Exodus 34:24, commentary and pictures

After the idolatry at Sinai God renewed His favor to Israel in answer to Moses worshiping and pleading for pardon of iniquity and for God to take the people as His inheritance. In that renewal He proclaimed Himself merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands and forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by no means clearing the guilty. He then promised to do marvels on their behalf such as had never been done in all the earth nor in any nation. The promise belongs to the words of the covenant that the Lord wrote on the two tables of stone, the ten commandments, during Moses' second forty days and nights alone on the mount. There he was miraculously sustained with no man permitted to go up with him, and long communion with God caused his face to reflect the glory of the divine presence with dazzling light when he descended.

God therein promised to cast out the nations before Israel and to enlarge its borders and widen its territory. He gave this with the command to leave houses three times each year to go up to worship near the center of the land, pledging to protect homes and land while the people obeyed. Though surrounded by fierce and warlike tribes eager to seize their territory, all the able-bodied men and all who could make the journey could safely go because divine power restrained their enemies. That restraint kept foes from sweeping down on unprotected households to destroy them with fire and sword, from invading the land, and from carrying Israel into foreign captivity. It went so far as to keep them even from desiring the land during the assemblies.

As part of what God requires of His people, the specification guards against becoming careless and indifferent and thinking it does not matter what day is kept. It shows the very day is specified by God, so there is no excuse for keeping the first day of the week instead of the seventh-day Sabbath. The enlarging of territory applies to the expansive work of the gospel, with a large territory to be reached by devoted soul-savers working efficiently. Workers are to be assessed by the fruit of their labor, so that those who remain unfruitful after proper effort may be moved to another field or removed from the work, while those with tact and wisdom win souls to Christ.