Bible Study - Sabbath School Podcast

The Shining Face of Moses

Read Exodus 34:29-35. What was the cause of Moses’ radiant face?

After God revealed His character of love to Moses, Moses descended to Israel’s camp with a radiant face. Did Moses know at first that his face was radiant? Not at all. The closer one is to the Lord, the more keenly aware the person is of his or her imperfections compared to God’s holiness.

What was the cause for Moses’ transformation that resulted in his face becoming radiant? The reason was not in the simple fact that he was in God’s presence, because several times previously he had been with the Lord and his face did not become radiant after those encounters. However, if he had never been in the Lord’s presence, his face would never have shone. It was only when he understood God’s goodness and kindness, and he completely opened himself to God because of the beauty of His character, that Moses was transformed, and his face shone. Our hearts and minds can experience a change when we surrender to God and allow Him to be the Lord and King of our lives.

Read 2 Corinthians 3:18. How can Jesus gradually transform you into His image?

Paul compares Moses’ shining face with Jesus Christ and that the glory of Jesus (in whom God’s law and grace were personified) surpasses the glory of the law with Moses. Christ, together with His law, can be engraved in our characters only when we fix our eyes on Jesus (Heb. 3:1, Heb. 12:2) and only by the power of the Spirit of God (2 Cor. 3:12-18).

Moses is a model for us, demonstrating what God can do for us when we allow Him to change our characters and to mold us into His divine image. This is what Paul means when he talks about walking in the "newness of life" (Rom. 6:4).

What areas of your character need to reflect the character of God better? Probably every area, right? However, how can focusing on the Cross, and what it means, give you encouragement and assurance of salvation?

The Self-Revelation of God

Read Exodus 34:1-28. How did God reveal His glory to Moses?

Moses had to take with him two stone tablets like the first ones, which he had broken (Exod. 32:19). He was going to meet with the Lord on Mount Sinai for the seventh time. His previous climbs are mentioned in the following texts: (1) Exod. 19:3-7; (2) Exod. 19:8-14; (3) Exod. 19:20-25; (4) Exod. 20:21, Exod. 24:3; (5) Exod. 24:9-12-18; Exod. 32:15; (6) Exod. 32:30-31. Moses started his climb early in the morning.

Moses was now prepared for this glorious insight into God’s character. The beauty of God’s character is best explained in this stunning self-revelation of Himself. It is the most important description of who God is; it is the golden thread woven throughout the Bible (Num. 14:18, Neh. 9:17, Ps. 103:8, Joel 2:13, Jonah 4:2). The Lord’s proclamation here is the John 3:16 of the Old Testament. In crucial places, biblical authors apply, repeat, or expand on this self-proclamation of the living God, because God’s character must be correctly understood.

When Moses received the exceptional, unprecedented, and unparalleled explanation of God’s name, he bowed down and worshiped the Lord. When we get glimpses of God’s love, grace, mercy, compassion, goodness, faithfulness, forgiveness, holiness, and justice, we also are attracted to Him. It is when we see and admire His exceptional qualities that we start to love Him, a love that leads to the desire to serve and obey Him. Because He loves us, we love Him back (1 John 4:19).

In this self-revelation, God assures Moses that He will perform marvelous deeds for His people and lead them into the Promised Land. He renews the covenant with them, promising that other nations will see His majesty and awesome work. "Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you" (Exod. 34:10, NKJV).

However, the Israelites needed to obey God and follow ten clear stipulations in order to secure their prosperity. Then Moses was asked by God to write the content of that covenant, which had already been broken (Exod. 34:27-28).

"Please, Show Me Your Glory"

After the golden calf apostasy, Moses interceded for God’s people and wanted to be assured that the Lord would continue leading them to the Promised Land. Deep down within his being, he also wanted to know the Lord better.

Read Exodus 33:18-23. How did God answer Moses’ request to see His glory?

"Please, show me your glory," Moses asked the Lord. In His mercy, the Lord did reveal His glory to him. However, when answering Moses’ request, God promised to show him His "goodness." One can safely conclude that God’s glory is His goodness, that is, His character (see also Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 576; Christ’s Object Lessons, pp. 414, 415; Prophets and Kings, p. 313).

"It is the glory of God to give His virtue to His children. He desires to see men and women reaching the highest standard."—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 530. His glory is to embrace repentant sinners (see Prophets and Kings, p. 668) and supply everything needed to change them. At the same time, it is our "glory" to reveal His character in our own lives and to make it known to others.

This reflection of God’s character, His goodness, kindness, and tender love, must be seen in our actions. This way, we have a chance to be not only a blessing to the world but a shining light to the onlooking universe. As Paul states: "For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings" (1 Cor. 4:9, NIV). This cosmic dimension gives to our lives and service a meaning and purpose that we can barely begin to imagine.

In Romans 2:4, Paul says that "the goodness of God leads you to repentance" (NKJV). That is, it is God’s goodness and character pointed out by the Holy Spirit that convince people of their sinfulness and need of salvation. Indeed, when we look at the cross and know Who was there (the Lord Himself) and why He was there—because He loved us and this was the only way to save us—we have the greatest revelation possible of His goodness and character.

How much time do you spend focusing on the Cross and what it tells you about the character of God?

That I May Know You

Read Exodus 33:12-17. What did Moses ask the Lord to teach him? Why did he demand God’s presence to guide them?

Moses’ growth in the Lord was steady. He drew closer and closer to the Lord and sought to model himself after God’s image. One day when he was conversing with God in the tent of meeting, Moses suddenly realized that he did not know Him, and he uttered a specific prayer: "Show me now Your way, that I may know You" (Exod. 33:13, NKJV). Moses was aware of his deep need to understand God on a new level. He discovered that the more he knew the Lord, the more he did not know Him. He recognized his need and wholeheartedly desired to know Him better. God willingly granted Moses’ wish.

By looking at the experiences of Moses so far, we can observe how Moses was drawn into a deeper, intimate relationship with the Lord and how he grew spiritually.

First, Moses climbed the mountain and "went up to God" (Exod. 19:3, NKJV). Then he went "to the top of the mountain" (Exod. 19:20, NKJV) and afterward approached the cloud, "the thick darkness" in which God resided (Exod. 20:21, NKJV).

On another occasion, "Moses entered the cloud" where God was, and he stayed with the Lord 40 days and 40 nights (Exod. 24:18, NIV). During these 40 days, God gave Moses two precious gifts: (1) the gift of the Decalogue written by God Himself on the two tablets, also chiseled by Him (Exod. 24:12), and (2) the instructions on how to build and furnish the tabernacle (see Exodus 25-31).

Then he spent another 40 days and nights with the Lord, interceding for sinners (Exod. 32:30-32, Deut. 9:18).

Yet, even after all this, Moses desired to know God’s character more concretely, and God soon gave him special insights to understand who He is. This knowledge Moses desired was not a mere intellectual understanding of God but an experiential knowledge of His person.

No wonder centuries later Jesus would say: "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3, NKJV). What better way for God to make Himself known to humans than by becoming a human Himself?

Do you know God, or do you just know about Him? What is the crucial difference between the two?

The Tent of Meeting

Read Exodus 33:7-11. Why did God ask Moses to build the tent of meeting?

We must not confuse "the tent of meeting" (built outside of Israel’s camp) with the tabernacle, which was later constructed and located in the center of the camp. We do not know how often Moses consulted with God in the tent of meeting. However, one thing we know for sure: Moses’ encounters with God resulted in a close friendship between them. "The LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (Exod. 33:11, NKJV). A friend is a person we can consult and openly discuss most everything with and trust that he or she will never reveal it to others. A friend is one of the nicest things to have and one of the nicest persons to be.

As recorded in Exodus 19-34, the story of Moses is very instructive of how God transforms our lives. How did God build a relationship with this outstanding leader? A study of the life of Moses shows how he grew in his knowledge, not only of God’s power but of His love and character. This is a crucial component of having a relationship with God.

Prior to arriving at Mount Sinai, Moses was mightily used by God even while being prepared for a special leadership role. In the land of Midian, while taking care of sheep, God inspired him to write two books: Job and Genesis. Then, in the dramatic event of the burning bush, he was called by God to lead Israel out of Egypt. He saw the defeat of the Egyptian gods and the mighty Egyptian army in the Red Sea. He observed for many weeks how God led Israel from Egypt to Sinai. After the experience resulted in his shining face, he led Israel for another 39 years, to the brink of the Promised Land. The biblical message states that Moses was a faithful servant of God (Deut. 34:5, Josh. 1:1), an unimpaired light in the darkness, a model prophet by whom others would be measured (Deut. 18:15-18). He was an agent of change, even though the people did not always follow his directions and words. When they did, they prospered.

We may learn from Moses, because his exceptional life story tells us what God can do when we let Him change us. What were some turning points in your walk with God, where you recognized how He worked powerfully in your life?

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Exod. 33:7-34:35; Deut. 18:15-18; John 17:3; Rom. 2:4; John 3:16; 2 Cor. 3:18

Memory Text: "And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation" (Exod. 34:6-7, NKJV).

We all need to grow in our walk with God. Without growth, we are dead. The apostle Peter declares: "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen" (2 Pet. 3:18, NIV). We need to be willing to grow. We are daily in God’s university, where there is no graduation but a constant learning process. In each stage of growth, you can be perfect if you allow God to mold you into the person that He calls you, in Christ, to be.

Think of a school. If first graders learn how to read and count to 100, they receive a passing grade because their knowledge is perfect at that stage and scale of growth. However, if this same level of knowledge, and no more, was detected in a high schooler, it would indicate a colossal failure in his or her education. It is similar with our growth in the grace and knowledge of God. In each stage of our development, we can be as perfect in our sphere as Christ was in His.

This week we study how Moses, through knowing and following God’s instructions, was growing in his walk with the Lord.

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, September 20.

Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, "Idolatry at Sinai," pp. 315-327, in Patriarchs and Prophets.

This week’s lesson presents a special focus on God’s work in believers. The Lord can do in us "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Eph. 3:20, NIV). We should not focus on ourselves and gratify our personal desires, because this leads to idolatry. Instead, our attention should be on God and His power. He gives the strength, which leads to a new and victorious life (Phil. 4:13; Jude 1:24-25).

"Love no less than justice demanded that for this sin judgment should be inflicted. God is the guardian as well as the sovereign of His people. He cuts off those who are determined upon rebellion, that they may not lead others to ruin. In sparing the life of Cain, God had demonstrated to the universe what would be the result of permitting sin to go unpunished. The influence exerted upon his descendants by his life and teaching led to the state of corruption that demanded the destruction of the whole world by a flood. … The longer men lived, the more corrupt they became. So with the apostasy at Sinai. Unless punishment had been speedily visited upon transgression, the same results would again have been seen."—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 325.

1. Dwell more on the question at the end of Monday’s study. What are ways that we can worship the creation itself, as opposed to the Creator? For example, how can we seek to be good stewards of the earth and seek to protect the environment without worshiping it or making it into an idol itself?
2. One may discern the gravity of the situation by the consequences and results of an action or by the seriousness of the reaction to the event. Why did Moses order the execution of those who stubbornly refused to repent and continued in their rebellion against God and His teaching?
3. Why is substitutionary atonement the only correct model of atonement? Why is any theory of atonement that denies, or downplays, the substitutionary foundation of the gospel a grievous theological error? Read 1 Peter 2:24. How does it powerfully reveal the idea of Jesus as our Substitute?

Discussion Questions:

Intercession

Read Exodus 32:30-32. How far did Moses go in his intercessory prayer for sinners?

Because of their rebellion, terrible things happened in the Israelite camp, including the deaths of many people (Exod. 32:28). The following day, Moses declared to the people: "You have committed a great sin. So now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin" (Exod. 32:30, NKJV).

"Moses went back to the LORD and said, ‘Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written" (Exod. 32:31-32, NIV).

No wonder Moses is considered to be a type of Christ! Because of his intercessory prayer for sinners and his willingness to offer his own life for them, he surely reflected what Christ would do for all of us. What an exemplary compassion for transgressors! He demonstrated his total dedication to the Lord and His sacrificial love for people. The book of Exodus does not state how long Moses stayed with the Lord on the mount this particular time, but the book of Deuteronomy reveals that he was on Sinai this time for 40 days (see Deut. 9:18).

In Exodus 32:32, the word translated "forgive" is from a verb whose basic meaning is to "bear" or "carry," such as in Isaiah 53:4, which reads (about Jesus): "Surely He has borne our griefs" (NKJV). It is the same verb—translated "forgive" in Exodus 32:32, and "borne" in Isaiah 53:4. What a powerful insight into the process of salvation and forgiveness and what it cost God to save us.

Indeed, Moses was asking the Lord to "bear" the people’s sin, which of course is what He did at the cross thousands of years later. Exodus 32:32 shows not only the idea of substitutionary atonement but also who does the substituting: God Himself.

This text shows how forgiveness comes. God in Christ bore our sins, the only way we could be forgiven them. What a powerful expression of the plan of salvation and a demonstration to us and to the cosmos about what it cost God to save us.

Moses asks God Himself to bear the sins of the people, and eventually, in Jesus, He does just that. How do we wrap our minds around this amazing truth? What does it tell us about God’s love for fallen humanity?

God’s Righteous Wrath

Read Exodus 32:9-29. What was Moses’ reaction to God’s threat to destroy Israel?

While Moses was still on Mount Sinai, God said that He would destroy the rebels and make Moses’ posterity into a great nation. But that was not what Moses wanted. Instead, he pleaded with the Lord, pointing out that the Israelites were not Moses’ people—they were God’s. He, Moses himself, had not brought them out of Egypt, but God had done it through His mighty works. And so Moses pled with God, stressing His early promises to the fathers. Moses was truly working as an intercessor between God and humanity.

After the "LORD relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people" (Exod. 32:14, NKJV), Moses returned to them. There is no record—unlike what would happen in Exodus 34:29-30—that his face shone from the presence of the Lord. His face probably reflected his anger.

"When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain" (Exod. 32:19, NIV). Breaking the tablets containing the Decalogue was an external sign of breaking its content. God rebuked Moses for it, but later He commanded Moses to chisel two tablets to replace "the first tablets, which you broke" (Deut. 10:2, NKJV). God Himself would rewrite the commands.

Moses sharply rebuked Aaron for surrendering to the demands of the people. "What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?" (Exod. 32:21, NIV). Aaron tried to excuse his transgression by (1) blaming others, and (2) by magic: "I threw it [the gold] into the fire, and out came this calf!" (Exod. 32:24, NIV). What made matters worse was that Aaron himself had been greatly honored of God, having been given many privileges, which included going on the mountain with Moses and the 70 elders (Exod. 24:1).

What a dark irony! By claiming that a miracle had happened, Aaron wanted to trick his brother (notice how one sin leads to another; in this case, idolatry to lying). However, Moses was not fooled as he saw how wildly the people behaved. The negative consequences were evident, and Moses had to stop the rebellion immediately.

What should this story teach us about the power of intercessory prayer? Whom should you be praying for right now?

Corrupting Themselves

Read Exodus 32:7-8. Why did God send Moses back to the camp of Israel?

By turning to an idol, the Israelites were in the process of divorcing themselves from the true God, the One who had delivered them from Egypt. The Lord squarely placed the blame on them, saying that they have "corrupted themselves" (Exod. 32:7, NKJV)—even crediting this statue with having delivered them from Egypt. What a direct contradiction to what God said to them (Exod. 20:2)! This denial of God’s presence and mighty acts was a serious matter. Their thinking and feelings were distorted and completely corrupted.

For the prophet Ezekiel, idolatry lay at the core of all the misery of God’s people, and from there springs all other sins (see, for example, Ezek. 8:1-18, Ezek. 20:1-44, Ezek. 22:1-12). We often wonder why ancient believers were so naïve and uncorrectable when they engaged in worshiping different human-made idols. We are quite sure that we would never do something like that. Are we really free of idols? The idols of today may have different shapes and forms, yet they have a similar appeal.

An idol is something that replaces God, and even though we know it is not right, we still worship it, often repeatedly. It captures our imagination, affection, time, and mind more than does God. It can even enslave our thinking. In fact, we become what we behold, and we will rise no higher than whatever "god" we serve.

If God is not at the center of your life, then other gods will fill His place. If we do not enjoy and cultivate God’s living Presence, we will enjoy and devote our lives to something or someone else. What we substitute for Christ may have different appearances: pride, self-centeredness, money, power, sex, food, TV, drugs, alcohol, impure thoughts, pornography, pleasures, work, sports, family, video games, films, shopping, ideas, politics, music, position, titles, grades, and so forth. The list has no end.

We are very creative and inventive in this regard. We can turn anything that is good, beautiful, and meaningful into an idol. Idolatry is extremely dangerous because it transforms our personality, our way of thinking, our affections, and our social life. It changes our identity and replaces genuine personal relationships with hollow and ultimately meaningless interactions that, in the end, cannot save us.