The Journey Resumed
1Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Depart, go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up from the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give it.’ 2I will send an angel before you and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. 3Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, and I might destroy you on the way.”
4When the people heard this sad word, they went into mourning, and none of them put on his ornaments. 5For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the sons of Israel, ‘You are an obstinate people; should I go up in your midst for one moment, I would destroy you. Now therefore, put off your ornaments from you, that I may know what I shall do with you.’ ” 6So the sons of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward.
7Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. 8And it came about, whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent. 9Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; and the Lord would speak with Moses. 10When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent. 11Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
Moses Intercedes
12Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people!’ But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. Moreover, You have said, ‘I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’ 13Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people.” 14And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. 16For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?”
17The 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.” 18Then Moses said, “I pray You, show me Your glory!” 19And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” 20But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” 21Then the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; 22and it will come about, while My glory 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. 23Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen.”
6The Lord performs righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
7He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
8The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
9He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
Jesus Comforts His Disciples
1“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4And you know the way where I am going.” 5Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Oneness with the Father
7If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
8Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9Jesus *said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
1) What does Moses’ intercession teach about favor and presence?
2) How does the psalmist recall יהוה’s mercy through Moses?
3) How does Yeshua embody the visible glory of the Father?
PSALM 54
Prayer for Defense against Enemies.
For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Maskil of David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, “Is not David hiding himself among us?”
1Save me, O God, by Your name,
And vindicate me by Your power.
2Hear my prayer, O God;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.
3For strangers have risen against me
And violent men have sought my life;
They have not set God before them. Selah.
4Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
5He will recompense the evil to my foes;
Destroy them in Your faithfulness.
6Willingly I will sacrifice to You;
I will give thanks to Your name, O Lord, for it is good.
7For He has delivered me from all trouble,
And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.
Contrast of the Righteous and the Wicked
1The proverbs of Solomon.
A wise son makes a father glad,
But a foolish son is a grief to his mother.
2Ill-gotten gains do not profit,
But righteousness delivers from death.
3The Lord will not allow the righteous to hunger,
But He will reject the craving of the wicked.
4Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely,
But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully.
6Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.
8The wise of heart will receive commands,
But a babbling fool will be ruined.
9He who walks in integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will be found out.
10He who winks the eye causes trouble,
And a babbling fool will be ruined.
11The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all transgressions.
13On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found,
But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding.
14Wise men store up knowledge,
But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand.
15The rich man’s wealth is his fortress,
The ruin of the poor is their poverty.
16The wages of the righteous is life,
The income of the wicked, punishment.
17He is on the path of life who heeds instruction,
But he who ignores reproof goes astray.
18He who conceals hatred has lying lips,
And he who spreads slander is a fool.
19When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.
20The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver,
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
21The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of understanding.
22It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it.
23Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.
24What the wicked fears will come upon him,
But the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.
26Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy one to those who send him.
27The fear of the Lord prolongs life,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
28The hope of the righteous is gladness,
But the expectation of the wicked perishes.
29The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the upright,
But ruin to the workers of iniquity.
30The righteous will never be shaken,
But the wicked will not dwell in the land.
31The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom,
But the perverted tongue will be cut out.
32The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable,
But the mouth of the wicked what is perverted.