Exodus 33: To Go, Or Not To Go? That Is The Question!

Will He or won't He?  This seems to be the big issue of Exodus 33.  Will God go with the Israelites, or will He just send an angel along for the journey instead?  While verses 2-3 state that God cannot go with the people lest He destroy them, verse 14 indicates that God changed His mind and will indeed send His presence with them.  In the midst of all of this, we also see the depth of Moses' relationship with the Lord.

After the people's horrendous sin with the golden calf (to say nothing of their carping and complaining about everything ever since they left Egypt), God almost opted to destroy them in Exodus 32.  At the beginning of Exodus 33, however, He is shown as remaining intent on fulfilling His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by giving the Promised Land into their hand - but now He says He will have them ushered in by an angel rather than taking them in Himself.  Yet He is depicted as still thinking about it and coming to a final decision (vs. 5).

This news is distressing to Moses who wants God's Presence to go with the people.  He is concerned about how they will be any different from the other people on earth if God Himself is not with them.  And so Moses pleads with God to be with His people (vs. 13).  Moses must have been pretty persuasive, because God eventually agrees.

This raises the larger question of whether God truly does change His mind and how much influence human beings have with Him.  While we may never know if the eternal, impassive, unchanging God of the Bible actually does alter His plans due to the prayers and intercessions of people - we do know that He makes it look that way!  We are often encouraged to imitate those in the Bible who call out to God for justice and mercy and the working out of His will.

One final note of interest in this chapter is Moses' request to actually "see" God's glory (vs. 18).  Though earlier in this chapter it is said that Moses spoke face to face with God, as one speaks with a friend, it is also true that one cannot behold the face of God and live (vs. 20).  So God compromises with Moses (again) and covers Moses' eyes with His hand until He passes by and then reveals His back to him.  How this actually happened when God is Spirit and not physical is a matter of one's interpretation and understanding!