Restoration

1God Renews the Covenant

• God renews His to the Covenant with Israel. Exodus 34:10
• God presents a to His people. Exodus 34:11-14
  • Israel must not allow the inhabitants of the Promised Land to lead them away from Him in idol worship.
  • Israel is not just to stay away from idol worship…they are to destroy any representation of idol worship that they see.

  • Why is there a particular mention of Asherim? What are they?

• Note the connection again between sexual sin and idolatry. Exodus 34:15-16
• God reiterates the bottom line – He is to be first in all things. Exodus 34:17-26
  • No forms of a .
  • No credit to other gods for Yahweh’s .
  • God gets the .
  • The is a day for God.
  • were to remind Israelites of Yahweh.
  • The mode of celebrating Feasts must be kept .
• Moses receives a new copy of the Covenant. Exodus 34:27-28
  • NOTE: Idol worship is anything that would take the place of Yahweh in our lives.
  • Read: 2 Kings 17:33 – “feared Ya. And served their own gods…”
  • God desires first place in all areas of our lives. (Where our heart is, that is where our treasure is also!)
  • No room for other gods (see Jesus’ reaction to the rich young ruler)

2The Reflection of the Presence on Moses

• God allows Moses to bear the of His coming down from Sinai. Exodus 34:29
  • Moses doesn’t even know it!
• Name 3 ways this verse has been interpreted and why:
• The presence was so blinding that the people ran from Moses. Exodus 34:30-32
  • They “returned” to him – they must have run the other way.
  • They were afraid of the voice of God at Sinai; now they were afraid of the very reflection of God!
• Moses’ system of mediating: a over the head. Exodus 34:33-35
  • NOTE: Paul makes a comparison between the old covenant under Moses and the new under Christ.
  • The old covenant had a fading glory.
  • The new covenant had a permanent glory through Jesus.
  • Paul says that the Believer has an “unveiled face” because they are in the righteousness of Jesus Christ – it is a glory that will never fade!
  • The Unbeliever has a “veiled face” unable to see truth. They read over the story of Moses and miss the point.
  • They read and are constantly turning over the pages of Moses, but a veil prevents them from seeing the light which beams forth in his countenance; and thus they will remain covered and veiled until they are converted to Christ.”

3-John Calvin

4Next Week: Finally…God Agrees to Tabernacle! (Exodus 35-40)