Exo 33.1-23 will tell us about the contrition of the people; Moses and the tent of meeting outside the camp because the camp was now defiled because of the Golden Calf; the prayer of Moses; God’s glory passing by Moses as he was in the cleft of the rock.
v 1…Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Depart, go up from here (Sinai), you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’
v 2…And I will send an angel (a messenger) before you and I (he doesn’t say the angel will drive them out, God will do it; the angel is Joshua) will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite.
v 3…Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey (uncultivated; devastated by war-Isa 7.21-25), for I will not go up in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, lest I destroy you on the way (because of another act of treason).”
v 4…When the people heard this sad word (evil tidings), they went into mourning, and none of them put on his ornaments (stripped off their festive garments and their idols-Gen 35.1-4).
v 5…For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘You are an obstinate people; should I go go up in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you. Now therefore put off your ornaments from your, that I may know what I will do with you (God knew what he was going to do, but this is said as an anthropomorphism, according to the ways of me; he will deal with them according to the level of their conduct and behavior; if they persevered in their current repentance, he will show mercy).”
v 6…So the sons of Israel stripped themselves of their (festive) ornaments from Mount Horeb (from their departure onward).
v 7…Now Moses used to take the tent (of his own) and pitch it outside the camp (form the Golden calf incident until the Mishkan was built), a good distance from the camp (now defiled), and called it the tent of meeting. And it came about, that everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp..
v 8…And it came about, whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would rise and stand each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze (followed him with their eyes) after Moses until he entered the tent (so a protocol was set).
v 9…and it came about, whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud (the visible representation of the Shekinah) would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the Lord would speak to Moses.
v 10…When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship (prostrated themselves on the ground), each at the entrance of his tent.
v 11…Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses, face to face (Num 12.6-8), just as a man speaks to his friend (not “chavur” but “re’eh: meaning a shepherd friend). When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man (in comparison to Moses; he was about 56 years old), would not depart from the tent (he kept it from being polluted).
v 12…Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, thou dost say to me, ‘Bring up this people!’ But you yourself have not let me know who you will send with me (to guide and direct and protect him and the people since the Lord said he would not be in their midst; Moses shows a lack of faith; Yehovah is able to do anything, either through an agent of not; Yehovah is testing Moses). Moreover, you have said, ‘I have known you by name (a special knowledge of Moses), and you have found favor in my sight.’
v 13…Now therefore, I pray thee (ask), if I have found favor in thy sight, let me know thy way (the principles on how God deals with humans, granting prosperity to some and adversity to others; to understand God’s nature and providence so that he can lead and govern the people), that I may know thee (the Torah is how we know the Lord-1 John 2.1-4), so that I may find favor in thy sight. Consider too, that this nation is thy people (and left without his guidance).
v 14…And he said, “My presence (Hebrew “pannai” or face) shall go with you, and I will give you (the people) rest (in Canaan-Deut 12.9).”
v 15…Then he said to him, “If thy presence (face) does not go, do not lead us up from here (but we will stay at Sinai where we know your presence dwelt).
v 16…For how then can it be known that that if I have found favor in thy sight, I and thy people (how can we be distinguished from all the other nations if you are not present with us). Is it not by thy going with us, so that we, I and thy people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth-Deut 4.6-8)?”
v 17…And the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in my sight and I have known you by name (intimately).”
v 18…Then Moses said, “I pray thee, show me thy glory (he had seen the kivod or radiance of God, and he has seen the essence of God, but he wants Yehovah to show him a representation that he has never seen before; Moses will experience the mission statement of the Mishkan).”
v 19…And he said, “I, myself, will make all my goodness (synonymous with glory; the spiritual and ethical nature of God) pass before you, and will proclaim (manifest) the name of the Lord (Yehovah) before you (on Sinai-Exo 34.2); and I will be gracious and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.”
v 20…But he said, “You cannot see my face (the full manifestation of God), for no man can see my face and live (in the flesh; we must be in our glorified bodies in the Olam Haba)!”
v 21…Then the Lord said, “Behold (see for yourself), there is a place by me, and you shall stand on the rock (of Sinai);
v 22…and it will come about while my glory (goodness) is passing by that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.
v 23…Then I will take away my hand away and you shall see my back (like an afterglow); but my face shall not be seen.”
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