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To KNOW HIM
Exodus 33:11 “Thus יהוה spoke to Mosheh face to face”. The word face in Hebrew is H6440 – pānîm, which also means PRESENCE. It is obviously an idiom here, and should be “like face to face”, because later in verse 20 YHVH says no man can see His Face and live.
In verse 18 though, Moses asks to SEE YHVH! I do think everyone longs to SEE their Creator and El. Even though Moses could hear Him speak, was IN His presence, knew His Name.. he longed for more – too see Him. In Exodus 34:2 YHVH says He will present Himself.
To really really know someone – is not to hear or see them. If I know your name, it doesn’t even mean I really know you. How do we KNOW someone – is by knowing what is in their heart – who they are on the INSIDE. The DNA that they are made up of. Someone can pretend to be good.. but sooner or later the REAL person will reveal themselves. And with time you really learn WHO that person is.
Here is what YHVH reveals when He passes by Moses. (Remember the name יהוה means who was, who is and who is to come)
Exo 34:6-7 “And יהוה passed before him and proclaimed, “יהוה, יהוה, an Ěl compassionate and showing favour, patient, and great in kindness and truth, watching over kindness for thousands, forgiving crookedness and transgression and sin, but by no means leaving unpunished, visiting the crookedness of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
- YHVH proclaimed YHVH YVHV! 3 Times He says, “the one who was and is and is to come proclaims who was and is and is to come, who was and is and is to come”! Read that out loud, and just feel the effect it has.
- is compassionate – full of compassion and mercy.
- showing favour. This translation is not right, for in english showing favour means something else. The Hebrew word here is H2587 – ḥannûn – GRACIOUS / GRACE / MERCY
- patient. The proper translation is actually ‘ārēḵ ‘ap̄ – SLOW TO ANGER
- Great in kindness. Great is more like ABOUNDING IN. And kindness is more LOVING-KINDNESS.
- and Truth. The Hebrew word is H571 – ‘ĕmeṯ. We all know He is not a God that can lie. But this word means more than just telling the truth – the meaning of the word is : Truth, FIRM, FAITHFUL, stability, continuance, RELIABLE.
- watching – MAINTAINING the lovingkindness over thousands
- forgiving – BEARING
- And because He is Right-Ruling – He cannot leave unpunished – everyone will have to answer for their actions. Visiting the crookedness of the fathers on the children to the 4th generation. THIS is a repeat of the 3rd Commandment in Exodus 20.
This statement of YHVH was so profound, it is repeated again 7 times in Scripture!
- Joel 2:13 “And tear your heart and not your garments, and turn back to יהוה your Elohim, for He shows favour and is compassionate, patient, and of great kindness, and He shall relent concerning the evil.”
- Jonah 4:2 “And he prayed to יהוה, and he said, “Please, יהוה, … For I know that You are an Ěl showing favour, and compassionate, patient and of great kindness, and relenting from doing evil.”
- Psalms 78:38 “But He, the Compassionate One, Pardoned crookedness, And did not destroy them. And many a time He turned His displeasure away, And did not stir up all His wrath.”
- Psalms 86:15 “But You, O יהוה, Are a compassionate Ěl and showing favour, Patient and great in kindness and truth.”
- Psalms 103:8 “יהוה is compassionate and showing favour, Patient, and great in kindness.”
- Psalms 145:8-9 “יהוה shows favour and is compassionate, Patient and great in kindness. יהוה is good to all, And He has compassion on all His works.”
- Nehemiah 9:17 “But You are a forgiving Eloah, showing favour, and compassionate, patient, and of great kindness, and did not forsake them.”
Commandments 1-4
It is amazing how we take the 1st 4 commandments for granted. We THINK we know and do them, but actually these 4 commandments are what is mostly broken by MOST people. Most people will say they don’t lie, murder, steal, cheat, covet and dishonor their parents- which are the last 6 commandments to our fellow man. But here YHVH only repeats the first 4 commandments in Exodus 34 (compared with Exodus 20) which are how we should live towards YHVH.
- Exo 34:5-7 – HIS NAME – commandment #3. (Exo 20:5-7). He is a jealous El, visiting crookedness to the 4th generation on those who HATE Him – but those who LOVE Him He shows kindness for thousands! Verse 7, do not use it in vain (nothingness, to forget) or careless.
- Exo 34:11-16 – NO OTHER GODS – commandment #1. (Exo 20:3). Do not make covenants/treaty/settlement with others who follow other gods, for it will be a snare for you and your children. But break their altars and statues in your land. Beware of their food that was offered to their gods.
- Exo 34:17 IDOLS – commandment #2. (Exo 20:4). Do not make moulds of mighty ones for yourselves, of anything in the sky, earth or water.
- Exo 34:18-26 – SABBATH and FEASTS – commandment #4. (Exo 20:8-11). In Genesis 1:14 we read the sun, moon and stars were created on the 4th day for day/night, AND APPOINTED TIMES (Moedim). On the 7th day YHVH rested, and gave us the SABBATH. With the Moedim/Appointed Times/Festivals He gave 7 more SABBATHS. So in total there are 8 Sabbaths. Here is Exodus 34 He repeats the Moedim – appointed Times for HIM. Festival of Unleavened Bread (2 Sabbaths), Weekly Sabbath day (1 Sabbath), Day of Weeks (Shavuot/Pentecost) (1 Sabbath), Festival of Ingathering (booths/tents/Tabernacle/Sukkot) (2 Sabbaths). Day of Trumpets and Day of Atonement each is another 1 Sabbath, not mentioned in Exo 34 (2 Sabbaths).
The Stone Tablets
It is quite prophetic how YHVH provided the 1st set of tablets. But because of the Israelites sin, the tablets were “broken”. Lets recap the story of the Tablets (Hebrew word is LUAH H3871 – lûaḥ).
In Exodus 24, YHVH commands Moses up the mountain so He can give him “the stone tablets with the law and commandments for their instruction” (verse 12). The tablets were inscribed by the finger of YHVH (verse 18), and they were inscribed/engraved on both sides, front and back.
In Exodus 34 YHVH asks Moses to cut stone tablets again, in verse 9-10 Moses asks ” O יהוה, I pray, let יהוה go on in our midst, even though we are a stiff-necked people. And forgive our crookedness and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.” And YHVH said, “See, I am making a covenant. ” Because of YHVH’s mercy, He made a covenant again with the people.
Unfortunately we will see many, many times going forward in the Scripture readings, how Israel discards YHVH and His Ways. Where finally YHVH gives up and the “agreement” is finally broken in Jeremiah 3:8 (certificate of divorce – this agreement between YHVH with Israel is the marriage agreement). But then in Jeremiah 31:31-34 YHVH says He will make the covenant again! But it will be on the hearts of men – the Tablets of the Heart.
IMPORTANT SCRIPTURES / PROPHECIES:
| Exo 34:18-26 Mo’edim Festivals & Sabbath Festival of unleavened bread in the month of Abib. Every firstborn belongs to YHVH. No one allowed to appear before YHVH empty-handed. Sabbath day to rest, even from ploughing during harvest time. Festival of Weeks for yourself of the first-fruits of wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the year. Three times a year the men to appear before YHVH. No blood with the leaven allowed. Festival of Passover not to remain till next morning. First fruits of land for house of YHVH. Do not cook young goat kid in its’ mothers milk. |
