Part 1: Youth | Part 2: Exile | Part 3: Call | Part 4: Confrontation | Part 5: Deliverance | Part 6: Preparation | Part 7: Covenant
What follows now is the longest and most detailed section of Moses’ life, by far. The people have agreed to abide by the provisions of the Covenant, and God has revealed the Ten Commandments as a general summary. But he has much more detailed laws in mind, and theae details will take up the rest of Exodus and all of Leviticus.
What do these details comprise?
God begins with a more extended review of what justice will look like under this new regime (Ex 21.2-22.27): servitude, homicide, theft, sexual morality, poverty. Then begins God’s expectation regarding religious obligations (Ex 22.28-23.33): firstborn, love of neighbor, agricultural sabbath, pilgrimage feasts, idolatry.
Moses presents these requirements to the people, and again they agree: “All that YHWH hath spoken we will do” (Ex 24.3, 7).
The next step in this relationship is the construction of a house where God may dwell among his people. Initially this will be portable, a tent. It will also provide a place for worship, particularly the offering of sacrifices. God calls Moses and the leaders of Israel back to the mountain for more instruction (Ex 24.12-27.21), including the procedure for collecting construction supplies, as well as instructions for the construction itself: furniture, curtains, boards, and then assembly.
Next comes provision for the personnel, the priests (Ex 28.1-31.38): garments, consecration, tasks.
And here the routine is broken. In Moses’ lengthening absence, the people seek to take care of matters themselves. They pressure Aaron to help them worship in a way that makes sense. They will construct a visible representation of YHWH in what they think is a respectful form: a young, powerful ox, a symbol of the strength by which their God, Elohim (Ex 32.4), brought them out of Egypt.
What could be wrong with that?
Lots of things. Most importantly, by representing God visibly, they have represented him as less than he is. That’s called blasphemy. Yes, the calf communicates strength; but what of God’s truth, and justice, and presence, and knowledge? What of his love? This will not do.
God will one day represent himself in visible form, in the person of the Son (Jn 1.18). Anything short of that is blasphemy.
A second problem is that they have blurred the line of distinction between true and false worship. What they have done looks pretty much like what all the other nations do.
This must not stand.
Up on the mountain, God interrupts the session and sends Moses back down to put a stop to the blasphemy (Ex 32.7-29). After dealing with the sin, Moses returns to God to intercede for his people (Ex 32.30-35).
Time to anticipate the next stage, when Israel will travel to the Promised Land (Ex 33.1). God says he will protect them, but he will not go with them (Ex 33.2-3). The people mourn (Ex 33.4-6), and Moses intercedes once again for his people (Ex 33.7-23).
Then follows another trip to the mountain to replace the stone tables that Moses had broken in anger when he saw the people worshiping the calf. God reveals himself to Moses (Ex 34.5), describing himself in what will become a repeated theme through the Hebrew Scriptures:
The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation (Ex 34.6-7).
After more guidelines, God sends Moses back to his people with a shining face (Ex 34.28-35).
And now begins the execution of the Tabernacle design. The people offer what adornment they can provide (Ex 35.4-29)–remember that the Egyptians had given them considerable wealth at the Exodus (Ex 12.35-36). This collection is delivered to the artisans who will execute the design (Ex 35.30-39.43).
And then they raise it up (Ex 40.1-33) and God signals his approval (Ex 40.34-38).
The relationship has been rocky, with multiple trips up and down the mountain, but God has been gracious, even when angry in the face of Israel’s almost immediate failure to keep their repeated promise of obedience. The Covenant is still in place.
God will now take the entire book of Leviticus to expand on his instructions with reference to sacrifices (Le 1-7), the priesthood (Le 8-10), cleanliness (Le 11-15), the Day of Atonement (Le 16), holiness (Le 17-26), and vows (Le 27). He is giving his people all they will need to remain in a Covenant relationship with him.
Note how slowly time is passing through this stage. God, and Moses, view this stage as the most important in Moses’ life. Instructions are explicit, and God records with delight every step of the construction of the desert tent. He is committed to his people and to the Covenant.
Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash
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