Tent of Meeting and Glory of the Lord.

I have been reading Exodus lately. For a few chapters it was rough to get through, when God was giving Moses all the laws on top of the mountain. It's neat to read them now, knowing that Jesus came to we wouldn't have to follow OT law anymore, but they are still a challenge to read.

Today, I got through them and got to chapter 33. Here are a few of the amazing verses I read this morning. How amazing that Moses got to talk with and experience God in that way! Wow.

First, God tells them to go to the "land flowing with milk and honey" (verse 3)  that He was preparing for them, but He will not go with them because the Israelites were "stiff-necked people and He might destroy them on the way." (verse 3) In the chapter previous, the Israelites had just made/worshipped a golden calf because they thought Moses was taking too long up on the mountain.

Then it talks about Moses going into the Tent of Meeting.

"As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshipped, each at the entrance to his tent. The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend." (Verses 9-11, emphasis mine)

Later on God says, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But", He said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." (Verses 19-20)

"When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back, but my face will not be seen." (Verses 22-23, emphasis mine)

Amazing.