“I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy “ (Exo 33-34)

“I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy “

Exodus 33:1-34:9
Key verse 33:19

There lived a young man next to my house. He was a smartest man I had ever known. Actually, he was a senior in my high school and treated me very well. He was my idol. Later he became very successful and was going to marry a beautiful woman. He was so happy to marry her. At their honeymoon, however, he was greatly shocked. His new bride confessed her affairs with another man in the past. He felt betrayed and got so upset. His honeymoon turned out to be a disaster. The next day he immediately came back from the honeymoon and divorced her. He was deeply hurt and his wound inside was not healed for a long time.

A similar thing happened between Israel and God in chapter 32. As soon as the Israelites made a covenant with God, they broke it by making an idol. God was betrayed by their unfaithfulness. In his anger, God was about to destroy them all. Though he relented by Moses’ plea, the relationship between God and the Israelites was already broken and the wound was too deep to be recovered. God would no longer be with them. The Israelites were in crisis. Like the Israelites, when we sin, our relationship with God is broken, which entails pain and fear. What do you do in such a situation?

In today’s passage, Moses intercedes for the Israelites. We will see how Moses restores their relationship with God and also what God reveals about himself through this event. I pray that your relationship with God may be restored through this passage so that the peace of God may be with you.

Now God said to Moses that the Israelites should leave the place and go up to the land of promise. He said that he would send an angel and drive out the peoples in the land and give it to their descendants. Wow, it looked like the Israelites would get what they wanted - the land flowing with milk and honey! But God said that he would not go with them.

³ Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”

God was faithful so he would still keep his promise despite their sin. However, he would not go with them. Since they were so stubborn, they would disobey God again and provoke God to anger, and then he might destroy them on the way. What was their response?   

⁴ When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments. ⁵ For the Lord had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.’” ⁶ So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.

That he would not go with them meant that the Israelites would be left like orphans and disassociated with God. What was the point in entering the land of promise without God? They came to realize that God would not associate with them anymore and let them go. You know that nothing is more terrible than for God to let us go and do whatever we want. That means that you are abandoned and the consequence is death. Hearing this, they were so distressed that they mourned. Yet, there was still hope because God said that he would decide what to do with them if they took off their ornament. So they stripped off their ornaments in obedience, which showed that they humbled themselves. However, that seemed not sufficient enough to change God’s mind. The tension was still high. In such a distressing time, what did Moses do?

⁷ Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp.  ⁸ And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 

Moses used to pitch a tent outside the camp, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD went to the tent. Moses went there for the people’s inquires and also for his personal meeting with God. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrance to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. What happened when he entered it?

⁹ As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. ¹⁰ Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. 

As Moses entered the tent, the people saw God’s presence with Moses so they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. What did Moses do in the tent?

¹¹ The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

God spoke with Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. This did not mean that Moses actually saw God’s face but that God had so intimate a relationship with Moses. God showed his favor to Moses, hearing him and speaking to him in person. The tent was holy because God was present there, and Joshua did not leave the tent probably to guard it from people.

What did the tent of meeting signify at this point, then? The dialogues between God and Moses, which we will see soon, took place in the tent of meeting and in such an intimate relationship. Meeting with God in the tent was the only way to break through this crisis. Hearing that God would not go with them, Moses went to the tent to speak with him as he used to do. All the people depended on Moses because he was the only one to speak with God. They stood and worshiped as Moses entered the tent. They showed their sincerity and humbleness to God. Moses entered the tent to reconcile God with the people as we can see shortly. How did he do this?

¹² Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ ¹³ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.”

First, Moses reminded God of his words. God told Moses to lead them and favored him, which meant that God would go with them when he led them to the land. Here Moses was saying that the Israelites were God’s people so he should go with them. But now he was distressed because God would not go with them. Moses argued that God should go with them. He somehow tried to turn God’s mind back to the people based on God’s promise.

Secondly, Moses reminded God of his favor for him. Based on God’s favor, Moses asked God to teach him his ways so that he might know him and continue to find favor with him. He wanted to see more of God and his favor. He knew that only God’s ways and favor would sustain him and strengthen him.

In answer to these, God first said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” However, his answer was not clear to Moses. The original text maybe mean “My Presence will go with you Moses” rather than “My Presence will go with you Israel.” Anyway, it seemed that God’s mind was still undecided. So, Moses pleaded with God once again.

¹⁵ Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. ¹⁶ How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

Moses furthered his request for God’s presence with the Israelites. What he was saying was that if God was pleased with him he should go with the people. Moses continually emphasized that Israel was his people (13,16) and that God should distinguish them by going with them. At this time, God promised that he would go with the people as Moses petitioned.

¹⁷ And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

Finally, God changed his mind and confirmed that he will go with the people. Moses’ intercessory prayer for the people moved God’s heart. As such, God hears one who pleases him. In Genesis 18 when God was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham made an intercessory prayer for the people there, including Lot. He shamelessly negotiated with God to count down the minimum number of the righteous in the cities to avoid God’s judgment on the cities. God and Abraham spoke to each other like friends. So, James 2:23 says that Abraham was called God’s friend. God allowed his request and saved Lot from the disaster because he remembered Abraham and his promise to him. (Gen 19:29) 

Do you have anyone in your mind who needs help? Let’s please God and pray for them as Moses did. God does not reject the prayer of those whom he is pleased with. How can we please God? Like Moses here, we first hold to God’s word and promise and act on it. Nothing is more pleasing to God other than believing his word and asking favor. If so, God sure hears our prayer for our unbelieving family members and for our Bible students. So James 5:16 says that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

¹⁸ Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

Why did Moses make such a sudden request at this point? In his initial request, he also asked God to teach him his ways so that he might know him and continue to find favor with him. But God did not answer that yet. To see God’s glory was related with the request and they were essentially the same. While Moses prayed for the people, he also prayed for himself. He wanted to have further knowledge of God and to continue to find favor with God. It is important to pray for others. But it is more important in some sense to pray for ourselves so that we may continue to grow in the knowledge of God and in the relationship with him. Otherwise, we eventually will lose happiness and be burnt out.

¹⁹ And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 

In answer to the request for God’s glory, God said that he would show all his goodness to Moses and proclaim his name. He would put Moses in a cleft in the rock and cover him by his hand until he would pass by. Moses would see God’s back but not his face because no one can see his face and live. But this does not mean that God has a face and a back like human. It is a Jewish metaphor to describe God’s attributes and characters. God’s face here refers to the fullness of his glory, which is so overwhelming for man to bear. Even Moses could not see the fullness of God’s glory, his holiness. Instead, he would see God’s back, which refers to God’s goodness in this context.

What does his goodness refer to? It is his mercy and compassion. We die if we see God’s holiness. But we can see God’s mercy and compassion and live. His mercy and compassion, however, is not shown or given at random or according to our desire. It is shown by his will and sovereignty. So, he said, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” God is merciful and compassionate. That is his goodness and that is his glory he would show to Moses.

34 The Lord said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 

God had Moses bring two stone tablets so that he would write on them again the words that was on the first tablets. The Israelites broke it but God would restore it and thus his covenant relationship with them. Moses prepared two stone tablets and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning. No one was with him because God would show his glory. What happened then?

⁵ Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. ⁶ And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,⁷ maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

As he had said, God passed in front of Moses, proclaiming his name. Here we can see the two characters of God. First, God is God of compassion and grace. He is slow to anger and abounds in love and faithfulness. He maintains love to thousand generations and forgives wickedness, rebellion and sin. He is full of love and grace. He showed all his goodness to Moses now as he promised.

But that is not all about God. He does not leave the guilty unpunished. God is righteous and holy. At this, Moses bowed to the ground. Why? He had asked God to show his glory. But as God said he could not see the fullness of God’s glory because his glory is of mercy and also of righteousness. No one can stand before God’s holiness and avoid his righteous judgment. At this, Moses could not but bow down to the ground because he could not bear God’s holiness and his righteousness. So, based on God’s grace and mercy he asked God to go with them in order to double confirm it. Here we can see another reason Moses asked God to show his glory. Moses wanted God to confirm his promise go with the Israelites by displaying his glory and his goodness.

⁸ Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. ⁹ “Lord,” he said, “if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.”

It is very interesting that when he asked for the forgiveness, he said, “our wickedness and our sin.” Previously in 32:32, he asked God to forgive their sin. Now he included himself also among sinners and asked God for his mercy and grace.

Moses was so close to God and he was the only person who could see and speak with God. He earnestly asked God to forgive the people and go with them. God showed his favor Moses and said he would go with the people. But that does not mean that he would forgive them because Moses asked or he was righteous. No, as God proclaimed, he would forgive the people and go with them because he is God of mercy and grace. His forgiveness would be given entirely based on his goodness and his sovereignty.

The Israelites committed an egregious sin against God by making an idol, but their broken relationship due to their sin was finally resolved according to God’s mercy and grace. This teaches us that our sin can be forgiven only God’s one-sided mercy and grace, nothing else. Even Moses’ righteousness could not save them. When Judah was about to be punished and exiled because of their sin, God said in Ez 14:14, “even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness.” No one is righteous enough to save others. Now Moses realized that forgiveness was totally God’s favor. Our forgiveness totally depends on God’s mercy and grace. That is our only hope. That is the only thing we can ask God for. Otherwise, we are all doomed.

We often commit sins. I myself commit sins very often, actually almost every day. Sometimes I commit a sin I can’t bear by myself. Then I am so distressed and burdened. I am restless in the fear of God. Yet, I still come to him, depending on his mercy and grace. I do not have to excuse myself. I just present myself as I am, confessing, “Lord, I am sinful. I am sorry about what I did. But I ask you for forgiveness. You are God of mercy and grace. Please have mercy on me.” Though I am shameful but I am confident in God’s mercy and grace. Then, God gives me forgiveness and peace.

How do you solve your sins? How do you restore your broken relationship with God? Be humble and ask him for mercy and grace and he will be pleased to forgive yous. That is the only way for us to reconcile with God.

In today’s passage, we have learned that eventually by God’s mercy and grace the Israelites were forgiven. One more thing we should note is that Moses was very instrumental in reconciling the Israelites with God as the mediator between them. Without him, there might have been no reconciliation. Thankfully we have a mediator for us too. He is Jesus the Son of God. He is himself God and is in closes relationship with God. (John 1:18) He is the perfect mediator. He is our lawyer. He sympathize with our weaknesses. In his name, we can ask God to forgive us. Then, he will again accept us as we are and will forgive us. He is God of mercy and grace.  

¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Heb 4:15-16)

Without acknowledging our sins, there is no chance to be forgiven. God is merciful and gracious to those who repent. Let’s come to God with a humble and contrite heart in the name of Jesus. God is God of mercy and grace.

Let’s read the key verse: 33:19b. “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

By David Yun