamental traits of His nature. And to possess it <strong>all <\/strong>To be close to her, to look at her, to experience her, to feel her in some way \u2013 it must be extraordinary.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>God\u2019s name<\/strong> Moses knew (YHWH) and had apparently already heard the Lord speaking (from Mount Sinai or from the bush \u2013 assuming, that is, that it was not an angel speaking in those instances). Here, God offers a combination of \u2018personally\u2019 pronouncing His mysterious name YHWH.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>We are used to thinking of a name as merely a label for a person, without any greater significance. However, it is clear from many passages in the Bible that a name \u2013 especially God\u2019s name \u2013 is something more: to a certain extent, it is inseparable from the person themselves, from their very essence, character or even presence. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hebrew  <strong>\u0161em<\/strong> and  Greek <strong>\u00f3noma<\/strong>  are more than just a \u2018file name\u2019 \u2013 one might say that God\u2019s name is a file with the .exe extension. <strong>Click <\/strong>on the file icon <strong>God's Name.exe<\/strong> \"I have <strong>when God\u2019s name is invoked or mentioned.<\/strong> God\u2019s presence then \u2018unfolds\u2019. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>There is also the danger of an \u2018unintentional click\u2019 \u2013 hence the warning \u2018You shall not misuse God\u2019s name\u2019. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li> Some other links, at random: \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Deut. 12:5<em> \u2018The place which the Lord will choose to make his name dwell there\u2019<\/em> \u2013 God does not \u2018dwell\u2019 physically in the temple, but the presence of His name signifies that He is present there <strong>presence and glory<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Psalm 20:8 \u201c<em>\u2018They rely on chariots, they on horses, but we call upon the name of the Lord our God.\u2019<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Psalm 23:3 \u201c<em>\u2018He refreshes my soul; he leads me along the paths of righteousness for his name\u2019s sake.\u2019<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>John 17:6, 11\u201312<em> \u201cI have made your name known to the people you have given me\u2026 keep them in your name, which you have given me.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Acts 4:12 \u201c<em>\u2018For there is no other name under heaven given to humankind by which we may be saved.\u2019<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Phil 2:9\u201310<em> \u201cGod exalted him and gave him a name above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I don\u2019t know if the offer was what Moses wanted \u2013 perhaps he was a little disappointed. Perhaps he had hoped that, given their long and close friendship, he would be allowed to see more.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Perhaps in light of Moses\u2019 disappointment, God adds: <strong>I have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I show compassion to whom I show compassion<\/strong>, presumably meaning: I shall reveal to you whatever I deem fit, to the extent that I deem fit; or, alternatively, to the extent that is possible (as we shall see shortly).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>20 He said: \u2018You cannot see my face, for no one can see me and live.\u2019\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>God explains to Moses why it is not possible to grant his request in full \u2013 even if God were to \u2018wish it so\u2019 for all the world. \n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is interesting because this sentence brings to mind a well-known paradox: Can God create a boulder that He Himself cannot lift? Whether we answer \u2018yes\u2019 or \u2018no\u2019, it follows that God is not omnipotent. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can God really not reveal Himself to anyone without that person perishing? Can God really not temper the power of His presence, or shield a person from it? After all \u2013 if the \u2018witness\u2019 really is unable to survive it, can the Almighty not then resurrect that person? And so on, ad infinitum. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He probably cannot \u2013 we know that God reveals Himself to people, without exception, in some indirect or vicarious way. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For some reason, and for reasons that were not entirely clear, Moses\u2019 request went beyond what the Lord was prepared to do at that moment. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Perhaps we can already see here the first hint of God\u2019s later Incarnation \u2013 <strong>It was only in Jesus that God truly revealed Himself fully to people, face to face, just as He is. It was only in Him that He shared the deepest possible fellowship with people.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>21 And the Lord said: \u2018Here\u2019\u00a0<em>\"I have<\/em>\u00a0Come over here; stay standing on the rock.<\/strong> <strong>22 And it shall come to pass, when my glory passes by, that I will place you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>However, God cannot be \u2018blamed\u2019 for not having tried to accommodate Moses to the greatest possible extent \u2013 He went to meet Moses\u2019 request as far as He possibly could. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Perhaps we can (once again) draw on the image of a nuclear reactor: If the Lord dwells at the \u2018epicentre\u2019 of a nuclear reactor, the human desire to look \u2018home\u2019 to Him is na\u00efve and misguided, for any human visitor would be instantly annihilated. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>God, however, is looking for a solution: \u2018Let\u2019s do it this way \u2013 stand here behind this barium glass, and I\u2019ll shield you with a lead screen, so you can still see me.\u2019 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What you take from it is another matter \u2026 but you can\u2019t say I didn\u2019t try. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>23 Then I will remove my hand, and you will see my back, but my face will not be seen.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It would seem, then, that God intends to show Moses as much as possible. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">.<\/p>\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-footnotes\"><li id=\"cdf083be-7f68-4049-897c-e33ff5e075bd\">Furthermore, in Exodus 19:21, during the revelation on Mount Sinai, the Lord warns Moses: \u2018Go down and warn the people not to press forward to see the Lord, lest many of them perish.\u2019<br>Judges 13:22: After meeting the angel of God, Samson\u2019s parents (Manoah and his wife) say: \u2018We are surely going to die, for we have seen God!\u2019<br>John 1:18 No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the Father\u2019s bosom, he has made him known.<br>1 Timothy 6:16 \u2026who alone possesses immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. <a href=\"#cdf083be-7f68-4049-897c-e33ff5e075bd-link\" aria-label=\"Jump to footnote reference 1\">\u21a9\ufe0e<\/a><\/li><\/ol>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1 Hospodin promluvil k Moj\u017e\u00ed\u0161ovi: Jdi&nbsp;a&nbsp;vyt\u00e1hni odsud, ty i lid, kter\u00fd jsi vyvedl z egyptsk\u00e9 zem\u011b, do zem\u011b,&nbsp;o&nbsp;n\u00ed\u017e jsem p\u0159\u00edsahal Abrahamovi, Iz\u00e1kovi&nbsp;a J\u00e1kobovi&nbsp;slovy: Tv\u00e9mu potomstvu ji d\u00e1m.&nbsp; 2 Po\u0161lu p\u0159ed tebou and\u011bla&nbsp;a vy\u017eenu&nbsp;Kenaance, Emorejce, Chetejce, Perizejce, Chivejce a Jeb\u00fasejce. 3 Jdi&nbsp;do zem\u011b opl\u00fdvaj\u00edc\u00ed ml\u00e9kem a medem.&nbsp;Ale&nbsp;j\u00e1&nbsp;nevyt\u00e1hnu ve tv\u00e9m st\u0159edu,&nbsp;nebo\u0165 jsi lid tvrd\u00e9 \u0161\u00edje.&nbsp;Jinak bych&nbsp;s&nbsp;tebou po [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"[{\"content\":\"D\u00e1le v Ex 19,21 p\u0159i zjeven\u00ed na ho\u0159e S\u00ednaj Hospodin varuje Moj\u017e\u00ed\u0161e: \u201eSestup dol\u016f a varuj lid, aby se netla\u010dil k Hospodinu, aby ho spat\u0159il; jinak mnoz\u00ed z nich padnou mrtv\u00ed.\u201c<br>Sd 13,22 rodi\u010de Samsona (Manoach a jeho \u017eena) po setk\u00e1n\u00ed s Bo\u017e\u00edm and\u011blem \u0159\u00edkaj\u00ed: \u201eJist\u011b zem\u0159eme, nebo\u0165 jsme vid\u011bli Boha!\u201c<br>J 1,18 Boha nikdo nikdy nevid\u011bl; jednorozen\u00fd Syn, kter\u00fd je v n\u00e1ru\u010d\u00ed Otcov\u011b, ten o n\u011bm podal zpr\u00e1vu.<br>1Tim 6,16 ...kter\u00fd jedin\u00fd m\u00e1 nesmrtelnost, bydl\u00ed v nep\u0159\u00edstupn\u00e9m sv\u011btle, jeho\u017e nikdo z lid\u00ed nevid\u011bl ani vid\u011bt nem\u016f\u017ee.\",\"id\":\"cdf083be-7f68-4049-897c-e33ff5e075bd\"}]"},"categories":[41,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2-mojzisova","category-nezarazene"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11273"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11273\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/versebyversebible.hiseo.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}