Exodus 33-40: A Summary Bible Teaching

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Okay, we are gonna plow through the remainder of Exodus today as chapters 33-40 contain a ton of information relative to God and the Nation and the tabernacle.

I am going to summarize the most important content from each chapter and if there is something that needs addressing we will stop, highlight it, and then move forward.

So, the golden calf mess is over and at Chapter 33 verse 1 we read the following:

Exodus 33-40 – A summary
May 5th 2024

1 And YAHAVAH said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:
2 And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
3 Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiff-necked people: lest I consume thee in the way.
4 And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.
5 For YAHAVAH had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiff-necked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.
6 And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.

Okay what is being said here?

It seems that a regular old angel was assigned to accompany them into the promised land instead of an Angel that bore the sacred name of YAHAVAH.

This news made the Nation mourn and in their mourning, they stripped themselves of their ornamentations – whether jewelry and robes – we cannot tell.

It is believed that the stripping off of these particular ornamentations in the spirit of humility was thought by the people to remove some of the protection these ornamentations provided them.

Maybe, maybe not.

We should also take note that YAHAVAH tells them that He would be the one to deliver them out of the hands of the specified Nations, and Moses lists them as the

the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:

Note that there are only seven nations that Israel could not intermarry with. No more. They could intermarry with others, something we often overlook.

Also, there are seven nations and the Girgashites are not included here. Why?
Can’t say. But the Septuagint translation includes them – SO THERE IS YET ANOTHER INDICTMENT AGAINST THE POLLUTED MASORETIC TEXT.

7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought YAHAVAH went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
8 And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
9 And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and YAHAVAH talked with Moses.
10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
11 And YAHAVAH spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

Now, the official tabernacle, which the following chapters will describe in minute detail was not up and operational and the Hebrew describes this as just a tent – so it is believed that YAHAVAH was visiting Moses in his own personal tent and that this is what was believed to have been set about 2000 cubits from the rest of the people as God will not visit people of rebellion. (Verse 12)

12 And Moses said unto YAHAVAH, “See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.”

What Moses seems to be saying is, “YAHAVAH, you have said you will not go with us, but will send an angel (And he adds at verse 13), but if I have found grace in your sight, show ME now the way, that I may know these and may find grace in thy sight.”

14 And he (YAHAVAH) said, “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.”
15 And he (MOSES) said unto him, “If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.

IN other words, Moses is saying, “if we cannot have your supernatural presence with us, don’t lead us up there.”

And Moses adds at verse 16:

16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.”
17 And YAHAVAH said unto Moses, “I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.”

Here we see YAHAVAH subtly step back from his earlier statement of NOT going with them and it was ostensibly because Moses agreed to keep His Word and keep the Nation separate from the rest of the world.

This is yet another of several dozens of examples where the Living God changes his direction out of love for the people and theirs.

For some reason, Moses then makes a request of the Living God and says, at verse 18

18 “I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.”
19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of YAHAVAH before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.”
20 And he said, “Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.”

There are all sorts of games people play on what is happening here. Their games are based on what appears to be somewhat of a game YAHAVAH plays with Moses of showing parts of Himself but not others.

These parts, as we will see, are anthropomorphically described, which we will talk about in a minute as well.

But note the words here as YAHAVAH says,

“Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.” From this we can say that Moses was NOT seeing Him.

Note also, that Moses says, “show me your glory” and does not say, “show me your face.” These subtle nuances help lead us to right exegesis.

Of course, Yeshua confirmed YAHAVAHS words of “for there shall no man see me and live,” when He said in John 1:18:

“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”

So, what is going on here?

Moses, apparently feeling the love of YAHAVAH in His agreeing to be with the Nation, asks for more intimacy with His Maker.

YAHAVAH graciously promises to indulge Moses in this request as far as it was humanly possible and adds that He would “proclaim His name, and making all his goodness pass before him,” (Exodus 33:19).

But at the same time He tells him that he could not see “his face”

Does YAHAVAH have a face?

To say yes or no is to avoid some contextual elements scripture provides.

Scripture plainly and repeatedly describes God as invisible and Spirit. Remember what Yeshua said when He stood before His apostles as a resurrected being in Luke

“Behold my hands and my feet, that it is myself, Handle me and see (READY) for a Spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see me have.”

Here in Exodus YAHAVAH, who is invisible and who is Spirit is doing what He can to accommodate Mose’s request to show him His glory.

We might conclude that what He shows to Moses is actually a spiritual manifestation of Christ incarnate, God with us – but even this might be stretching it.

All we can say, in the face of this and to make it easy (all things considered) is

No man can see Him and live.
No man has seen God at anytime.
God is Spirit.
God is a consuming fire.
God is Light.
God is invisible.
And His only begotten Son declares Him Physically to the world in His day and as His living Word today.

So, keep all of this in mind as we read on.

21 And YAHAVAH said, “Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

Remember, Moses was in his tent when this happened so it appears that the rock and cleft in the rock was possibly a vision and I personally believe Moses was show the parts of God made flesh who would ultimately dwell among them.

This brings us to chapter 34 and we will quickly work through it starting at verse 1.

Exodus 34:1 And YAHAVAH said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.
2 And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.
3 And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.
4 And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as YAHAVAH had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.

To cut through the mess, there are some apparent contradictions in the scripture as to who did the writing Moses or God.

This is easily settled in Moses second rehearsal of these events in Deuteronomy 10 where we read:

Deuteronomy 10:1 At that time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood.
2 And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark.

(Verse 5)

5 And YAHAVAH descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of YAHAVAH.
6 And YAHAVAH passed by before him, and proclaimed, YAHAVAH, YAHAVAH God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

WOW.

It seems that YAHAVAH himself helps define His name through this self-description.

As to the line, “and that will by no means clear the guilty” there is the idea that no person can make an atonement for his own sins, or purify his own heart – this was and is an impossibility; all have sinned and come short of the glory of God so therefore He must do the clearing of sin as there is no means by which we can self atone.

8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
9 And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.
10 And he said, “Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of YAHAVAH: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.
11 Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:
13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:
14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for YAHAVAH, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
15 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;
16 And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.
17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.

Again, a complete reiteration relative to the Ten Word Ketubah. And a grave warning – which they ultimately will not heed as a people – only individuals of faith will heed as is the case today.

At verse 18 we begin to receive some special instructions YAHAVAH gives them, saying

18 The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread was an ancient 7-day agricultural feast marked by the offering of new grain to the Lord which began on the 15th day of the 1st month, the day after the 1st day of the Passover, and finally became one continuous festivals celebrated with the Passover in the days of Christ.

It was emblematic of the people becoming holy as God is holy in that there is no levening in their lives or being corrupted by sin or pride as leven corrupts grain.

Then He adds

19 All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male.

The matrix is the womb wherein the first born male came from at birth. Then He adds

20 But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.

We will discuss this later in the months to come. Then we get a Sabbath day command, as YAHAVAH says,

21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.

Then a command on what is called, the Feast of Weeks, saying

22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the first-fruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.

Then we read the command for all males to appear before YAHAVAH three times annually at verse 23,

23 Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before YAHAVAH GOD, the God of Israel.

Then how YAHAVAH would protect their land from invasion when the males were absent from the land during these times, saying

24 For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before YAHAVAH thy God thrice in the year.

Then –

25 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.

And then some instruction on the first-fruits of their crops saying

26 The first of the first-fruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of YAHAVAH thy God.

Then a reference to Kosher laws ending that passage as He says,

Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.

27 And YAHAVAH said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.

That phraseology is to say that these words are written after the tenor of the ten-word ketubah covenant which is, I am the Lord thy God have no other Gods before me.
Cannot possibly overemphasize the importance of these ten words to all believers today as all aspects of religion, church playing, pastor praise, devotions to this world, even adoration of the written scripture are forms of idolatry – like it or not. He reads the heart.

28 And he was there with YAHAVAH forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.

Is it possible for a human to go without water for forty days? Not according to science so we must assume that when in the presence of God hydration is unnecessary – believe it or not.

The reality is almost every claim in scripture that is metaphysically based or miraculous is a matter of believing God can do it or not.

29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
31 And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.
32 And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that YAHAVAH had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
33 And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.
34 But when Moses went in before YAHAVAH to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.
35 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Paul will reference this vail over Moses face in 2nd Corinthians which we will not address presently but suffice it to say, it was applicable to them.

Chapter 35 opens with Moses gathering the Nation and specifically mentioning the Sabbath day, but then he begins to speak about taking an offering from them which will be used to build the tabernacle.

We are not going to read this, but I do want to high-grade some highlights about the collection taken by citing some specific passages.

For instance, listen to verses 4-5

5 Take ye from among you an offering unto YAHAVAH: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of YAHAVAH; gold, and silver, and brass,

Then jump to verse 20 where we read

20 And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
21 And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought YAHAVAH’S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.
22 And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto YAHAVAH.

Then to verse 29 –

29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto YAHAVAH, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which YAHAVAH had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.

The point being that even under the LAW, the people were asked to give freely and willingly, and were not under compulsion in the least. Tithes for the temple maintenance under the Law was another matter.

But if this approach was in operation then under the law, we can clearly see what Paul meant in 2nd Corinthians 9:6-7 when he wrote to the believers in that day, saying,

7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Again, if that was the case in with the Nation of Israel and then in the age of the Bride it remained the case, how much MORE is it the case in the age of fulfillment where shakable brick and mortar has crumbled in the presence of the Spirit and all souls ought to be led by it in all that they do as God so leads.

Chapter 36 -38 continues to address the creating of the Tabernacle and it hearkens back to those who were inspired by God with creative gifts to construct, of craftsmen, seamstresses and the like.

You are free to review the endless details therein as I’m sure there are important items to consider but not to me here.

It is in chapter 37 that we read about the creation of the Ark of the Covenant and I think this has some fascinating elements to it.

And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:
2 And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.

Many scholars point out that this ark was made of shittim wood and overlaid with gold, which apparently speaks to the nature of Yeshua the Messiah who was human (wood) but Overlaid with Gold (or God).

Then at verse 7 we read relative to this Ark,

7 And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;
8 One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
9 And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.

Of course, these “angels” resting on each end with their wingspan spreading out over the mercy seat and almost meeting in the middle are a picture of Christs tomb wherein he laid as we read, once He had resurrected, causing John to write that Mary, weeping, looked into His empty tomb

John 20:12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

Beautiful picture, eh?

Chapter 38 and 39 provide great detail on more items to be created for the tabernacle and chapter 39 ends with . .

42 According to all that YAHAVAH commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.
43 And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as YAHAVAH had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.

And this brings us to the last chapter of Exodus (40).

From verse 1-11 God instructs Moses on how to set everything up. Then at verse 12 we read about Aaron and sons, saying

12 And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.
13 And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
14 And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats:
15 And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.

Remember, Yeshua, after describing all the things that would accompany the end of that age, and His return, said to four of His apostles:

Matthew 24:34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

It would be the last generation to operate under these things forevermore. Then verses 16-33 of everything they did according to YAHAVAH’s instructions with the last line of verse 33 saying:

“So Moses finished the work.”

And let’s read from verse 34 to the end.

34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of YAHAVAH filled the tabernacle.

Here, YAHAVAH God gave his approbation of the work; and as this was visible, so it was a sign to all the people that YAHAVAH was with them.

“And the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” How this was manifested we cannot tell; it was probably by some light or brightness which was insufferable to the sight, for Moses himself could not enter in because of the cloud and the glory, (Exodus 40:35).

The same happened when Solomon had dedicated his temple; for it is said in 1st Kings 8 that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord.

Previously to this, the cloud of the Divine glory had rested upon that tent or tabernacle which Moses had pitched without the camp, after the transgression of the molten calf; but now the cloud moved from that tent and rested upon this tabernacle, which was made by the command and under the direction of God himself.

There is reason to believe that this tabernacle was pitched in the centre of the camp, all the twelve tribes pitching their different tents in a certain order around it.

35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of YAHAVAH filled the tabernacle.
36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:
37 But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
38 For the cloud of YAHAVAH was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

This daily and nightly appearance was at once both a merciful providence, and a demonstrative proof of the Divinity of their religion.

These tokens continued with them throughout all their journeys; for, notwithstanding their frequently repeated disobedience and rebellion, God never withdrew these tokens of his presence from them, till they were brought into the promised land.

At that point when the tabernacle became fixed, because the Israelites had obtained their inheritance, this mark of the Divine presence was no longer visible in the sight of all Israel, but appears to have been confined to the holy of holies, where it had its fixed residence upon the mercy-seat between the cherubim.

In this place continued till the first temple was destroyed, after which it was no more seen in Israel till God was manifested in the flesh.

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Tuesday Night we return to Heart of the Matter, calling it Full Circle. Tune in or if you are in the neighborhood you are welcome to attend live.

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All the former members of Adams Road.