EXODUS
CHAPTER
33
1. The LORD said to Moses, "Go, leave this place, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, and go to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, "To your descendants I will give it.'
(Exodus chapter 33 verse 1)
On reflecting my God it seems that although You love us so much even You may feel hurt by our indifference and most of all by our sinful acts. This is reflected by the fact that although You forgave your people You still did not acknowledge them as being your people and the fact that You were the God who delivered them out of Egypt. Thanks for loving me even though at times I turn against you in disobedience. What is most astonishing is that although I break my promises and commitment with You, You still remain loving, faithful and committed to me as a loving father.
2. I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
(Exodus chapter 33 verse 2)
As in verse 1 of the thirty-third chapter of the book of Exodus God wants us to move on from our place or situation of sin which is unhealthy for us and move in in our life in order to achieve the ultimate goal that is being reunited with God in heaven and with humanity on earth. In order to reach this aim You send us angels that guide us along the way. Some of these angels maybe friends, employees, teachers or even fathers who during confession make us aware of the consequences of our decisions which in turn leads to our changing of the course of our lives. Throughout my life God has sent me many of these angels, however the greatest means of direction and opener, was given to me through meditating on His Word.
3. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, or I would consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people."
(Exodus chapter 33 verse 3)
Verse 33 may explain alot of what is happening in the world today my God. Today we have become so stubborn and proud that we are driving You out of our lives in a polite way or even wilfully. We only turn our focus on You when we are up to our neck in trouble and even then we place we may even tend to place the blame the on You in order to compensate for our sins.
It is truly a tragedy oh God if You do not assist me and others throughout our daily lives, for what can we possibly do without You. Our lives would be chaos, a total disaster.com. You are our sense of hope, faith and love, the true and only way that leads to our salvation! May it never be oh Father that You turn Your face away from us because we cannot spend one second away from You.
4. When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. 5. For the LORD had said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.' 6. Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.
(Exodus chapter 33 verses 4 to 6)
As a response to Your harsh words of condemnation Your people humbled themselves as a sign of feeling sorry for their negative attitude as in confession of their sinful self, may we all feel the weight of our sins and turn to You for forgiveness.
7. Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp; he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.
(Exodus chapter 33 verse 7)
On reflecting on verse 7 it can be said that anybody who wishes to spend time with God would have to invest time in venturing outside the camp and go to the tent of the meeting. It would have been a purposeful venture in order to meet God. Today we have chapels where we can come to meet You oh father in silence, however we can also meet You in the chapels of our hearts if these chapels or places of worship happen to be very far away. God is omnipresent and is available at all times. He does not operate on office hours. The Holy Spirit of God is always available for us with which to communicate.
8. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand, each of them, at the entrance of their tents and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the LORD would speak with Moses. 10. When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise and bow down, all of them at the entrance of their tent.
(Exodus chapter 33 verses 8 to 10)
On reflecting this is a replica example of why we stand up during mass when the priest enters in a processional way on his way to the altar. He is a representative of God and therefore merits our respect. Therefore if the representative merits our respect how much more do you merit it oh holy father when we pass in front of the Eucharist or receive You in our hands during communion.
11. Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then he would return to the camp; but his young assistant, Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the tent.
(Exodus chapter 33 verse 11)
This is my greatest prayer oh God! I also would like to have this form of relationship with You. How I wish that we could speak together face to face like two friends. I would surely grow in my love for You and others and would be always sure to be walking according to Your ways, because I would be receiving direct feedback from You every single day of my life.
12. Moses said to the LORD, "See, you have said to me, 'Bring up this people'; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ' I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.' 13. Now If I have found favour in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people."
(Exodus chapter 33 verses 12 to 13)
In life we all have questions that try as we might we never or almost find never answers to them. When we seem to find an answer to one question like a pop up another one takes its place. We tend to use the scientific method or other means in order to answer the biggest issues of life, however the means and knowledge of this world is not enough to satisfy our quest for knowledge and answers, because only You oh father have all the answers and because all is happening according to Your perfect plan whether we like it or are aware of it or not. We are like a door bell we here alot of questions but do not have many answers. Only the knowledge given to us by means of the Holy Spirit of God is able to inflame our intellect with the much needed knowledge, however the greatest awareness and knowledge that is sufficient to us is, that which shows us how to always walk according to Your ways in obedience to Your holy will.
14. He said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."15. And he said to him, "If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. 16. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth."
(Exodus chapter 33 verses 14 to 16)
As in the case of Moses I totally agree with him that life without the presence of God is not worth living at all. However on the other hand there is nothing that makes me proud than to be called a person who is trying to walk in the presence of God by means of the help of the Holy Spirit of God. The names Christian and Catholic give me both pleasure courage and satisfaction.
17. The LORD said to Moses, " I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name."
(Exodus chapter 33 verse 17)
Oh how wonderful it is oh heavenly father that You know us by our name, that means on a personal level. We could not have a better friend than You. Thanks for permitting us to form part of Your inner circles by means of the Holy Sacraments and a healthy life of prayer. Please never stop being our father and even a friend to us.
18. Moses said, "Show me your your glory, I pray."
(Exodus chapter 33 verse 18)
Although God had manifested himself to Moses both in glory and in power Moses kept on praying for more. Our souls will always be thirsty for Your presence Oh God! The more we experience You the more we crave for You and You presence. You are the only source that is able to replenish both our body and most of all our soul. I also pray that You give us more of Yourself.
In a spirit of praise and worship let us lift our souls in praise worship to You oh God. I invite you who are reading this chapter to click on the following link and join me in praise and worship by means of this song;
More of You my God
19. And he said, " I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, "The LORD", and I will be gracious, and will show mercy. 20. But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one shall see me and live."
(Exodus chapter 33 verse 19 to 20)
Moses was asking for more than was allotted for him as a human. To experience God in all Your glory is such a powerful and wonderful gift that it is to be given by God and not only desired by us. If we are not yet ready to make such a profound experience of God this gift shall not be given to us, however when God considers us as being ready He will surely share Himself with us as He did with the apostles on the mountain of transfiguration in the New Testament. As based on my personal experience of God when I heard His voice in a vision or as many inferred as having been a dream I was on the verge of having a heart attack. I could not speak of anything but the dream and had to share it with all the persons with whom I was acquainted. The fire of the Holy Spirit of God was and still is alive and burning in my soul. It was a peak moment in my life that I will never forget.
21. And the LORD continued, "See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; 22. and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; 23. then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen."
(Exodus chapter 33 verses 21 to 23)
Oh God of Gods even I desire You presence even if from a limited perspective as in the case of Moses, from the cleft of a rock. Nothing would be more satisfactory to my soul.
I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer. In order to follow I invite you to please click on the following link:
In Your presence Oh God
3. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, or I would consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people."
(Exodus chapter 33 verse 3)
Verse 33 may explain alot of what is happening in the world today my God. Today we have become so stubborn and proud that we are driving You out of our lives in a polite way or even wilfully. We only turn our focus on You when we are up to our neck in trouble and even then we place we may even tend to place the blame the on You in order to compensate for our sins.
It is truly a tragedy oh God if You do not assist me and others throughout our daily lives, for what can we possibly do without You. Our lives would be chaos, a total disaster.com. You are our sense of hope, faith and love, the true and only way that leads to our salvation! May it never be oh Father that You turn Your face away from us because we cannot spend one second away from You.
4. When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. 5. For the LORD had said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.' 6. Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.
(Exodus chapter 33 verses 4 to 6)
As a response to Your harsh words of condemnation Your people humbled themselves as a sign of feeling sorry for their negative attitude as in confession of their sinful self, may we all feel the weight of our sins and turn to You for forgiveness.
7. Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp; he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.
(Exodus chapter 33 verse 7)
On reflecting on verse 7 it can be said that anybody who wishes to spend time with God would have to invest time in venturing outside the camp and go to the tent of the meeting. It would have been a purposeful venture in order to meet God. Today we have chapels where we can come to meet You oh father in silence, however we can also meet You in the chapels of our hearts if these chapels or places of worship happen to be very far away. God is omnipresent and is available at all times. He does not operate on office hours. The Holy Spirit of God is always available for us with which to communicate.
8. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand, each of them, at the entrance of their tents and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the LORD would speak with Moses. 10. When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise and bow down, all of them at the entrance of their tent.
(Exodus chapter 33 verses 8 to 10)
On reflecting this is a replica example of why we stand up during mass when the priest enters in a processional way on his way to the altar. He is a representative of God and therefore merits our respect. Therefore if the representative merits our respect how much more do you merit it oh holy father when we pass in front of the Eucharist or receive You in our hands during communion.
11. Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then he would return to the camp; but his young assistant, Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the tent.
(Exodus chapter 33 verse 11)
This is my greatest prayer oh God! I also would like to have this form of relationship with You. How I wish that we could speak together face to face like two friends. I would surely grow in my love for You and others and would be always sure to be walking according to Your ways, because I would be receiving direct feedback from You every single day of my life.
12. Moses said to the LORD, "See, you have said to me, 'Bring up this people'; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ' I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.' 13. Now If I have found favour in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people."
(Exodus chapter 33 verses 12 to 13)
In life we all have questions that try as we might we never or almost find never answers to them. When we seem to find an answer to one question like a pop up another one takes its place. We tend to use the scientific method or other means in order to answer the biggest issues of life, however the means and knowledge of this world is not enough to satisfy our quest for knowledge and answers, because only You oh father have all the answers and because all is happening according to Your perfect plan whether we like it or are aware of it or not. We are like a door bell we here alot of questions but do not have many answers. Only the knowledge given to us by means of the Holy Spirit of God is able to inflame our intellect with the much needed knowledge, however the greatest awareness and knowledge that is sufficient to us is, that which shows us how to always walk according to Your ways in obedience to Your holy will.
14. He said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."15. And he said to him, "If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. 16. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth."
(Exodus chapter 33 verses 14 to 16)
As in the case of Moses I totally agree with him that life without the presence of God is not worth living at all. However on the other hand there is nothing that makes me proud than to be called a person who is trying to walk in the presence of God by means of the help of the Holy Spirit of God. The names Christian and Catholic give me both pleasure courage and satisfaction.
17. The LORD said to Moses, " I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name."
(Exodus chapter 33 verse 17)
Oh how wonderful it is oh heavenly father that You know us by our name, that means on a personal level. We could not have a better friend than You. Thanks for permitting us to form part of Your inner circles by means of the Holy Sacraments and a healthy life of prayer. Please never stop being our father and even a friend to us.
18. Moses said, "Show me your your glory, I pray."
(Exodus chapter 33 verse 18)
Although God had manifested himself to Moses both in glory and in power Moses kept on praying for more. Our souls will always be thirsty for Your presence Oh God! The more we experience You the more we crave for You and You presence. You are the only source that is able to replenish both our body and most of all our soul. I also pray that You give us more of Yourself.
In a spirit of praise and worship let us lift our souls in praise worship to You oh God. I invite you who are reading this chapter to click on the following link and join me in praise and worship by means of this song;
More of You my God
19. And he said, " I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, "The LORD", and I will be gracious, and will show mercy. 20. But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one shall see me and live."
(Exodus chapter 33 verse 19 to 20)
Moses was asking for more than was allotted for him as a human. To experience God in all Your glory is such a powerful and wonderful gift that it is to be given by God and not only desired by us. If we are not yet ready to make such a profound experience of God this gift shall not be given to us, however when God considers us as being ready He will surely share Himself with us as He did with the apostles on the mountain of transfiguration in the New Testament. As based on my personal experience of God when I heard His voice in a vision or as many inferred as having been a dream I was on the verge of having a heart attack. I could not speak of anything but the dream and had to share it with all the persons with whom I was acquainted. The fire of the Holy Spirit of God was and still is alive and burning in my soul. It was a peak moment in my life that I will never forget.
21. And the LORD continued, "See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; 22. and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; 23. then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen."
(Exodus chapter 33 verses 21 to 23)
Oh God of Gods even I desire You presence even if from a limited perspective as in the case of Moses, from the cleft of a rock. Nothing would be more satisfactory to my soul.
I would like to end this chapter with the following prayer. In order to follow I invite you to please click on the following link:
In Your presence Oh God
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