Exo 33:1-23  The Command to Leave Sinai

[Study Aired January 16, 2023]

Exo 33:1  And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:
Exo 33:2  And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: 
Exo 33:3  Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.
Exo 33:4  And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.
Exo 33:5  For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.
Exo 33:6  And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb. 
Exo 33:7  And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. 
Exo 33:8  And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
Exo 33:9  And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.
Exo 33:10  And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
Exo 33:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
Exo 33:12  And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
Exo 33:13  Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew 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. 
Exo 33:14  And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. 
Exo 33:15  And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
Exo 33:16  For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
Exo 33:17  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.
Exo 33:18  And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
Exo 33:19  And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
Exo 33:20  And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
Exo 33:21  And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
Exo 33:22  And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
Exo 33:23  And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

This chapter deals with the Lord commanding the Israelites to leave Mount Sinai and to go to the promised land to possess it. It also focuses on the tent of the congregation that Moses set up outside the camp for the Israelites to communicate with the Lord and Moses’ encounter with the Lord when he requested the Lord to show him His glory.

In Deuteronomy, when Moses was recounting the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness, he gave additional information regarding why the Lord wanted the Israelites to leave Horeb to possess the land – that is, they had spent too much time in Horeb.

Deu 1:6  The LORD our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount: 
Deu 1:7  Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.
Deu 1:8  Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.

We spend too much time in Babylon thinking we are serving the Lord but in reality, we are worshiping another Jesus. If we are the elect, then we shall leave Horeb and continue our journey to possess our bodies which in this case is the promised land or the land of Canaan where we battle the old man within, which is represented by all those living in Canaan (Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hittites, Hivites and Jebusites).

2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Exo 33:1  And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:
Exo 33:2  And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite: 
Exo 33:3  Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.

Our God is a God who fulfills promises. As we are aware, the Lord made a promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that He would give them the land of Canaan. In reminding Moses of His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He was reassuring Moses that he is dealing with a God who is able to raise him (the elect) up from their spiritually dead state to give them a kingdom. 

Luk 20:37  Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 
Luk 20:38  For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

As stated here in verse 1, the deliverance by the Lord at the hands of the Egyptians is to bring them to possess a good land. The land here is our bodies, and the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites are all different aspects of the beast or the old man within us which are being dealt with at various phases of our lives. Thus, our salvation is a process which lasts a lifetime. It is not something we attain at the beginning of our walk, as our brothers and sisters in Babylon made us believe during our sojourn there. It is rather at the end of the road that salvation becomes ours.

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

1Co 9:24  Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 
1Co 9:25  Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 
1Co 9:26  So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 
1Co 9:27  But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

In verse 3, we are told that the land they are going to inherit after leaving Egypt is a land flowing with milk and honey. Let’s try to understand what milk and honey stands for. Milk in the scriptures represents the basics of the Lord’s word as shown below:

Isa 28:9  Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

Heb 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

1Pe 2:2  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Honey can also mean the milk of the word of Christ. It only helps us to distinguish between good and evil.

Isa 7:15  Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

Honey, on the other hand, essentially deals with how we hear the word of the Lord. When the word of the Lord comes to us, it tastes so sweet. However, after we start to apply it to our lives, that is when it becomes bitter.

Eze 3:3  And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

Rev 10:9  And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. 
Rev 10:10  And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. 

So, the Lord delivering the Israelites from Egypt and taking them to the land flowing with milk and honey is to let us know that when we come out of the world, we are to start with the milk of the word of the Lord, which tastes like honey when we hear it. 

The second part of verse 3 talks about the Lord not going with the Israelites as a result of their stiff-necked nature. Being stiff-necked means we are still under the control of our old man or the beast. Since the old man or the beast is occupying the throne of our hearts, it is impossible for the Lord to be in us to lead us through the wilderness of life. If we are called and chosen, then the Lord will go with us. However, it means that the Lord will consume the old man along the way as stated in verse 3.

2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

Exo 33:4  And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments. 
Exo 33:5  For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee. 
Exo 33:6  And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb. 

The evil tidings in verse 4 refers to the fact that the Israelites were stiff-necked people and as a result, the Lord will not go with them in their journey to the promised land. It is through the word of the Lord that we come to see our real nature as a beast. It is when the law of Moses has done its work in our lives as schoolmaster that we come to see that indeed we are stiff-necked people.  Since we are called and chosen, the Lord will come into our midst to consume us as shown in verse 5. This means the Lord will come to us to judge us so that we learn righteousness.

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

In our stiff-necked state, we do not put on any ornament as shown in verses 4 and 6. To be stripped of ornaments means to be denied being clothed with the Lord’s righteousness as shown in the following verse:

Isa 61:10  I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

It is therefore through the Lord coming to us to consume us that we put on the robe of righteousness or ornaments.

Exo 33:7  And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.

This verse is to let us know that we can only seek the Lord intimately when we go outside the camp. The camp here stands for Babylon. Going outside the camp therefore means leaving Babylon as the Lord has commanded us to do.

Heb 13:11  For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. 
Heb 13:12  Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 
Heb 13:13  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

Exo 33:8  And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
Exo 33:9  And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.
Exo 33:10  And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.

These verses foreshadow the fact that our brothers and sisters in Babylon or the synagogue of Satan will come to bow down and worship Christ through us in the fullness of time.

Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him (Jesus Christ), and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 
Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Moses’ dedication to his fellowship with the Lord was evident to the people of Israel as they see him enter the tabernacle regularly to fellowship with the Lord who is symbolized by the cloudy pillar which descends and stands at the door of the tabernacle.  

Rev 3:9  Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

To worship before our feet does not mean that Babylon will come to worship us. What it means is that they will come to worship the Lord through our guidance (at our feet). Moses’ encounter with the Lord made it obvious to the people of Israel that the Lord indeed loves him. Our dedication to Christ will show the world that the Lord indeed loves us!! This is clearly portrayed by Jacob’s love for Joseph, who is a symbol of Christ and His elect. Jacob here represents God. We have indeed been favored to know Christ in this age!!

Gen 37:3  Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.
Gen 37:4  And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

Exo 33:11  And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

Here in verse 11, we are told that the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend. Later on, when Aaron and Miriam spoke against Moses, the Lord told them that it was only Moses with whom He speaks face to face. 

Num 12:4  And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.
Num 12:5  And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. 
Num 12:6  And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
Num 12:7  My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. 
Num 12:8  With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

The Lord speaking to Moses face to face is another way of saying that we, His elect, represented here by Moses, have been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

In the second part of verse 11, we are told that Moses went back to the camp while Joshua remained in the tabernacle. To understand this statement, we need to know that Moses, in the negative context, represents the law of Moses, which is what governs our lives in Babylon, the camp. Thus, Moses going back to the camp is to let us know that the law must finish its work in Babylon before faith comes. Joshua, on the other hand, symbolizes the elect who departed not from the tabernacle. We know that it is in this tabernacle that the Lord speaks to Moses face to face. Joshua remaining in the tabernacle is therefore another way of saying that the Lord’s words should not depart from our mouth as the Lord’s elect and that we should meditate on it day and night in order to make our way prosperous.

Jos 1:8  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Exo 33:12  And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight. 
Exo 33:13  Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew 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. 
Exo 33:14  And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
Exo 33:15  And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence. 
Exo 33:16  For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
Exo 33:17  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.

Moses wanted to know who the Lord was sending with him to lead the people of Israel. In verse 14, the Lord told Moses that His presence shall go with him and give him rest. These verses point to the coming of the Holy Spirit, whom the Lord will send to lead the Lord’s elect in this wilderness of life into all truth.

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 

As we can see from these verses, it is when we find grace in the Lord’s sight that He comes to us to show us His ways. The grace we find in Christ is for the fulfillment of God’s purpose. From the Biblical perspective, grace is defined as Christ coming to us. 

Joh 1:16  And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Joh 1:17  For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Joh 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 

The Babylonian system from which we came equates physical blessings with grace. What we need to know is that blessings are for our existence, but grace is for the fulfillment of God’s purpose. We do need the Lord’s blessing for our existence, otherwise, there is no way we can fulfill the Lord’s purpose. However, merely to exist is vanity of vanities. All the cars, houses, money, degrees, and jobs are vanities if our existence is not for the fulfillment of the Lord’s purpose. In the Old Testament, we mainly have blessings, but in the New Testament, the physical blessings are immediately replaced by spiritual blessings. The physical blessings are all included in the spiritual blessings for the fulfillment of the Lord’s purpose.

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

As stated, grace is Christ coming to us. We know that Christ coming to us means coming with His judgment to purify us for the purpose of fulfilling His purpose. 

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

As His elect, we have found grace in the Lord’s sight just as Moses found grace in His sight!! Alleluia!!

Exo 33:18  And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

We need to know what the glory of the Lord signifies in order to understand what Moses was asking for. The following verses show us what the glory of the Lord means:

Num 14:10  But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
Num 14:11  And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

Num 16:19  And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.
Num 16:20  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

Deu 5:24  And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.

We can see from these verses that anytime the glory of the Lord appears, we see the Lord speaking. The glory of the Lord is Christ Himself who is also the word. In Deuteronomy 5:24, additional information is given to qualify the glory of the Lord, and that is fire. Seeing His glory therefore means hearing the Lord’s voice out of the midst of the fire. This conclusion is affirmed in Exodus 24:16-17, where the sight of the glory of the Lord was likened to a devouring fire on the top of the Mount. So, in this age, those who are privileged to see the glory of the Lord are those who are hearing His words in the midst of the furnace of their affliction. I will therefore take this opportunity to tell our brothers and sisters scattered all over the world who are going through fiery trials that they should rejoice because it is through suffering that they will see the glory of the Lord!! When we are going through suffering, it is hard to rejoice, but afterwards it will yield the benefit of coming to know Christ or seeing the glory of the Lord!! 

Exo 33:19  And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. 
Exo 33:20  And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.

In answering Moses’ request to see the glory of the Lord, the Lord told him that He will cause all His goodness to pass in front of him. The question is what does it mean for His goodness to pass in front of Moses?  To answer this question, we need to know what the goodness of the Lord is. The goodness of the Lord is His work of salvation for the elect first, and then the whole of the human race later. In Romans 2:4 We are told that the goodness of God leads to repentance and repentance is the way of salvation.

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

Psa 31:19  Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! 

This work of salvation, which shows His goodness, is about how He brings us to our safe haven in Christ.

Psa 107:21  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Psa 107:25  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
Psa 107:28  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. 
Psa 107:29  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 
Psa 107:30  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. 
Psa 107:31  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

The Lord telling Moses that His goodness will pass before him, therefore, means that this work of salvation is not for him and that he was ministering to the Lord’s elect.

1Pe 1:10  Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1Pe 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 
1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

The Lord’s goodness also entails His prerogative to show mercy to some and to harden the hearts of others. This is to let us know that we do not play any role in His work of salvation. 

Rom 9:15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

The Lord also told Moses that he cannot see His face because no man sees Him and lives. To see the Lord’s face means to know Him. There is no way for Moses to know the Lord since Jesus had not come to atone for the sins of mankind at Moses’ time. Those of us who are knowing Him or seeing His face now are the ones who are dying daily to the flesh or the old man since we cannot see the Lord and live in the comfort of our old man!!

Exo 33:21  And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
Exo 33:22  And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
Exo 33:23  And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

In order to understand these verses, we have to see who Moses represents here. As stated, Moses is a symbol of the law. Babylon is governed by the law of Moses. So, what the Lord told Moses here in these verses pertains to our walk in Babylon. In verse 21, the Lord told Moses that there is a place by Him where he shall stand on a rock. This rock is Christ. In other words, the churches of this world stand on the foundation built by Christ. However, what they build on this foundation is wood, hay and stubble.

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

In verse 22, the Lord hid Moses in a cleft of the rock and covered it with His hand such that Moses will not see the goodness of the Lord. This is to let us know that it is the Lord who has blinded the churches of this world (represented here by Moses) such that they cannot see the Lord’s way of salvation. Verse 23 shows us that all that the churches can see is the back parts of the Lord which symbolize the law of Moses. That is why the churches are dominated by the law of Moses which serves as a schoolmaster until faith comes.

Rom 11:7  What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
Rom 11:8  (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
Rom 11:9  And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: 
Rom 11:10  Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back always.

Gal 3:23  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 
Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

May the Lord grant us the grace to know more of His goodness in this land of the living!! Amen!!