Exodus 34 Devotional Bible Study

Exodus 34 Chapter Summary

God told Moses to come back up Mount Sinai with two new stone tablets, and God would write the Ten Commandments on them again since Moses threw down and broke the first ones.

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming,

“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God,

slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,

maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.

Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished;

he punishes the children and their children

for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

- Exodus 34:6-7

 

Moses worshiped God, and the Lord repeated His laws and promises to Moses for another 40 days and 40 nights, without Moses eating or drinking anything.

 

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai

with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands,

he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord…

When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face.

But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him,

he removed the veil until he came out.

And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded,

they saw that his face was radiant.

- Exodus 34:29, 33-35

 

Second Chances

Exodus 34:1

The Lord said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.”

Moses threw the first two tablets down in frustration at the Israelites’ sin, so they were literally broken. But we also break God’s laws, don’t we? And like Moses receiving the commandments a second time, God gives us second chances to keep His commands.

Think back to day on all the second chances the Lord has given you, and be grateful. If you need a second chance today, take it. His grace is still available to you. Do whatever it takes to keep His commands this time, and stay committed.

 

How Does God Describe Himself?

Exodus 34:5-7

Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with Moses and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

Wow! This is what God says about Himself. Does your picture of God line up with this? He’s loving, He’s patient, He’s forgiving, but yes, He punishes the guilty, and the consequences of sin continue down a family line.

I encourage you to memorize this passage to remind yourself of who God is. No one knows His character better than He does.

 

God is Jealous?

Exodus 34:14

“Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”

This is another way God describes Himself. He says, “My name is Jealous.” Why is God jealous? And isn’t jealousy a bad thing?

Jealousy is the opposite of envy. When you envy, you want what someone else has. When you’re jealous, you want to keep what you already have. A man might be jealous of his wife, meaning he wants to make sure his wife stays his. That’s not a bad thing, in its purest sense. And that’s how God is with us. He loves us and wants to keep us with Him. He knows that when we go away from Him, we only hurt ourselves. When we betray Him by following after other gods, whether they be other entities or material possessions or hobbies or sin or relationships, we deprive ourselves of the Best Love.

Today, feel the intensity of God’s love and desire for you. He’s jealous for you.

 

How Far Will You Go?

Exodus 34:28

Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments.

Moses waited 40 days for the Lord to speak to Him. He didn’t eat or drink anything during that time.

How far are you willing to go to show that you’re ready for the Lord to speak to you? How long are you willing to be patient and wait on the Lord?

The Lord doesn’t always speak to us right away. Sometimes, He waits in order to give us a chance to exercise faithfulness. If you will make it a habit to read the Scriptures, pray, and listen for His voice on a daily basis, you will be surprised at how clear the Lord’s communication to you becomes.

 

The Radiant Face of Moses

Exodus 34:29-35

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.

When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the Lord’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the Lord.

Why did Moses unveil his face and let the people see his radiance when he delivered a message from the Lord, and then veil it until the next time he went in to speak to the Lord? It’s because he wanted to make a clear distinction between when he was delivering God’s message, and when he was simply speaking on his own. We need to do this as well. We need to have the humility to know that not everything we say is from God. But we also need to have confidence to speak when the Lord does give us a message.