“I will give you rest”

In Exodus 33:14, God promises Moses, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” The first part must’ve been very encouraging for Moses, because he and God had become so close (11) that Moses couldn’t bear the thought of continuing their journey into Canaan without God’s guaranteed presence with him (15). 

But what did God mean by “I will give you rest”? There’s a clue in Moses’ reply, because “rest” to him in verse 16 meant God making it known that he was well pleased with Moses himself, but also pleased enough to continue his promise to Abraham through the Israelites, despite their stubborn, “stiff-necked” resistance to him.

In verse 17 God’s all for providing that “rest” for Moses, because “I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” In other words, “I know you well, Moses – and you’re very dear to me – so of course I’ll give you the rest you desire.”

But how did God then make that “rest” known and real to Moses? It was by “a show of his glory” in verse 18 – first of all in verse 19, by having “all my goodness pass in front of you, because that’s my name; goodness is who I am,” which God had been showing Moses and the Israelites from the moment he’d “heard them crying out because of their slave drivers” (3:7). But how did God show his goodness to Moses in such a way that, at this touchy moment in Moses’ relationship with him (33:15-16), it would give Moses that very personal “rest” he needed?

That came in God’s second statement in Exodus 33:19, when he told Moses, “I’ll have mercy on whom I’ll have mercy, and compassion on whom I’ll have compassion.” Rest assured, Moses, that no matter what happens on this planet, or to you personally, I am “the Lord” above it all ruling everything by mercy and compassion. Meaning, Moses, that I’m totally aware of both you and your circumstances, and if it’s my mercy you need to see you through, then you have it, and the same with my compassion. Which God immediately showed by having Moses chisel out two new tablets to replace the ones he broke – and no telling Moses off for breaking them either (34:1).

Instead, in Exodus 34:5-6, God showed his glory a second time to Moses, to expand on what his name means to include “Both love and justice”….(next blog)