{"id":18501,"date":"2021-03-04T07:04:58","date_gmt":"2021-03-04T15:04:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hoshanarabbah.org\/blog\/?p=18501"},"modified":"2021-03-04T07:05:05","modified_gmt":"2021-03-04T15:05:05","slug":"exodus-chapters-33-to-34-natans-commentary-notes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hoshanarabbah.org\/blog\/2021\/03\/04\/exodus-chapters-33-to-34-natans-commentary-notes\/","title":{"rendered":"Exodus Chapters 33 to 34\u2014Natan’s Commentary Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Exodus 33<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exodus 33:1\u20132, YHVH\u2026my Angel\/Messenger.<\/em><\/strong>Who is YHVH and who is the Angel? If YHVH is the preincarnate Yeshua, then who is this Angel?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exodus <\/strong>33:7<\/strong>, Moses took his tent.<\/em><\/strong>There comes a time when the anointed servant of the Most High can no longer tolerate the sinfulness and faithless of the people he is leading. Even Yeshua, in frustration, despaired on several occasions at his disciples for their lack of faith. Once, in desperation, he cried out, \u201cO faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?\u201d (Matt 17:17). Holy men (and women) of Elohim are in a different place spiritually than the people they lead. As anointed and divinely appointed leaders, to lead YHVH\u2019s people higher, they must be ahead of the people and their walk should be a little, if not a lot, higher. Their job is to lead people into a higher and deeper walk with YHVH. Sometimes, in frustration when they feel they have been less than successful in their mission, they must remove themselves from the people for a season to draw closer to YHVH for strength, wisdom, guidance and spiritual renewal as Moses did in this case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A man who is holy or set apart unto YHVH can\u2019t abide in an unholy situation. It\u2019s anathema to him and causes every fiber in his being to cry out in frustrated disgust. He is in a different, higher world that carnal people know nothing about. This is why Moses had to separate himself from the Israelites\u2014a stiffnecked and rebellious people who didn\u2019t have a heart to follow Elohim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exodus 33:12\u201313, Grace.<\/em><\/strong>The mainstream church places a great deal of emphasis on the message of grace<\/em>. The biblical doctrine of grace finds its roots in this chapter in the Torah and not in the apostolic writings as the mainstream church teaches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The noun grace<\/em> (Heb. chen<\/em>) is found six times in chapters 33 and 34. The adjective gracious <\/em>(Heb. chanan<\/em> and channuwn<\/em>)as an attribute YHVH\u2019s character is found three times in chapters 33 and 34. Six is the number of man and three is the number of Elohim. That is to say, the grace of the entire Godhead covers man completely even when his children turn away from him and give into golden calf worship. His grace for his people rejoices or triumphs over his fiery and consuming judgments (Exod 33:4; Jas 2:13; Pss 85:10; 89:14; Mic 7:18; Eph 1:7; Rom 5:8) that they deserve for their stiff-neckness and sinful rebellion against his commands (Exod 33:3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hebrew word for grace is chen\/<\/em>IJmeaning \u201cfavor, grace, charm, acceptance.\u201d The Hebrew word chen <\/em>(found 69 times in the Tanakh), which is translated as grace,<\/em> in this verse is equivalent to the Greek word charis\/<\/em>cariV, which is found 156 times in the Testimony of Yeshua and is translated as grace<\/em> 130 times in the KJV.The equivalency of these two words is confirmed by the translators of the Septuagint (the Greek Tanakh) who used charis <\/em>in place of chen <\/em>when translating the Hebrew Tanakh into Greek beginning in the third century b.c. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to The<\/em> TWOT<\/em>, in the vast majority of occurrences of chen <\/em>in the Tanakh, the focus of attention is not on the giver, but on the recipient. The emphasis is on the relationship of the superior to an inferior (e.g. a king to his subjects). What this teaches us is that despite sin and rebellion against him, YHVH (the king) is gracious (to humans, his subjects). Contrary to what many in the church have been led to believe, the grace of Elohim<\/em> is a very prominent theme in the Tanakh. Examples of this include Noah who found grace in YHVH\u2019s eyes (Gen 6:8), or the children of Israel although dead in their sins in Egypt and deserving of YHVH\u2019s wrath, they were saved by the blood of the lamb. There are a number of other references to the grace of Elohim in the Tanakh as well (Gen 18:3; Exod 3:21; 33:16,17; 34:9; Ps 84:11; Zech 12:10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exodus 33:14, My Presence will go with you.<\/em><\/strong>YHVH\u2019s Presence led the Israelites through the wilderness and into the Promised Land. Yeshua will lead his people through the wilderness of life and into the Promised Land of their eternal inheritance in his kingdom. Where is his Presence today in and among his people?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Exodus <\/strong>33:15, If your presence goes not with me.<\/em><\/strong>Moses refused to take one step forward without YHVH\u2019s presence leading the way. How earnestly do you seek the presence of YHVH in your life? Is it your heart passion? Is his leading presence more vital to you than life itself? Do you feel spiritually lost, dried up and, in a sense, even dead when YHVH\u2019s presence is absent from your life? What was David\u2019s heart passion in this regard? (Read Ps 84:1\u201312.) Yeshua taught that his life and presence comes as we abide in him (John 15:1\u20134). What are rich benefits of abiding in Yeshua, the true vine? (See John 15:5\u201317.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exodus 34<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exodus 34:1\u201335, <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prophetic pictures of Moses\u2019 second ascension of Mount Sinai. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moses\u2019 second ascension of Mount Sinai <\/strong>is a prophetic and allegorical picture of the saints\u2019 resurrection and glorification at the second coming of Yeshua the Messiah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Jewish tradition, Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the second set of stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments on the first day of the sixth biblical month or 30 days before Yom Teruah<\/em>, which occurs on the first day of the seventh month. Forty days later on Yom Kippur<\/em> he descended from the mountain carrying with him the second set of tablets as a sign of YHVH\u2019s forgiveness of the children of Israel after the golden calf incident. This signaled YHVH\u2019s renewed relationship with Israel after they had repented of golden calf worship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We know that in biblical times a biblical Israelite bride, while waiting for her betrothed to arrive from his father\u2019s house, would hear a shout and the sound of the shofar in the distance as her bridegroom approached (Matt 25:6 cp. Matt 24:31; 1 Thess 4:16; 1 Cor 15:51\u201352). If she were alert and not asleep (as were the ten virgins in Matt 25:1\u201313), she would have had time to put on her wedding robes, trim her lamp\u2019s wick (an ancient version of a flashlight), and have it filled with oil and ready to light as soon as he arrived, since he would be coming at night time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prophetically, the Scriptures indicate that the saints of Yeshua are to be resurrected and to meet the returning Messiah Yeshua in the air at the seventh or last shofar blast most likely on Yom Teruah<\/em> (Day of the Trumpets also known as the Day of Shouting or Shofar Blasts, see 1 Thess 4:16; 1 Cor 15:52; Rev 11:15\u201318). From the time the saints begin hearing the shofar blasts in the distance signaling the arrival of Yeshua the Bridegroom until their ascension (at the resurrection) to meet King Yeshua in the air roughly seems to correspond to Moses\u2019 ascension of Mount Sinai on the first day of the sixth month. That being so, then Moses\u2019 descent with the stone tablets\u2014the tokens of a renewed covenant between YHVH and Israel on Yom Kippur<\/em> (the Day of Atonement)\u2014would correspond to Yeshua returning to earth with his just-resurrected saints. As Moses saw the glory of YHVH in the cleft of the rock the second time he ascended Mount Sinai (Exod 33:18\u201323; 34:5\u20139), and as he descended in a glorified state, his face shining with the glory of YHVH, so the saints will resurrect to meet Yeshua in the air, see his glory, and will return with him with their own glorified immortal bodies (1 Cor 15:42\u201354; 1 Thess 4:16\u201317).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First John 3:2 says, \u201cBeloved, now are we the sons of Elohim, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.\u201d These resurrect\u00aded saints are those who have heeded YHVH\u2019s call to come out of Babylonian, golden calf-type religious systems (i.e. Christo-pagan churchianity, Rev 18:4) where paganism has been mixed with the truth of the Scriptures. These same saints are now waiting to enter into an everlasting (marital) covenant with YHVH-Yeshua (Rev 19:7\u20139). They are those who love Yeshua and his the Torah-commandments (Rev 12:17; 14:12).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end times there will be a great spiritual revival as many people are saved and come to faith in Yeshua out of the great tribulation period (Rev 7:14). Some of these new converts to Yeshua the Messiah will be native Israelites, along with many Gentiles, who have been spiritually grafted into the nation of Israel, and all of whom have repent of the golden calf worship of Torahlessness and false religious systems. If we can trust the end time prophetic chronology of the fall biblical feasts, we see that this momentous and glorious event will occur in the time period leading up to the Day of the Trumpets when many people will wholeheartedly repent and receive the covering of the blood of Yeshua for their sins, as pictured by the Day of Atonement. This will be a continuation of the process of the rebirth and reunification of the two houses of Israel (loosely speaking, Ephraim who is he church, and Judah who are the Jews) that began in the apostolic era. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bible likens this process to branches being grafted into an ancient olive tree, or to the unification of Jews and Gentiles becoming into the \u201cone new man\u201d Israel of Elohim through faith in and the blood of Yeshua the Messiah (Rom 11:13\u201324; Ezek 37:15\u201328; Eph 2:11\u201319; Gal 6:16).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Exodus<\/strong> 34:1,<\/strong> Cut two tablets\u2026I will write.<\/em><\/strong> The first set of tablets YHVH not only hewed out himself but he also wrote on them the ten statements (Exod 24:12; 31:18; 32:16), while YHVH had Moses hew out the second set of tablets upon which YHVH then wrote the ten statements. Why didn\u2019t YHVH hew out the second set of tablets as he had done with the first ones? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One reason is this. The two stone tablets are symbols of the human heart which is divided into two main sections: the left and right ventricles. In Scripture, the heart represent the essence of a person\u2019s moral character and mind (Exod 9:7; Deut 30:6; Job 38:36; Pss 44:21; 64:6; Prov 12:20; 14:33; 15:14; Jer 9:26; 17:9, 10; Matt 12:34; 15:19; Acts 2:37; Rom 10:10; 1 Cor 2:9; Heb 4:12; 1 Pet 3:4). The human heart can be hard, like stone (Job 41:24; Ezek 11:19; 36:26; 2 Cor 3:3) or soft like flesh (2 Cor 3:3 cp. Acts 2:37; Heb 8:10; 10:16). It is upon the human heart that YHVH writes his laws (Ps 40:8; Jer 31:33; Ezek 11:19\u201320; 2 Cor 3:3; Heb 8:10; 10:16). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When YHVH creates a person, he initially embeds in the human heart or conscience a basic concept of morality or of right and wrong, that is, the basic tenets of his laws (Rom 2:14\u201315 cp. 2 Cor 5:11). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once sin comes into a person\u2019s life and a person choose to go against the laws of Elohim that he has written in their as yet undefiled heart, they are a pure vessel like the first set of stone tablets that YHVH made and upon which he wrote his laws. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, when sin enters a person\u2019s life and they go against their conscience or the laws that YHVH wrote on their hearts when they were created, man\u2019s heart becomes defiled and hardened by sin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At some point along the way, a person has to make a choice to either remain in his sin-hardened heart condition, or yield to the conviction of the Spirit of Elohim (John 16:8), and be cut to the heart and repent of his sin (Acts 2:37). If a person makes the latter choice, then YHVH will give the person a new or circumcised heart upon which he will write his laws anew. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However the choice to change from a stoney heart to a heart of flesh is that of the person. That\u2019s why YHVH had Moses cut out the second set of tablets upon which YHVH then wrote his laws again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The children of Israel are a biblical metaphor representing each of us. YHVH gave Israel his laws at Mount Sinai, and when they then sinned at the golden calf, their hearts became hardened against Elohim. They then had to repent of their sin, and make the choice to obey YHVH\u2019s commandments. This was represented by the second set of tablets upon which YHVH wrote his laws again, but this time on a heart of flesh. After the sin of the golden calf, Israel remained faithful to Elohim until after the death of Joshua (Josh 24:31; Judg 2:2). Similarly, each of us was created as a pure, undefiled and sin-free vessel at the time of our birth. Eventually we committed our first sin and we went downhill spiritually from there. At some point, we became awakened to our sinful state and chose to repent of our sin and submitted ourselves to obey the Word of Elohim (Yeshua the Messiah) and receive his Spirit. That\u2019s when YHVH wrote on the second set of stone tablets and began to write his laws on our hearts again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exodus<\/strong> 34:4,<\/strong> Took in his hand. <\/em><\/strong>Evidently, the two stone tablets were small enough to fit into one hand. With one hand free, it made climbing the mountain a little easier especially for an aged person like Moses who probably used a staff as a walking aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exodus<\/strong> 34:5,<\/strong> Proclaimed the name. <\/em><\/strong>YHVH identified himself by name as if he really needed to do so. Perhaps this was to impress upon Moses the glory and majesty of being in the very presence of the Creator. It would also indicate to Moses the intimate nature of his encounter with the Almighty and Kadosh One, who was willing to share his personal name with his Moses his friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exodus<\/strong> 34:6,<\/strong> YHVH\u2026YHVH. <\/em><\/strong>The name YHVH is mentioned twice in this verse defining YHVH\u2019s attributes. Why? Perhaps it was to reveal to Moses that there were two YHVHs: YHVH the Father and YHVH the Son. This is in response to Moses asking him to slow him his glory. What Moses saw was the glory and characteristics of both the Father and the Son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exodus 34:6\u20137,<\/strong> The attributes of YHVH\u2019s mercy.<\/strong> He is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n