Exodus Chapter 34
Showing all 35 verses for Exodus Chapter 34.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest. "
"The LORD told Moses, 'Cut two new stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the same words that were on the tablets you smashed.'"
God offers Moses a fresh start, providing new tablets after the first were broken in judgement. Jesus calls you to trust that He always makes a way to begin again after failure - His grace doesn't run out just because you've fallen short.
"And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount. "
"'Be ready in the morning, and come up Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me at the top of the mountain.'"
God calls Moses to a specific time and place of preparation before this fresh encounter with Him. Jesus calls you to make room in your life for intentional time with Him, trusting that showing up expectantly matters to your relationship with God.
"And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount. "
"'No one is to come up with you, and no one is even to be seen anywhere on the mountain - not even flocks or herds may graze in front of it.'"
God asks for Moses to come alone, setting apart this sacred meeting from the noise and presence of others. Jesus calls you to value solitary time with Him too, recognising that some of your deepest growth happens away from the crowd.
"And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone. "
"So Moses cut two stone tablets like the first ones. Early in the morning he got up, climbed Mount Sinai as the LORD had told him, and carried the two stone tablets in his hand."
Moses obeys promptly and precisely, rising early and doing exactly as commanded despite the weight of what had just happened. Jesus calls you to that same willing obedience, trusting God's instructions even after a season of disappointment or failure.
"And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. "
"The LORD came down in the cloud, stood there with him, and proclaimed the name 'the LORD.'"
God draws near in the cloud and proclaims His own name - He wants to be known, not hidden from those who seek Him. Jesus calls you to receive this same self-revealing God, who delights to make Himself known to you personally.
"And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, "
"The LORD passed in front of him and declared: 'The LORD, the LORD, a God who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and overflowing with faithful love and truth,'"
God defines Himself here in some of the richest terms in all of Scripture - merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth. Jesus calls you to root your whole understanding of God in this description, letting it reshape any fear or misunderstanding you carry about His character.
"Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. "
"'...maintaining faithful love to thousands, forgiving wrongdoing, rebellion and sin - yet not letting the guilty go without consequence; the effects of a parent's wrongdoing are felt by their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.'"
God holds together mercy and justice - forgiving generously while still taking sin seriously across generations. Jesus calls you to trust both sides of God's character: His mercy is real, and so is His commitment to what is right, and in Him they are never in conflict.
"And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. "
"Moses quickly bowed his head to the ground and worshipped."
Moses responds to this revelation of God's character with immediate worship, bowing low before Him. Jesus calls you to let a true understanding of who God is move you to worship too - not obligation, but genuine awe and gratitude.
"And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O LORD, let my LORD, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance. "
"He said, 'Lord, if I've found favour with you, please travel with us - yes, this is a stubborn, difficult people - but forgive our wrongdoing and our sin, and accept us as your own.'"
Moses asks God to stay present with a stubborn people precisely because they are stubborn, not despite it - grace reaching for the very ones who need it most. Jesus calls you to intercede for others this way too, especially those who seem hardest to reach.
"And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee. "
"He replied, 'Watch - I am making a covenant. In front of your whole people I will do wonders that have never been done anywhere on earth, in any nation; everyone around you will see the LORD's work, because what I'm about to do with you is awesome.'"
God renews His covenant and promises to work wonders among the people despite their recent unfaithfulness. Jesus calls you to trust that His covenant love for you isn't cancelled by your failures - He remains committed to working powerfully in and through you.
"Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. "
"'Pay attention to what I'm commanding you today: I am driving out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites ahead of you.'"
God calls the people to careful obedience as He works on their behalf, showing that His action and their responsiveness go hand in hand. Jesus calls you to actively cooperate with what God is doing in your life, not passively waiting but faithfully walking in step with Him.
"Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: "
"'Be careful not to make any treaty with the people living in the land you're entering, or it will become a trap right in the middle of you.'"
God warns against entangling alliances that could quietly pull the people's hearts away from Him. Jesus calls you to be wise about what compromises you make, recognising that seemingly small alliances can gradually erode your devotion to Him.
"But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: "
"'Instead, tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and cut down their Asherah poles.'"
God calls for a thorough removal of every rival object of worship, not a partial or half-hearted reform. Jesus calls you to deal decisively with anything competing for first place in your heart, refusing to let idols linger even in small corners of your life.
"For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: "
"'Because you must not worship any other god: the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a jealous God.'"
God's jealousy here isn't insecurity but the fierce love of a husband who cannot bear to share His beloved with rivals. Jesus calls you to receive this jealous love as a compliment, not a threat - He wants your whole heart because He loves you completely.
"Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice; "
"'Otherwise, if you make a treaty with the people of the land, you'll end up joining them when they chase after their gods and sacrifice to them, and you'll be invited to eat from their sacrifices.'"
God warns that compromise with surrounding practices could draw the people gradually into unfaithfulness through simple social ties. Jesus calls you to notice how small, seemingly harmless invitations can slowly shift your loyalties, and to stay alert to where your heart is being drawn.
"And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods. "
"'And you'll take their daughters as wives for your sons, and those daughters will lead your sons to chase after their gods too.'"
God's concern here extends to future generations, protecting even the children not yet born from being drawn away. Jesus calls you to think beyond yourself, considering how your choices today shape the faith and future of those who come after you.
"Thou shalt make thee no molten gods. "
"'Do not make yourselves gods that are cast from metal.'"
This brief, direct command echoes back to the golden calf disaster, a clear reminder not to repeat that failure. Jesus calls you to learn from your past mistakes rather than drifting back into them, letting hard lessons genuinely shape your future choices.
"The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt. "
"'Keep the Festival of Unleavened Bread. Eat bread without yeast for seven days, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib, because that's the month you came out of Egypt.'"
The feast of unleavened bread calls the people to remember their deliverance from Egypt again and again. Jesus calls you to build regular remembrance into your life too, returning often to the story of how He has rescued and carried you.
"All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male. "
"'Every firstborn male belongs to me - including the first male offspring of your livestock, whether cattle or sheep.'"
The dedication of the firstborn and firstlings reminds the people that everything - even the very first and best - ultimately belongs to God. Jesus calls you to hold what you have with open hands, recognising that all you own and love is first His gift to you.
"But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty. "
"'But redeem the firstborn donkey with a lamb; if you don't redeem it, break its neck. Redeem all your firstborn sons. No one is to come before me empty-handed.'"
The provision for redeeming the firstborn son points forward to the truth that a substitute can stand in another's place. Jesus calls you to see in this ancient practice a foreshadowing of His own sacrifice, redeeming you at a cost He willingly paid.
"Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest. "
"'Work six days, but rest on the seventh - even during ploughing season and harvest, you must rest.'"
Even in the busiest seasons of the year, God insists on rest - a rhythm of trust that says the harvest doesn't depend on ceaseless labour alone. Jesus calls you to embrace rest as an act of faith, trusting Him with what you cannot control even when work is demanding.
"And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end. "
"'Celebrate the Festival of Weeks with the first of the wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the year.'"
These regular feasts of firstfruits and ingathering call the people to celebrate God's provision at every stage of the harvest. Jesus calls you to cultivate a habit of gratitude, marking and celebrating His faithfulness throughout every season of your life.
"Thrice in the year shall all your menchildren appear before the LORD God, the God of Israel. "
"'Three times a year, every male among you is to appear before the Lord, the God of Israel.'"
God calls the people to gather before Him repeatedly throughout the year, prioritising regular time in His presence. Jesus calls you to build rhythms of gathering with His people and coming before Him, trusting that consistent presence deepens your relationship with Him.
"For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year. "
"'For I will drive out nations ahead of you and expand your territory - and no one will covet your land while you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times a year.'"
God promises to protect the people's land and borders even while they leave it three times a year to worship Him - trusting Him with obedience never leaves you exposed. Jesus calls you to believe that prioritising Him won't cost you what you fear losing; He is fully able to guard what you entrust to Him.
"Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning. "
"'Do not offer the blood of my sacrifice together with anything containing yeast, and don't let the Passover sacrifice remain until morning.'"
These careful instructions about the sacrifice show God's attention to detail even in matters of worship, honouring the significance of the Passover. Jesus calls you to bring the same reverent care to how you approach Him, recognising that worship is worth doing thoughtfully and well.
"The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk. "
"'Bring the best of the firstfruits of your land to the house of the LORD your God. Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk.'"
Bringing the firstfruits to God's house is another expression of gratitude and trust, giving Him the best before keeping the rest. Jesus calls you to practise that same generosity, giving Him your first and best rather than merely what's left over.
"And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel. "
"The LORD said to Moses, 'Write down these words, because it is on the basis of these words that I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.'"
God instructs Moses to write down these words, ensuring His covenant would be preserved and passed on faithfully. Jesus calls you to value His written word too, trusting it as a reliable, lasting record of His relationship with His people.
"And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. "
"Moses stayed there with the LORD forty days and forty nights, eating no bread and drinking no water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant - the ten commandments."
Moses' forty days of fasting in God's presence shows the depth of devotion this encounter demanded, and the sustaining power of being near God even without ordinary food. Jesus calls you to trust that His presence can sustain you through seasons that would otherwise feel impossible to bear.
"And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. "
"When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two tablets of the covenant, he didn't realise that his face was glowing because he had been talking with God."
Moses' face shone from being with God, though he himself was unaware of it - true closeness with God changes you in ways others notice even when you don't. Jesus calls you to spend time with Him without worrying about the outward effect; simply being near Him is what transforms you.
"And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. "
"When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was glowing, and they were afraid to go near him."
The people's fear at seeing Moses' radiant face shows how unfamiliar and overwhelming God's glory can seem, even reflected secondhand. Jesus calls you to remember that His glory, ultimately, comes not to frighten you away but to draw you near in love.
"And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. "
"But Moses called out to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and Moses talked with them."
Moses calls the people near despite their initial fear, patiently drawing them back into relationship and communication. Jesus calls you to be patient with others who are hesitant or afraid, gently inviting them closer rather than leaving them at a distance.
"And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. "
"After that, all the Israelites came near, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had spoken to him on Mount Sinai."
Moses faithfully passes on everything God commanded him, holding nothing back from the people. Jesus calls you to be faithful in sharing what you've received from Him too, passing on truth generously rather than keeping it to yourself.
"And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. "
"When Moses finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face."
Moses veils his face after speaking, a practice that later Scripture reveals had a temporary purpose amid a fading glory. Jesus calls you to trust that whatever was partial or temporary under the old covenant finds its fuller, lasting fulfilment in Him.
"But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded. "
"But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out again. Then he would come out and tell the Israelites what he had been commanded."
Moses removes the veil each time he goes in to speak with God, showing that unhindered access to God's presence is always available, even if the reflected glory needed covering before others. Jesus calls you to know that your access to God is not veiled at all - through Him, you can come to God freely and openly, any time.
"And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him. "
"The Israelites would see that Moses' face was glowing, and Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in again to speak with the LORD."
This closing picture, of Moses veiling and unveiling his face again and again, marks the ongoing rhythm of meeting with God and then serving His people faithfully. Jesus calls you to that same rhythm - regular time in His presence, followed by faithful service to those around you, again and again.