40 Days on either side of covenant rebellion (2)

What happens after YHWH speaks to Moses for 40 days about the Tabernacle?

(See Exodus 32-34)

The highlights:

1. YHWH gives Moses the two tablets as he said he would (31:18).
2. YHWH sends Moses down to deal with his people - who are worshipping the golden calf - because Moses has been gone so long (32)!
3. Moses goes down and gets very angry.
4. Moses throws down the tablets of stone with the ten words.
5. Moses and those "on YHWH's side" destroy about 3,000 idolators.
6. YHWH tells Moses to take the people to the land he swore to the patriarchs accompanied by "an angel" to drive out their enemies but that He will not accompany them into the land due to their rebeliousness (33:1-6).
7. Moses begs YHWH not to send them without His presence (33:12-13).
8. YHWH says, "My presence will go with you" (33:14)
9. This leads Moses to ask for a fuller revelation of YHWH's character. He says to YHWH - "Show me your glory / weightiness." [Moses has seen YHWH's power and covenant (promise keeping) faithfulness. But is He weighty enough to handle a herd of rebels?]
10. YHWH responds by:

• agreeing to make himself known more fully (promising to come near),
• mentioning his name (YHWH),
• mentioning his grace and mercy,
• yet concealing himself (limiting what Moses can "see")
• hiding Moses in a cleft of the rock, covering him with his "hand"
• telling Moses to return with 2 tablets of stone,
• agreeing to re-write the words,
• concealing himself from others (limiting who can "see" him)
• descending on a cloud (coming near),
• proclaiming his name (YHWH),
• emphasizing his mercy, grace, patience, love and faithfulness.

AND FINALLY... Shiny, Blessed Prophet

Moses spends the next 40 Days (Exodus 34:28, cf. Deut. 9:9-18, 25) with YHWH on the mountain, neither eating nor drinking, and he wrote on the (new) tablets the words of the covenant, the ten words.

Thus, quite big-picture-like, we have a narrative structure.

• 40 Days on the Mountain w/ YHWH
• Covenant Rebellion - the true character of God's people revealed
• Covenant Restoration - the true character of the people's God revealed
• 40 Days on the Mountain w/ YHWH

Now compare this to Luke's two volume narration of Jesus' public ministry.

• 40 days tempted, eating nothing (Luke 4:1-2)
• Covenant Rebellion - Rejection of YHWH's Messiah
• Covenant Restoration - This King/Servant Fulfills the Covenant
• 40 Days teaching about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3)