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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses–Get thee away, go up from hence, thou, and the people whom thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt,–into the land of which I sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, To thy seed, will I give it; |
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| 2 And I will send before thee a messenger,–and will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; |
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| 3 into a land flowing with milk and honey,–for I will not go up in thy midst, in that, a stiff-necked people, thou art, lest I consume thee, in the way. |
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| 4 And, when the people heard these evil tidings, they afflicted themselves,–and they put not, any man, his ornaments, upon him. |
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| 5 Then said Yahweh unto Moses–Say unto the sons of Israel, Ye, are a stiff-necked people, in one moment–if I should go up in thy midst, should I make an end of thee,–Now, therefore, lay down thine ornaments from off thee, that I may see what I must do with thee. |
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| 6 So then the sons of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, [and moved on] from Mount Horeb. |
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| 7 And, Moses, proceeded to take a tent, and pitch it by itself outside the camp, afar off from the camp, and he called it, The Tent of Meeting,–and so it came to pass that, whosoever was seeking Yahweh, went out unto the tent of meeting, which was on the outside of the camp.
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| 8 And it came about, that, when Moses went out unto the tent, all the people used to rise up, and station themselves, every man at the opening of his tent,–and they watched Moses, until he entered the tent. |
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| 9 And it came to pass that, when Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud came down, and stood at the opening of the tent,–and spake with Moses. |
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| 10 And, when all the people beheld the pillar of cloud, standing at the opening of the tent, then all the people rose up, and bowed themselves down, every man at the entrance of his tent. |
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| 11 Thus Yahweh used to speak unto Moses, face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend,–and, when he returned unto the camp, his attendant, Joshua, son of Nun, a young man, moved not from the midst of the tent. |
Face to face – Signifying a closeness of fellowship with the Lord rather than really looking into the face of Jehovah. R4055:2
We see the Lord's face with the eye of faith, for we see the Lord Jesus who represents the Father and declares that he who has seen him has seen the Father. (John 14:9) R4055:2
"Their angels do always have access to the face of my Father" (Matt. 18: 10); all our interests and affairs are brought directly to the Father's attention. R4055:4
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| 12 Then said Moses, unto Yahweh, See! thou, art saying unto me–Take up this people, and yet, thou, hast no let me know, whom thou wilt send with me,–though, thou thyself, didst say–I acknowledge thee by name, Yea, moreover, thou hast found favour, in mine eyes. |
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| 13 Now, therefore, if, I pray thee, I have found favour in thine eyes, let me know, I beseech thee, thy way, that I may acknowledge thee, to the intent I may find favour in thine eyes,–see thou, therefore, that this nation is, thine own people. |
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| 14 So then he said,–Mine own presence, shall go on, thus will I give thee rest. |
My presence – By his spirit and through his angelic messengers. R5547:5
His power and sustaining grace. R5548:1
Because he was speaking to Moses as the Mediator. R5387:6
Not literally. God manifests his power and love to his people by his various powers and agents, not merely to know what is happening, but to control all events that they may outwork his designs. He guides and assists the efforts of his people. R5387:2
The divine presence was manifested directly with the Israelites in the Shekinah glory in the Most Holy and also by the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. R5387:5, R5548:1
Similarly, God has promised that his presence is with us in all the affairs of life. R5548:2, R5862:5
Shall go with thee – If we call him in the busy hours of the day or in the silent watches of the night, he is near to sustain, uphold and protect. R5549:1
I will give thee rest – The rest in Canaan was a type of the rest of the people of God in the Gospel age. We rest in his promises. R5388:1
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| 15 And he said unto him,–If thy presence is not going on, do not take us up from hence. |
If thy presence go not – Moses felt the task too great for any man to accomplish alone and so do we. R5548:2
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| 16 Whereby, indeed, shall it be known, then, that I have found favour in thine eyes, I, and thy people? Shall it not be, by thy going on with us? So shall we be more distinguished, I, and thy people, than any people that are on the face of the ground. |
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| 17 Then said Yahweh, unto Moses: Even this thing, which thou hast spoken, will I do–For thou hast found favour in mine eyes, And I have acknowledged thee by name. |
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| 18 And he said,–Show me, I pray thee, thy glory. |
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| 19 And he said,–I, will cause all my goodness, to pass before thee, And will proclaim myself by the name Yahweh, before thee,–And will show favour, unto whom I may show favour, And will have compassion on whom I may have compassion. |
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| 20 But he said–Thou canst not see my face,–For no son of earth can see me, and live. |
No man see me, and live – "Whom no man hath seen nor can see, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto." (1 Tim. 6:16) F722
Humanity, being of earthly nature, could not see a spirit being. R3861:6
It is just as impossible for men to see the unveiled glory of the Lord Jesus as it is for them to behold Jehovah. B131
A perfect human being would be the best illustration mankind could see, and this they saw in our Lord Jesus, the Father's image in the flesh. R3861:6
Those who saw and understood Jesus to be the Son of God caught the best possible glimpse of the Heavenly Father. R5653:6
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| 21 And Yahweh said, Lo! a place near me,–So then thou shalt station thyself upon the rock: |
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| 22 And it shall be, while my glory passeth by, I will put thee in the cleft of the rock,–and will cover thee with my hand, while I pass by: |
My glory passeth by – The Lord's special messenger, the angel of the Lord. Q360:2
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| 23 Then will I take away my hand, and thou shalt see behind me,–But, my face, must not be seen. |
Thou shalt see – An appearance representing God; nothing more was possible. "No man hath seen God at any time." (John 1:18) B132
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