God announces He will send an angel but will not personally accompany Israel lest He consume them for their stiffness of neck. The people mourn, and Moses pitches the tent of meeting outside the camp where God speaks with him face to face as a friend. Moses pleads for God's presence as Israel's distinguishing mark and requests to see God's glory, receiving promise to see His goodness pass by while sheltered in the rock.
Read Exodus Chapter 33 Summary
Original
Characters in This Chapter
Moses
Deliverer of Israel, mediator of the covenant, lawgiver, and prophet who spoke with God face to face
Aaron
Moses' brother, spokesman before Pharaoh, and first high priest of Israel
Pharaoh (of Exodus)
King of Egypt who oppressed Israel and hardened his heart against God, ultimately destroyed at the Red Sea
Miriam
Sister of Moses and Aaron, prophetess who led Israel in worship after the Red Sea crossing
Jethro
Moses' father-in-law, priest of Midian who advised Moses on leadership and organization
Joshua
Moses' assistant and military leader who fought the Amalekites and accompanied Moses on Sinai
Abraham
Father of Many Nations
Isaac
Son of Abraham
Jacob
Father of the Twelve Tribes of Israel
Joshua the High Priest
First High Priest of the Second Temple
Places in This Chapter
Egypt
View on MapLand of Israel's slavery and the setting for God's dramatic acts of judgment and redemption through the plagues
Red Sea
View on MapSite of Israel's miraculous deliverance where God parted the waters and destroyed Pharaoh's pursuing army
Mount Sinai
View on MapThe mountain of God where the covenant was established, the Law given, and God's glory descended in fire and cloud
The Wilderness
View on MapThe desert region where God tested and provided for Israel, teaching them dependence on him through manna, water, and guidance
Mount Horeb
View on MapMount Horeb, also called the Mountain of God, is another name for Mount Sinai. Moses saw the burning bush here before the Exodus. Elijah fled here after confronting the prophets of Baal and experienced God in a gentle whisper. It represents a place of divine encounter.
The Tabernacle
View on MapThe Tabernacle was the portable sanctuary that Israel built according to God's instructions at Mount Sinai. It served as God's dwelling place among His people during the wilderness wanderings and early settlement in Canaan. It contained the Ark of the Covenant, the altar, and the holy place.
Position in Book
Israel in EgyptChapters 1-2
The Call of MosesChapters 3-4
The Plagues and PassoverChapters 5-12
The Exodus and Red SeaChapters 13-15
Journey to SinaiChapters 16-18
The Covenant at SinaiChapters 19-24
Instructions for the TabernacleChapters 25-31
The Golden CalfChapters 32-34
Israel's apostasy with the golden calf, Moses' intercession, the breaking and renewal of the covenant tablets, and God's revelation of his character.
Construction of the TabernacleChapters 35-40
Bible Bites
The first person 'filled with the Spirit' was an artist
The very first person the Bible describes as 'filled with the Spirit of God' isn't a prophet or a king, it's Bezalel, a craftsman gifted for artistic design, gold-work and carving to build the Tabernacle (Exodus 31:1-5). Creativity itself is treated as a divine gift.
Exodus 31:1-5