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Exodus 34






 Exodus 34 details the renewal of the covenant between God and the Israelites after the golden calf incident. It is a chapter of restoration, reaffirming God's promises and providing a second set of tablets.

The Renewal of the Covenant

The chapter begins with God's command to Moses to prepare new stone tablets.

 - New Tablets: The LORD tells Moses, "Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke." This is an act of grace, as God is willing to restore the broken covenant.

 - Proclamation of God's Name: As Moses ascends Mount Sinai, the LORD descends in the cloud and proclaims His own character to Moses, saying, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty." This self-revelation provides a foundational understanding of God's nature: both merciful and just.

The New Covenant Laws

God then restates key laws that are a part of the renewed covenant.

 - Warning Against Idolatry: God warns the Israelites not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land they are about to enter. He commands them to tear down the altars of the local people and to "make no molten gods for yourselves."

 - Three Annual Feasts: The three annual feasts—Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and Feast of Ingathering (Tabernacles)—are reiterated as a requirement for all Israelite males to appear before the LORD.

 -Sabbath and Firstborn: The Sabbath law is re-emphasized, stating that even during plowing and harvest, they must rest. The law of the redemption of the firstborn is also restated.

Moses's Radiance

The chapter concludes with a powerful description of Moses's appearance after his time with God.

 - Glowing Face: Moses spends another forty days and forty nights on Mount Sinai without food or water. When he descends with the new tablets, he does not realize that his face is radiating because of his close communion with God.

 -The Veil: Aaron and the people are afraid to approach Moses because of the brilliant glow on his face. Moses speaks to them, but when he is done, he puts a veil over his face. From then on, Moses would remove the veil when speaking with the LORD but put it back on when speaking to the people, to shield them from the radiance. This act highlights Moses's unique position as a mediator and the profound effect of being in God's presence.


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