Exodus 33 Moses Prays

Exodus 33:13 "Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, show me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people."

v14 "And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest."

v15 "And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence."

The situation is very tense here. Moses has come down and found the people deep in sin. The Lord is pretty disgusted with the people and the Moses sets up the tabernacle outside the camp. He and Joshua go into the tabernacle but at one point Moses goes outside the tabernacle and Joshua remains. It is outside the tabernacle that the conversation between the Lord and Moses takes place.

In verse 3 the Lord tells Moses that he will take them to the land promised but will not go in midst of the people but rather he will send angels to prepare the way for them.

Here the phrase used often since is born "v5 "...Ye are a stiffnecked people..."

Moses seeks to see the Lord and is hid in a cleft of the rock v21-23 and sees part of the Lord but not his face.

v17 "And the Lord said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name."

I find this a very beautiful chapter. The situation is bad. The people are out of fellowship with the Lord. Moses, in the midst of this trouble, finds comfort from the Lord.

Psalm 22: 10-11 "I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou are my God from my mother's belly, Be not far from me; for trouble is near, for there is none to help."