Summary
Exodus 34 continues right after Moses asked God to remain with Israel.
The Israelites had sinned by worshiping the golden calf, and Moses had broken the first stone tablets when he saw what they had done.
But their failure was not the end of the story.
God tells Moses to cut two new stone tablets like the first ones and come back up Mount Sinai.
Moses obeys.
Early the next morning, he climbs the mountain alone with the new tablets.
There, God comes down in a cloud and reveals something incredibly important to Moses:
His character.
God describes Himself as compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, overflowing with love and faithfulness, and forgiving sin.
Moses immediately bows down and worships.
He asks God to continue going with His people, forgive them, and accept them as His own.
God renews His covenant with Israel.
He reminds them that they must remain faithful to Him and warns them not to follow the gods and practices of the nations around them.
God also reminds them about worship, the Sabbath, their festivals, and bringing their first and best to Him.
Moses remains on the mountain with God for forty days and forty nights.
When Moses finally comes down carrying the new stone tablets, something is different.
His face is glowing because he has been in the presence of God.
Moses does not even realize it at first.
But everyone around him can see that spending time with God has changed him.
Exodus 34 reminds us that our failures do not have to be the end of our story.
God is merciful.
God restores.
And when we truly spend time in His presence, it should begin changing us too.
Observations
1. God Is a God of Mercy and Second Chances
2. God Wants Us to Know His Character
3. Spending Time With God Changes Us
Life Application
Ask yourself today:
Am I allowing my mistakes to keep me away from God, or am I allowing His mercy to bring me back to Him?
Sometimes we believe that because we messed up, we have to hide from God.
Maybe you made a decision you regret.
Maybe you stopped praying.
Maybe you have not opened your Bible in a while.
Maybe you feel like you have disappointed God.
But Exodus 34 shows us something beautiful.
Failure does not mean you cannot return.
God told Moses to prepare new tablets.
There was another opportunity.
Another meeting with God.
Another beginning.
And there can be another beginning for you too.
Come back to God.
Talk to Him.
Be honest with Him.
Ask for forgiveness where you need it.
Then keep walking with Him.
And as you spend time with God, do not only ask Him to change your circumstances.
Ask Him to change you.
Because one of the greatest signs that we have been spending time with God is that His presence begins showing up in the way we live.
Questions
- Is there something from my past that I have allowed to make me feel like I cannot come back to God?
- Which part of God’s character in Exodus 34 do I need to remember most in my current season?
- If someone looked at the way I live, would they see evidence that I have been spending time with God?
Memory Verse
Exodus 34:6 (NIV)
“The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”
Encouragement
Maybe you need to hear this today:
Your mistake does not have to be the end of your story.
Israel failed.
Badly.
But God was still willing to meet with Moses.
He was still willing to forgive.
He was still willing to lead.
He was still willing to restore.
The same God who described Himself as compassionate and gracious is the God you can come to today.
You do not have to wait until you have everything together.
You do not have to pretend you never messed up.
You simply have to come back.
And then keep spending time with Him.
Because the closer you walk with God, the more He begins changing you.
Sometimes you may not even notice the transformation happening.
Moses did not realize his own face was shining.
But everyone around him could see it.
Stay close to God.
Let Him work in you.
Eventually, the evidence of His presence will begin showing in your life.
Father,
Thank You for being compassionate, gracious, patient, loving, faithful, and forgiving.
Thank You that my mistakes do not have to be the end of my story.
When I fall, help me come back to You instead of running away from You.
Remind me that Your mercy is greater than my failures.
Help me understand Your character more deeply so that I can trust You even when I do not understand what You are doing.
Remove anything from my life that is pulling my heart away from You.
I want to be faithful to You.
Help me spend more time in Your presence.
And as I spend time with You, change me.
Change the way I think.
Change the way I speak.
Change the way I respond to people.
Change the way I live.
May people see evidence of Your presence in my life, even when I do not recognize the changes happening within me.
Thank You for Your mercy, Your forgiveness, and another chance to walk closely with You.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Read It Yourself
Take some quiet time today and read Exodus 34 for yourself.
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