Exodus: A Group StudySample

What is this passage saying?

Although spared from destruction, Yahweh tells Israel He will not go with them into the Promised Land. Moses again intercedes on behalf of the people and Yahweh relents, promising His presence and providence as they move towards the Promised Land.

What is this passage teaching?

Yahweh begins this chapter by promising to fulfill all the promises He made to Abraham. He would send an angel before them to defeat their enemies and they would possess the Promised Land. However, Yahweh’s presence would not go with them (Exodus 33:3). The Israelites’ response is heavy: “When they heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments” (Exodus 33:4). Although Yahweh had agreed to fulfill every promise He made to them, the withholding of His presence was a calamitous judgment. Israel understood what distinguished them as the people of God was not their military might, their economic wealth, or their cultural prestige – it was that Yahweh’s presence dwelled among them. Moses echoes this sentiment later in the chapter when he says, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here” (Exodus 33:15). Moses is effectively saying, “God it is better to die in the desert or be slaves in Egypt than to move forward without your presence.” The magnitude of the Exodus is not what Yahweh brought His people out from, rather it is who He is bringing them to – Himself.

How do I respond?

Israel understood after their experience with the golden calf that God’s presence provided all the security and stability they needed. Even the fulfillment of all the covenant promises would be disastrous if God’s presence was not with them. Is the presence of God so saturated in your life, so integral to your functioning and being, that to go without him would be disastrous? When you wake up in the morning, do you plead for God to go with you, to be with you, to walk before you, to sustain you in every moment? The greatest weapon against the darkness of sin, fear, and idolatry is the light of God’s gracious presence. Pray for God to go with you today and for His Holy Spirit to be your constant guide and companion. Consider which spiritual disciplines stir up your experience of God’s presence. Fasting, prayer, worship, and sabbath are all great ways to begin experiencing God’s gracious presence in your life.