Exodus 33: How do we find favor in God’s sight?

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The events in Exodus 33 were a direct consequence of the golden calf in Exodus 32. After that incident, God commanded Moshe (Moses) to move his personal tent outside the camp where the people of Israel were camping. God is a gentleman. When He is not wanted, he leaves.

When Moshe’ tent was moved outside the camp, it came to be called the “tent of meeting.” which in Hebrew is אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד ’ohel moed (Strong’s Nos. H168 and H4150). 

Last week, when we studied Exodus 32, the people of Israel saw that Moshe had been gone so long that they didn’t even care where he was or what happened to him. They turned to Aharon (Aaron), who was very powerful in his own right, and wanted him to become their leader. Aharon had to learn to be a strong and brave leader in his own right. 

This was 40 days of trial, 40 days without answer, without response, no communication whatsoever. Yeshua faced a similar trial and always responded with what is written (Matt. 4:1–11; Luke 4:1–13; cf. Deut. 8:3). Noah faced a similar trial in the ark (Gen. 7:1–4).

This was a test for the people, not Moshe, but they failed this test. Death is a minor thing with God; He can kill and give life back again.

“Then the LORD spoke to Moshe, ‘Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Yitskhak (Isaac), and Ya’akob (Jacob), saying, “To your descendants I will give it.”‘” (Ex. 33:1)

This is 400 years after God made the original promise to Abraham. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were long gone, yet God keeps promise. We are told that God remembers the iniquity to the third and fourth generation (Ex. 20:5; 34:7; Num. 14:18; Deut. 5:9). Most of us know who are parents, grandparents and maybe a great grandparent but we don’t know our great-great grandparents. We have no personal experience with them and we don’t know what they did for good or bad. We certainly do not have any personal acquaintance with our ancestors from 400 years ago. 

God then drops a bombshell on Moshe:

“‘I will send an angel before you and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, and I might destroy you on the way.'” (Ex. 33:1–3)

God was not going to directly lead the people any longer. When God calls them a “stiff-necked” people, He isn’t just talking about a physical stiffness, such as what happens when we have a whiplash injury. It’s a spiritual condition of stubbornness and refusal to bow the head or the body to a superior. We don’t want to bow down. 

“When the people heard this sad word, they went into mourning, and none of them put on his ornaments….” (Ex. 33:4)

God didn’t want to see them in their jewelry or fancy clothes and they responded accordingly and put away their jewelry and fancy clothes and dressed simply with humility.

“Now Moshe used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. And it came about, whenever Moshe went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moshe until he entered the tent. Whenever Moshe entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moshe.” (Ex. 33:7–9)

The tabernacle hasn’t been built yet so when Moshe moved his tent outside the camp, Moshe’ tent became the Tabernacle, in a manner of speaking. Moshe became the “Elohim,” in a sense, at this point. Aharon was a picture of the Messiah, who stayed with the people. 

God had wanted His tabernacle in their midst but when they sinned by making the golden calf, He left their midst. There is a price that had to be paid. He didn’t punish them with just a headache. 

Moshe had asked God to blot him out to save the people but God said that He was not to take Moshe’s life. He took the life of the Messiah many generations later. 

Only one other man was allowed to be in the Tent of Meeting besides Moshe and that was Joshua the son of Nun. In the book of Joshua, God made Joshua as exalted with the people as Moshe had been. Moshe had his weaknesses and mistakes and He is not a perfect reflection of Elohim but God created Moshe with a particular purpose. 

“Then Moshe said to the LORD, ‘See, You say to me, “Bring up this people!” But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. Moreover, You have said, “I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.”‘” (Ex. 33:12)

This is after the golden calf, after the plague, and after God had left the camp. God says that these people are no longer His people, they are Moshe’ people. It sounds very harsh. 

But Moshe reminds God of how He chose the people and it seems Moshe is equally blunt with God when Moshe says, “Then he said to Him, ‘If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here.'” (Ex. 33:15)

God has told Moshe at least three times that he has found favor in God’s sight. Moshe’ request is still being fulfilled in our lifetime. He is one of the most important men who ever walked the face of the earth.

Reader: Jeff. Speaker: Richard Agee. Summary: Tammy.