Exodus 33:13, commentary and pictures

After Israel's transgression with the golden calf Moses, burdened by the people's perversity and his own unfitness to lead them, asks God to teach him His way so he can guide their conduct aright, to know Him more fully, and to regard the nation again as His own people on the journey to Canaan. The plea rests on grace already found and on close fellowship in which he speaks with God as a friend face to face. His intercession refuses to separate his own standing from Israel's, and God honors its sincerity and unselfish love by promising that His presence will go with him and give him rest, still holding to and leading the people despite their perversity. To learn God's way is thus to know God and to be assured of His presence and rest, an assurance of more value to a leader than all Egyptian learning or military skill, and belonging still to those who come with unsatisfied, persevering faith directly to Christ to receive light and power to carry to the world.

Setting and Meaning

Moses prayed this prayer after Israel's transgression in making the golden calf and amid repeated unbelief and murmuring that hindered the wilderness march to the promised land. Their murmurings and disputings, with envy and jealousy, discouraged him as the leader appointed to bring them to Canaan. Knowing the perversity of the human heart and the difficulties before him, and feeling deeply his own unworthiness and unfitness for the great work to which he was called, he took his fear and burden directly to God rather than seeking help from anyone in the crowd. He knew that to have influence with the people he must first have power with God, and he freely poured out his soul to learn God's way and know Him more fully.

By asking to be shown God's way, he asked God to teach him His way and will and to make clear the course he should take in leading a difficult people. He wanted God to mark out the path so he could teach the people wisely, help them receive instruction, and lead them in conduct that would receive God's approval. The request expressed his need for divine guidance and presence, and for restoration of favor to the nation as well as to himself. By adding that he might know God, he sought not merely past assurance but a fuller, deeper knowledge and a continued finding of favor. He advanced step by step for one spiritual blessing after another, unsatisfied and determined to know more, and this knowledge was connected to Israel's calling to represent God's character to the world as revealed to Moses.

The plea was grounded in grace already found, in God knowing him by name, and in favored fellowship in which he spoke with God face to face as with a friend. On that ground he asked to be shown God's way in order to know Him and to find grace in His sight. By adding to consider that the nation is God's people, he reminded God that Israel belongs to Him and asked Him to regard the nation again as His own. He sought restoration of favor and the accompaniment of God's presence and guidance for Israel as well as for himself on the journey to Canaan, refusing to separate his own standing from theirs. God did not leave the nation out of the question but continued to hold to them and lead them despite their perversity.

Intercession and Answer

The prayer is unselfish intercession that refuses to separate personal standing from Israel's, taking the people along with the petitioner instead of seeking favor alone. It lays hold of God on their behalf, encircling them with the arm of faith and reminding Him that the nation belongs to Him. It is urged with intense earnestness that the Lord go with both leader and people, springing from deep love and compassion for them. In it the whole self and all burdens are cast fully upon God and the soul is freely poured out before Him.

God reads the sincerity and unselfish purpose of the heart behind such pleading. He communes face to face as with a friend and stoops to listen rather than reproving the petitioner for pressing the plea. The fear and burden over the people are thus taken directly to God, and the fainting heart is strengthened.

The intercession prevails, for God answers that His presence will go along and give rest, and that He will act because grace has been found in His sight. He does not leave the nation out of the answer but continues to hold to them and to lead them despite their perversity. Their sin will still be accounted for, yet guidance and presence are continued to them.

The request and its answer show that knowing God comes through learning His way, and that such knowing brings assurance of His presence and rest. That knowing is bound together with finding grace and with belonging to His people. In answer there was also shown what the sacrificial offerings pointed forward to, namely Christ's death when type would meet antitype. Through that revelation mercy and justice were seen in harmony with love, showing that Israel was saved through Christ just as people today are, and that His care protected His people.

Assurance and Application

The assurance that prayer will be heard and that divine presence will attend the leader was of more value to Moses than all the learning of Egypt or attainments in military science. No earthly power or skill or learning can supply the place of God's immediate presence. Servants of God need not carry their burdens in their own strength, for God honors His people when they honor Him.

Believers are to come with the same persevering faith that is not yet satisfied, determined to know more of God. They are to feel that they stand on the borders of the eternal world, and as they wake to responsibility and holy privilege to trust that God will walk in their midst with power. In trouble and discouragement and perplexity, and against Satan's opposition, they must not go without God's presence or seek help from others in the crowd, but go directly to the Fountain Head, Jesus Christ. They must become acquainted with Him, take hold of Him by faith, and receive His matchless love and the power of His grace. Thus gathering rays of light from divine glory to press back the darkness enshrouding souls, when God lets His goodness pass before them they can carry that goodness to the world.

Those who plead earnestly as workers together with God, with the promises burning in the heart and kindled on the lips and serving with a perfect heart, receive the same assurances Moses received. God's presence will go with them and give them rest, and God will certainly be with them. He will pour out His Spirit upon the devoted, consecrated worker. This belongs to those who go forth as co-laborers with Jesus Christ, including in the Southern field.