USG Part 4: The Exodus and the divine presence
In the last article, we saw that God chose a person through whom he would reveal his plan of redemption. Abraham was not just the Hebrew patriarch, but he is also the Father of the faith because he believed God and it was counted as righteousness to him. We see the faithfulness and plan of God not just in choosing Abraham as a vessel, but he made an EVERLASTING covenant with him that would have worldwide implications and would result in the means that the Gentiles would have access to God’s mercy.
It is important to remember as we enter into the story of the Exodus that there is no other way of accessing the restoration except through the covenant made to Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac. Jesus brings clarity and reinforces the Abrahamic Covenant when he steps onto the global stage. BUT, the Hebrews thought that their God had forgotten them. 400 years of silence and slavery. YHWH was now the God of the losers.
Moses
This is where Moses comes into the picture. After a pretty cool origin story of escaping death as an infant through the providential river voyage from the Hebrews to Pharoah’s house, he becomes a prince of Egypt (I still cry when I watch the burning bush scene of that movie). So far, it seems like this is really gonna work out for the Hebrews, however, Moses became an unlikely choice for the Lord to use. After killing that cruel task-master, Moses fled in fear to a foreign land which contributed to his isolation having grown up feeling that he didn’t belong anywhere. It was in that posture of feeling like a loser that the Lord called him as a great deliverer of Israel. After 40 years of cowering and trying to live a new life in Midian, God interrupts his cowardice. Moses eventually has to face what he was running from for 40 years.
oppressed Hebrews Become the nation to host God’s presence.
Between the time of Joseph and the time of Moses, there were generations that were born in, lived in, and died in slavery. They never experienced any form of deliverance that came to give them any hope. It really causes one to question how YHWH could be both good and seemingly abandon the people that he made a covenant with. Yet, we will see that God orchestrated circumstances that would produce a corporate cry in a people that would prepare the way for YHWH to appear as a deliverer in the greatest measure possible. When Moses is finally compelled to return to Egypt, he does so with the full measure of God’s disruptive power as we observe through the plagues. It was clear, YHWH was greater than pharoah and he chose Israel as His people. Not only do the plagues prove God’s superior power, but at the climax of their exit, God splits the sea in two for the Hebrews to escape the wrath of Egypt. Then when Pharaoh’s army audaciously take their chariots through the miracle of the split waters in hot pursuit to kill their former slaves, they found their doom when God let the waters return in judgment for their opposition to God’s plan.
One would think that after witnessing such a divine escape, that all would tremble in the fear of the Lord for the rest of their lives, Yet, when they grew tired of Manna in the wilderness, most regretted ever leaving the slavery of Egypt believing it better to the condition of being free. Even still the Love of YHWH invites all the people to come into his counsel on the mountain, but no one wanted to go. It’s as if they now could not deny the proximity of God, so they feared him, but they didn’t trust him. So they sent Moses up on his own, but then they got impatient and wanted to idolize something. So they talked the priest Aaron, Moses’ brother, into taking some of the gifts God made the Egyptians give to the Hebrews and melting them into the image of Baal, The Golden Calf.
The issue with the golden calf that they fashioned was not the artistry of it. In fact, Bezelel is later introduced as the first mention of one who was filled with the Spirit of God to work with gold, silver and bronze to make artistic designs for the tabernacle in chapter 31:1-5. The problem was that they created this piece of metal and then “worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’ ” They literally give credit to molded gold, which was forged from Egyptian jewelry (evidence of YHWH’s deliverance), and thereby betray YHWH. In 20:23, YHWH gives them clear perameters: “You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.” It is almost as if they were deliberate in their disobedience which is why YHWH calls them “a stiff-necked people” in verse 9.
Thus, when Israel crafts the golden calf that provokes YHWH’s anger, Moses appeals to the promised hesed and YHWH relents by the only other option, charging the guilt to himself, which the story will later reveal was paid by the Christ. This is remarkable. God in his steadfast love, his patient long-suffering, and his commitment to revealing his love to humanity, sticks around this ungrateful people because he was committed to his mission. His plan all along was to choose a people among whom his presence would dwell: God’s presence among humans was the mission all along.
It is evident that YHWH is revealing himself as the God of mercy, a God who is near, and a God who relents from righteous anger. This passage also inspires the modern reader to believe in the uncontested power of prayer and YHWH’s invitation for us to enter into the ministry of intercession. It is not that Moses coerced or manipulated God. He did not even give him a lesson in reality. No, it was YHWH who set him up to enter into this priestly calling to intercede on behalf of those who are stiff –necked, rebellious, weak, and perhaps a “waste of time” through our lenses. But God sees differently and invites us to engage him in prayer. This is the way he has chosen to run his Kingdom and Moses sets the example in this historic role.
Also in view is the nature of God to forgive. YHWH is kind and merciful despite the inclinations of the human heart. Even when explicit rebellion is practiced, there is still mercy in the heart of God who desires for many to know this wonderful part of his character. He not only forgives, but he delights in mercy. He is the one who in Genesis 3:15, had an immediate answer to the tragedy of the fall. He is the one who in spite of human weakness and wickedness, somehow finds a solution to the cosmic problem of our waywardness. This is YHWH. The YHWH of hesed.
The Tabernacle
Now, let’s consider the Tabernacle: Why so many details? The design of the tabernacle must be important if so many chapters are devoted to the details. Exodus Scholar Terrence E. Frethheim notes that, “the sanctuary is not simply a symbol of the divine presence, it is an actual vehicle for divine immanence, in and through which the transcendent God dwells.” The final verses of Exodus shows one thing quite clearly: the transcendent and uncontainable God wants to dwell in the midst of his people. Getting to see the mission of God revealed through how the book of Exodus climaxes is fascinating.
In Exodus 40:34-38 we experience the glory of YHWH dwelling in the midst of his chosen people as a sign to the world that God is near and that he wants to abide in the midst of humanity. Here YHWH leads Israel, day after day, by hand. Whether his mercy is evident in the cloud by day or the fire by night, all the house of Israel in all their journeys sees the beauty of YHWH. He not only knows and favors them for the sake of the world, but he dwells in their very midst. Once, they were too afraid of his presence, now his imminence has become their national identity. This was the mission all along; that YHWH would make his glory known by his manifest presence in the midst of the people.
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.
At this climactic moment of the book of Exodus, the once seemingly absent God has now made himself known personally, enacted great wonders, navigated stiff-necked rebellion with mercy, and now for the first time since the golden calf, is seen, but now is filling the tabernacle in glorious wonder. The Old Testament has a reputation of being a book about the angry version of God. Yet, that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is as angry at sin and darkness today as he was then. Similarly, he was as passionate and desirous for many to know him and the beauty of his majesty in Exodus as he is now, not wanting anyone to perish, but that all would repent (2 Peter 3:9). This is all so that we can know him and experience the face-to-face friendship that was seen with Moses.
Conclusion
Today we have an advantage since Christ has appeared as the high priest of the “good things that have come”. Hebrews 9:11-15 describes the fulfillment of this amazing occurrence among Israel. Now, because of the blood of Jesus, we have access to the fullness of God’s presence in our very own frames. The mission here again is that his presence would dwell among us, only this time inside of our souls. Yet, the mission does not end here. When the glory of God shines in our lives, we then become the living witnesses or the proclaimers of the glory of God. When people see us they will naturally marvel at the presence of God dwelling among his people. There is nothing more contagious or attractive than to be the choice location for the transcendent, uncontainable God to rest his presence. In his presence we are not only made clean, but we become the heralds of this great mission: that YHWH wants to dwell among all people
In the book The God who makes himself known by Blackburn, the author makes the argument that the governing trajectory of the Book of Exodus is: “God’s commitment to be known for who he is, among his people, and through them, among all peoples (p. 23).” Exodus reveals God’s missionary heart with a worldwide scope (p. 29). That mission does not end with revelation of his might and transcendence as seen in the plagues and wonders; the tabernacle reveals a God who longs to dwell with humanity (p. 145). Without the presence of God in the midst of the people, Israel’s purpose is futile (p. 200).
Israel is the particular means that YHWH has chosen to reach the world. More specifically, God’s presence with Israel is the mission in order that YHWH might make himself known. Therefore, YHWH himself steps into the narrative and becomes the sole deliverer, provider, lawgiver, and consequently, God of Israel for the sake of the world. This thread of God’s missionary heart in delivering Israel makes sense of many of the prophets and even the New Testament like Romans 9-11.
