The mercy of Yahweh for the people
1Yahweh said to Moses, “Go now! Leave this place, you and the people you brought out from the land of Egypt and go to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said: ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ 2I will send an Angel before you to drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. 3But I will not go with you to this land flowing with milk and honey, for you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”
4When the people heard these distressing words they were very sad and none of them put on any ornaments.
5Yahweh then said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you, even for a moment, I would destroy you! Now, take off your ornaments that I may know what I shall do to you.”
6And so the Israelites gave up their ornaments before leaving Mount Horeb.
The Tent of Meeting
7 ① Moses then took the Tent and pitched it for himself outside the camp, at a distance from it, and called it the Tent of Meeting. Who ever sought Yahweh would go out to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp. 8And when Moses went to the tent all the people would stand, each one at the entrance to his tent and keep looking towards Moses until he entered the tent.
9Now, as soon as Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance to the tent, while Yahweh spoke with Moses.
10When all the people saw the pillar of cloud at the entrance to the tent, they would arise and worship, each one at the entrance to his own tent.
11 ② Then Yahweh would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his neighbor, and then Moses would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua, son of Nun, would not leave the tent.
12Then Moses said to Yahweh, “You say to me: ‘Lead this people up,’ but you haven’t told me who you will send with me and yet you have said that you know me by name and that I have found favor in your sight. 13And now if I have found favor in your sight, let me know your ways, that I may know you and so find favor in your sight. Look, this people is your own people.”
14Yahweh said, “My Face will go with you and I will give you rest.” 15And Moses said, “If your Face does not come with us, do not take us from here. 16And how will anyone here know that you look kindly on me and my people? Will it not be because you go with us? In that way, I myself and your people will be distinguished from every other nation on the face of the earth.”
17Yahweh then said to Moses, “What you have said I will do, for I look kindly on you and I have known you by name.”
Yahweh passes before Moses
18Moses said, “Then let me see your Glory.” 19And He said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and proclaim the name of Yahweh before you. For I am gracious to whom I want to be gracious and I am merciful to whom I want to be merciful.”
20Then Yahweh said, “You cannot see my face because man cannot see me and live.” 21And he added, “See this place near me; you shall stand on the rock 22and when my Glory passes I will put you in a hollow of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23Then I will take away my hand and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”
- Ex 33,7 The tent called The Tent of Meeting was the first temple of God in the midst of his people. Note that it is placed outside the encampment, at some distance, and only after the people have sinned is it spoken of. God no longer deals directly with Israel, but through the intermediary of his Angel (32:34 and 23:23). Ex 33,11 God has come down from Sinai to speak to his people. However, he does not communicate in a personal way with those people who are still beginning their life of faith, in which obedience to the Law is primary. God communicates instead with Moses, face to face (33:1), that is spirit to spirit. This is different from inferior communications like dreams, visions and apparitions: Numbers 12:6. The people agree to being accompanied by the Angel of Yahweh, that is, to count on his help and providence. Moses, however, thirsts for another kind of presence, since his role as chief and prophet has set him apart from his people and left him in great solitude. He desires the Face of God to be with him, that is, a personal presence by means of which God makes known his intentions. Later Moses insists: may your face accompany us. That is: may God make himself also known to his people, so that they may be not only a people protected by God, but also a holy people who know God. The answer is positive, yet only with the passing of time will God make himself known with greater generosity. Jesus will ask for this knowledge for all those who compose his Church (Jn 17).
- Ex 33,7 The tent called The Tent of Meeting was the first temple of God in the midst of his people. Note that it is placed outside the encampment, at some distance, and only after the people have sinned is it spoken of. God no longer deals directly with Israel, but through the intermediary of his Angel (32:34 and 23:23). Ex 33,11 God has come down from Sinai to speak to his people. However, he does not communicate in a personal way with those people who are still beginning their life of faith, in which obedience to the Law is primary. God communicates instead with Moses, face to face (33:1), that is spirit to spirit. This is different from inferior communications like dreams, visions and apparitions: Numbers 12:6. The people agree to being accompanied by the Angel of Yahweh, that is, to count on his help and providence. Moses, however, thirsts for another kind of presence, since his role as chief and prophet has set him apart from his people and left him in great solitude. He desires the Face of God to be with him, that is, a personal presence by means of which God makes known his intentions. Later Moses insists: may your face accompany us. That is: may God make himself also known to his people, so that they may be not only a people protected by God, but also a holy people who know God. The answer is positive, yet only with the passing of time will God make himself known with greater generosity. Jesus will ask for this knowledge for all those who compose his Church (Jn 17).
