Why does Moses ask the Lord to go with Israel, and what limit is placed on seeing his glory?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Moses says that the Lord going with them will show that he and the people have found grace, so they may be glorified by all the earth’s peoples. The Lord agrees to his request, but tells Moses he cannot see his face and live. He promises shelter in the rock and a view of his back parts after he passes.

Chapter breakdown

Why does Moses ask the Lord to go with Israel, and what limit is placed on seeing his glory? Moses says that the Lord going with them will show that he and the people have found grace, so they may be glorified by all the earth’s peoples. The Lord agrees to his request, but tells Moses he cannot see his face and live. He promises shelter in the rock and a view of his back parts after he passes.

The Lord tells Moses to leave this place with the people he brought from Egypt and go to the land sworn to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for their descendants. He will send an angel ahead and cast out the Chanaanite, Amorrhite, Hethite, Pherezite, Hevite and Jebusite, so Israel may enter the land flowing with milk and honey. He says he will not go up with them because they are stiffnecked, lest he destroy them on the way.

Hearing this very bad news, the people mourn, and no one puts on ornaments as usual. The Lord tells Moses to say they are stiffnecked: once he comes among them, he will destroy them. They must now lay aside their ornaments so he may know what to do to them. They put them aside by Mount Horeb.

Moses takes the tabernacle and pitches it far outside the camp, calling it the tabernacle of the covenant. Anyone with a question goes out to it. When Moses goes there, everyone rises and stands at the door of his own pavilion, watching Moses’ back until he enters. Then the cloud pillar comes down and stands at the door, and the Lord speaks with Moses. All see the pillar, and they stand and worship at their tent doors.

The Lord speaks with Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. When Moses returns to the camp, his servant Josue, son of Nun, a young man, does not leave the tabernacle.

Challoner’s note explains “face to face” as speaking in a most familiar manner. It points out that this same chapter says Moses could not see the Lord’s face.

Moses says the Lord commands him to lead the people but has not told him whom he will send with him. This is especially so because the Lord has said he knows Moses by name and Moses has found favour in his sight.

Challoner’s note says Scripture describes God as knowing those he approves and loves, and knowing by name those he favours in a particularly special way, as he did Moses.

Moses asks that, if he has found favour, the Lord show him his face so he may know him and find grace before his eyes, and look upon this nation as his people. The Lord answers, “My face shall go before thee,” and promises rest. Moses asks that if the Lord himself does not go before them, he not bring them from this place. How will he and the people know they have found grace unless the Lord walks with them, so they may be glorified by all the peoples on earth? The Lord says he will do this also, because Moses has found grace and is known by name.

Moses asks to see the Lord’s glory. The Lord promises to show him all good and proclaim in the name of the Lord before him; he will have mercy on whom he wills and be merciful to whom he pleases. Moses cannot see his face, because a person cannot see him and live. There is a place with the Lord where Moses is to stand on the rock. When the glory passes, the Lord will put him in a hole in the rock and protect him with his right hand until he has passed. Then he will remove his hand, and Moses will see his back parts, but not his face.

Challoner’s note says the Lord usually spoke to Moses through his angel in the cloud pillar, so Moses could not see the glory of the one speaking familiarly with him. In this vision, the note says, he was allowed to see something of him in an assumed bodily form. He did not see the face, whose rays were too bright for mortal eyes, but viewed him as if from behind when the face was turned away.

The story inside

The departure command promises land and an angel ahead, but warns that the Lord will not go up with stiffnecked Israel lest he destroy them. The people mourn and obey the command to remove ornaments. The account then describes the tabernacle outside the camp, those who go there with questions, the people watching Moses, the cloud at the door and their standing worship. Moses speaks familiarly with the Lord, while Josue remains when Moses returns. The conversation turns to whom God will send with Moses. Moses asks to know the Lord and insists they not be brought onward unless he goes before them, giving this as the way to know they have found grace. The Lord agrees because Moses has found grace and is known by name. Moses then asks to see glory, and receives the promise of good, mercy, shelter in the rock and a limited view. The chapter records that promise; it does not yet narrate its fulfilment. All three Challoner explanations are kept separate from the account. (Exodus 33:1–23.)

Lessons worth keeping

1
The departure promise includes a warning. The Lord promises the sworn land and an angel ahead but says he will not go up with stiffnecked Israel lest he destroy them. The people mourn and lay aside their ornaments at Horeb. (33:1–6.)
2
Moses asks for the Lord to go with the people. His reason is that this will show that he and Israel have found grace and may be glorified by all peoples. The Lord says he will do the request because Moses has found grace and is known by name. (33:12–17.)
3
Familiar speech and seeing the face are distinguished. Verse 11 compares the conversation to friends speaking; verse 20 says Moses cannot see the face and live. Challoner makes this distinction, and the promised rock shelter allows a view of the back parts instead. (33:11, 18–23 and the note on verse 11.)

Test your recall

Why does the Lord say he will not go up with Israel? They are stiffnecked, and he might destroy them on the way. Where do people with questions go? To the tabernacle of the covenant far outside the camp. What happens when Moses enters? The cloud pillar stands at the door; the people stand and worship at their doors. Why does Moses ask the Lord to walk with them? So they know they have found grace. What protects Moses during the promised passing glory?

Show answer

The Lord’s right hand while he is in a hole of the rock. (33:3, 7–10, 16, 22.)

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 9663–9667
Exodus Chapter 33 The people mourn for their sin. Moses pitcheth the tabernacle without the camp. He converseth familiarly with God. Desireth to see his glory.
Lines 9668–9680
33:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Go, get thee up from this place, thou and thy people which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt, into the land concerning which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying: To thy seed I will give it: 33:2. And I will send an angel before thee, that I may cast out the Chanaanite, and the Amorrhite, and the Hethite, and the Pherezite, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite, 33:3. That thou mayst enter into the land that floweth with milk and honey. For I will not go up with thee, because thou art a stiffnecked people; lest I destroy thee in the way.
Lines 9681–9691
33:4. And the people hearing these very bad tidings, mourned: and no man put on his ornaments according to custom. 33:5. And the Lord said to Moses: Say to the children of Israel: Thou art a stiffnecked people, once I shall come up in the midst of thee, and shall destroy thee. Now presently lay aside thy ornaments, that I may know what to do to thee. 33:6. So the children of Israel laid aside their ornaments by Mount Horeb.
Lines 9692–9708
33:7. Moses also taking the tabernacle, pitched it without the camp afar off, and called the name thereof, The tabernacle of the covenant. And all the people, that had any question, went forth to the tabernacle of the covenant, without the camp. 33:8. And when Moses went forth to the tabernacle, all the people rose up, and every one stood in the door of his pavilion, and they beheld the back of Moses, till he went into the tabernacle. 33:9. And when he was gone into the tabernacle of the covenant, the pillar of the cloud came down, and stood at the door, and he spoke with Moses. 33:10. And all saw that the pillar of the cloud stood at the door of the tabernacle. And they stood and worshipped at the doors of their tent.
Lines 9709–9712
33:11. And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man is wont to speak to his friend. And when he returned into the camp, his servant Josue, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not from the tabernacle.
Lines 9713–9715
Face to face.... That is, in a most familiar manner. Though as we learn from this very chapter, Moses could not see the face of the Lord.
Lines 9716–9720
33:12. And Moses said to the Lord: Thou commandest me to lead forth this people; and thou dost not let me know whom thou wilt send with me, especially whereas thou hast said: I know thee by name, and thou hast found favour in my sight.
Lines 9721–9724
I know thee by name.... In the language of the scriptures, God is said to know such as he approves and loves: and to know by name, those whom he favours in a most singular manner, as he did his servant Moses.
Lines 9725–9742
33:13. If therefore I have found favour in thy sight, shew me thy face, that I may know thee, and may find grace before thy eyes: look upon thy people this nation. 33:14. And the Lord said: My face shall go before thee, and I will give thee rest. 33:15. And Moses said: If thou thyself dost not go before, bring us not out of this place. 33:16. For how shall we be able to know, I and thy people, that we have found grace in thy sight, unless thou walk with us, that we may be glorified by all people that dwell upon the earth? 33:17. And the Lord said to Moses: This word also, which thou hast spoken, will I do; for thou hast found grace before me, and thee I have known by name.
Lines 9743–9760
33:18. And he said: Shew me thy glory. 33:19. He answered: I will shew thee all good, and I will proclaim in the name of the Lord before thee: and I will have mercy on whom I will, and I will be merciful to whom it shall please me. 33:20. And again he said: Thou canst not see my face: for man shall not see me, and live. 33:21. And again he said: Behold there is a place with me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock. 33:22. And when my glory shall pass, I will set thee in a hole of the rock, and protect thee with my right hand till I pass: 33:23. And I will take away my hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face thou canst not see.
Lines 9761–9768
See my back parts.... The Lord by his angel, usually spoke to Moses in the pillar of the cloud; so that he could not see the glory of him that spoke familiarly with him. In the vision here mentioned he was allowed to see something of him, in an assumed corporeal form: not in the face, the rays of which were too bright for mortal eye to bear, but to view him as it were behind, when his face was turned from him.