In preparation for the proclamation of the
Name of the Lord, and the partial revelation of His glory to Moses, the Lord
instructs Moses to hew two tables of stone like to the two that had been
broken, and to be ready in the morning to ascend the mount. Precautions were to be taken that neither man
nor beast should be near. This being
accomplished, we read: “And Moses rose
up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the Lord commanded
him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone” (Exod.xxxiv.4). The proclaiming of the name of the Lord
immediately followed:--
“Then the Lord passed before him, and
proclaimed, Jehovah, Jehovah God, tenderly compassionate and gracious,
long-suffering and abounding in mercy and truth, reserving mercy for thousands,
bearing away 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 fourth generation” (Exod.xxxiv.6,7).
There is by no means unanimity among
Hebrew scholars as to the correct reading of the phrase: “And that will by no means clear the
guilty”. We may see by the italic
type that “the guilty” are words added to complete the sense. The words “by no means” are the rendering of
an idiomatic use of the verb with which most students are familiar. For example, “Thou shalt surely die” is a
good English translation, yet literally the words are, “Dying, thou shalt die”. Here in
Exod. xxxiv. 7, “Clearing, He
will not clear” represents the order of the words. Spurrell translates the passage: “And justifying the unjustified; yet visiting the iniquity of the
father”, etc. Dathe and Boothroyd, after
De Dieu, render the passage: “And
do not altogether destroy the impious.”
Boothroyd, moreover, in his “Bible” translates it: “Clearing him that is not clear.”
There is no essential difference between
“clearing the guilty” and “justifying the ungodly”. The introduction of the words, “That will by
no means clear the guilty”, in some measure nullifies the gracious words that
precede. There we read that the Lord
forgives or “bears away” the iniquity, transgression and sin which constitute a
person guilty. Surely, it is the blessed
truth taught alike to Abraham, Moses and David, and made abundantly plain by
Paul in Romans.iii.&.iv., that He Who bears away our sin does “clear
him who is not clear”.
The proclamation of the name Jehovah
involves a two-fold attitude to sin: an
attitude of graciousness, mercy, long-suffering and faithfulness in bearing
away sin, yet, by no means condoning sin or compromising God’s own
Holiness. This shows that sin, though it
be forgiven, often leaves behind a crop of trouble that must be reaped. For example, David was forgiven, yet as a
result of his sin, even though forgiven, war never departed from his
house. Moses was forgiven, but he
nevertheless never entered the promised land.
So here, sin will be forgiven, yet the iniquity of the fathers is
visited upon the children. The sins of a
believer to-day are forgiven, but the effects of his sin go on.
Once more we see Moses grasping the
intention of the Lord by faith, and daring to urge yet more grace:--
“And
Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. 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” (Exodus xxxiv.
8, 9).
Surely Moses knew that God did “clear him
who is not clear”. Look at the holy
boldness that faith possesses when standing on the ground of grace. The Lord had said that the reason why He
would not remain with Israel was that they were “a stiff-necked people” (Exod. xxxii. 9, xxxiii. 3 & 5), yet Moses, with the vision of the glory still
fresh and the proclamation of the name of the Lord still present to his memory,
urges this as a reason for the Lord to alter His threat, to turn away His wrath
and to go among them once more. Truly,
the principles of grace and merit are at the two extremes.
The
re-stated covenant.
Following this manifestation of grace the
Lord re-states covenant conditions in verses 10-17, following it up in verses
18-26 with a selection of the commandments which are the working out of the
terms of the covenant. It will be
observed that, in this new statement, practically one item only is stressed,
the matter of idolatry and the making of a covenant with idolaters. Every covenant must have at least two parties,
with mutual obligations. Consequently
verses 10-17 are distributed under the pronouns “I” and “Thou”.
The omission of the remaining nine
commandments from these words of the covenant does not imply that they were not
repeated (see verse 28), but the insistence upon the first commandment
would cause Israel to realize that the worship of God alone was the first
essential. No amount of obedience to any
other command would compensate for the breaking of this, the essential clause.
When Israel came out of Egypt many
marvelous plagues attended their deliverance;
but the Lord says here that He will, in the working out of this
covenant, “do marvels”, and that it will be a “terrible thing” that He will do
with Israel. Moreover these marvels will
be such as have not been seen in all the earth, nor in any nation. There are hints of this scattered throughout
the history of Israel. A very definite
statement is found in Micah vii.
15-17:--
“According to the days of thy coming out
of the land of Egypt will I show unto him marvelous things. The nations shall see and be confounded at
all their might: they shall lay their
hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they
shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the Lord our God, and
shall fear because of thee.”
It is evident, when we survey the teaching
of Scripture, that these unprecedented marvels are not described in their full
import until we reach the book of the Revelation. When we compare the opening of the Revelation
with the original covenant of Sinai, we perceive the change that is brought
about by the changed covenant:--
“Ye have seen what I did unto the
Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles wings, and brought you unto
Myself. Now, therefore, if ye will obey
My voice indeed and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto
Me above all people: for all the earth
is mine; and ye shall be unto Me a
kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (Exod. xix. 4-6).
This is the original covenant, and upon
hearing its term Israel said, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do” (Exod.
xix. 8). Alas, the flesh cannot fulfil
such promises. But a few weeks pass and
Israel break the covenant and are threatened with extinction. Though the people will never become a kingdom
of priests on the terms of their own law-keeping, the words of Revelation i.
indicate that by the grace of God, and through the redemption of Christ,
they will ultimately attain to this glorious position:
“Unto Him that loveth us and loosed us
from our sins by His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and
His Father, to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen” (Rev. i. 5,
6).
The covenant of marvels is fulfilled by
the Lord in this book of the Revelation.
The vials of His wrath are poured out upon the earth and, sun, moon and stars share in the judgment. Micah
vii. tells us that the nations shall
come out of their holes like worms.
Revelation tells us that they shall hide themselves in the dens and in
the rocks of the mountains (Rev. vi. 15).
What Israel failed to attain by law, they
shall reach through redeeming love: and
this re-stated covenant of Exodus
xxxiv. follows the wonderful exhibition
of divine forbearance and forgiving grace revealed at the intercession of
Moses.
Following the new terms of the covenant of
marvels is a repetition of one or two commandments that arise out of it.
The commandments so put forward, and
thereby emphasized and enjoined upon this people, are as follows:--
1. The
four feasts that mark out their ecclesiastical year.—Unleavened bread is a
reminder of their separation from evil unto the Lord, but the statement in
verse 25 concerning the unleavened sacrifices would remind Israel that it is by
the blood of atonement, and not by the works of the law, that they can ever
hope to find acceptance. The last feast,
the ingathering, symbolizes all Israel’s hope, and keeps it before them.
2. Redemption.—This
is selected for repetition. The
firstborn of man and beast belong to the Lord.
This, as we find by referring back to
Exod. xiii. 12-15, was ordained
to keep perpetually in mind the deliverance of Israel and the slaying of the
firstborn in Egypt. The firstling of an
ass did not come into the same class as the firstling of an ox or sheep, for
the ass was not an animal fit for sacrifice.
It must either be redeemed by the sacrifice of a lamb, or its neck must
be broken. All firstborn sons, too, like
the ass must be redeemed.
The injunction at the close against
seething a kid in its mother’s milk, guards the mind against what might appear
indifference to animal suffering or cruelty.
God’s commands concerning animal sacrifices were necessitated because of
sin, but He would have His people follow the paths of love and kindness.
3. The
observance of the sabbath knew no exceptions.—Ploughing and harvesting are
exacting periods in the life of an agricultural people, nevertheless, however
pressing the apparent need, the seventh day sabbath must be preserved. It was, as we have seen, a sign between
Israel and the Lord.
4. The
first of the firstfruits were to be given to the Lord.—This is much in line
with the many customs still existing in virtue of which some tangible tribute
is paid annually to an overlord in recognition of his dues and demands upon the
fealty of the one in covenant. As we
shall see later, these firstfruits were a foreshadowing of resurrection.
What was the effect upon Moses of this new
covenant of graciousness? The skin of
his face shone. He could not but catch
something of the glory. True, both the
record here and the inspired comment in
II Corinthian iii. show that the
glory was transient, yet it foreshadowed the fuller blessings of the new
covenant where they who behold the glory of the Lord with unveiled face are
transfigured. Moses, we are told, “wist
not that the skin of his face shone”. To
boast of modesty is to be immodest. To
parade humility is to be proud. True
sanctity walks hand in hand with conscious unworthiness. Boldness of access by reason of the faith of
Him, and fear and trembling when working out that salvation, go together. Paul did not know his own greatness. He rather marveled at the grace given to the
least of all saints. David was a man
after God’s own heart, but he knew what it was to pray for forgiveness of deep
and awful sin.
Others will take knowledge of us when we
have been in the presence of the Lord, just as the priest who had been offering
incense would carry some of the fragrance with him on returning from the
sanctuary.
The section concludes with one more
reference to the sabbath, this time particularizing its effect in the
household:--
“Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your
habitations upon the sabbath day” (Exod. xxxv. 3).
The
law of the sabbath suited Israel’s land.
Even the law concerning fires on the sabbath would mean sickness and
death if applied to a northerly country such as England. The climate of this country would not allow
the sabbatic year to be kept, unless the Lord accompanied the command with
perpetual miracles. But these are
particular features of the covenant made between the Lord and Israel.
After this last reference to sabbath rest,
the remainder of Exodus is occupied with the description and making of the
tabernacle under the guidance of Bezaleel and Aholiab. When the work was finished, the gracious
promise of the Lord’s presence was kept:--
“Then a cloud covered the tent of the
congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Exod. xl. 34).
The closing words of Exodus tell us that
the token of the Lord’s presence never again left the people. He Who led them out, led them in. The redeemed of the Lord have no need to
plead for His leading, for it is theirs as part of His one great act of
love. What they need is eyes to see the
cloud and the fire, and hearts responsive to the indications of His will.
Thus
all things are
now ready for
the great covenant
worship with which
the ten commandments open. The book of worship, so far as details are
concerned, is the book of Leviticus, and this must be our next study.
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