At the beginning of all things. At the beginning of all we know, God already was and thus can be said to have had no beginning. There was never a time when God was not, because He already was at the beginning.
There is a strange logic and yet an illogic in the thought. One might consider that this is speaking of the beginning of our existence alone, and that it says nothing beyond that about God's eternality. In the strictest of senses, I suppose that one would have to conclude, on the merits of this verse alone, that it says nothing about whether God had a beginning or not.
What it does say is that that alleged beginning, if there was one, was "before" our beginning. Thankfully, we are not left with this verse alone, but have the rest of the testimony of the Scripture to rely on for more information.
The short list of verses in the Bible that speak of the Eternality of God would include: Gen. 21:33; Deut. 32:40; Deut. 33:27; 1 Chron. 16:36; Neh. 9:5; Job 36:26; Ps. 29:10; Ps. 33:11; Ps. 41:13; Ps. 45:6; Ps. 48:14; Ps. 90:1-2, 4; Ps. 93:2; Ps. 102:25-27; Isa. 26:4; Isa. 40:28; Isa. 41:4; Isa. 44:6; Isa. 57:15; Lam. 5:19; Dan. 4:34; Hab. 1:12; Hab. 3:6; Rom. 1:20; Rom. 16:26; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:4; 1 Tim. 1:17; 1 Tim. 6:15; Heb. 1:10-12; 2 Pet. 3:8; Rev. 1:8; Rev. 4:8-9.
That our God is eternal is of little doubt to any real believer in the Scripture. There are some interesting implications to this idea that bear considering. If God is indeed eternal, that the God we know cannot have ever been mortal, and hence, have never been a man as the Mormons claim. Their position is that God as he is now, is as man can some day be. Not if the Bible is true! God is eternal and had no beginning! Every man is mortal and had a beginning.
That God is eternal also speaks of His essential difference from us. He is eternal and we are immortal. He and we share the fact that we will have no end. Yet, He had no beginning while there was a time when you and I were not thought of, except in the mind and purposes of God Himself. There a real security, in my mind, I knowing that there is a Being Who is greater than I am, in essence. With other men, we share the bottom line that we are all creatures and that we share a common nature, handed down from Adam over the years.
While we are related to God by faith, there is also that real difference between us. That comforts because I can know that I am in the care of One whose experience and wisdom transcends that of myself and my compatriots. There is indeed a God Who is eternal and Who's knowledge and understanding far outstrips my own! It is good for me to put myself in the place of a small son and take comfort from the knowledge that my Father knows how to fix what is wrong!
We should also note that the verse indicates that all that the chapter reveals happened at THE beginning, no A beginning. There were not multiple tries at starting things as some would suggest. God did not create and then allow His first creation to be destroyed, and then remake the earth. There was "the beginning" and no other beginning. It is into that frame that we must fit the details of the chapter, not alter the basic frame of reference to fit what we would make of the details of the chapter.
You might wonder why this is important? Let me suggest a couple reasons.
First, it is important because it is what the text says. These are clear and simple words, easily understood. We need not stretch to allow them to fit some other understanding that we bring with us to the text. It is folly to pursue the "well, it could be this way or that" method of interpretation.
Secondly, it is important because of the directness with which it speaks to man and his origins. We are not an evolved creature, a happenstance meeting of amino and other acids in a primordial sea. God set out, a particular moment and He created. The results of that creation came to be in an instant and not over millennia.
Thirdly, it is important because it lays the foundation, in the very first verse of the Bible, of trustworthiness and clarity of understanding. This phrase, and the greater concepts of the following verses all appear to say one thing. If they do not, indeed, say those things, then we have some problems, do we not?
Occam's Razor applies here I believe. the simplest explanation is probably the correct one. We need not try and explain these words in any other fashion other than what the clearly intend to say. That is an important precedent to get straight, and God gets it straight in the verse first few words of the Book.
The reference to the beginning also implies and ending. Not an ending to your and my existence, but an ending to that which gives the verse and the chapter a frame of reference, the creation of the world.
And the Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you. (Genesis 26:2)
Abraham made his mistake, but God did not specifically warn him against it. Isaac is in the process of making it and God is warning him against going down that part of the world. That is an interesting and, I suspect, profound difference. He demonstrates the "like father, like son" tendency that has plagued mankind all throughout mankind's history. Yet, Isaac takes it a step further and does what his father did in a deliberate and knowing fashion.
As fathers we must be aware, beforehand, that our will do this. They will repeat our sins. They will not only repeat them, they will "improve" on them. The only way that we can, that Abraham could have, prevented this, was with a different home life for Isaac. It was the life in the tent and all that transpired there that prepared him for this moment.
Now, fortunately, as in all else in life, this does not catch God unprepared, as we see in the following verses in which the covenant wi Abraham is renewed with Isaac despite this deliberate disobedience. What a gracious and merciful God we serve!
Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. (Genesis 26:3)
In spite of deliberate disobedience, a gracious God renews the covenant with Isaac. This is not simply a matter of "if you obey, then I will...". God goes far further and enumerates the details of the tremendous covenant that He had made with Isaacs father. It does not seem as though there can be a great demonstration grace or a more marvelous presage of the coming ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. ” (Genesis 26:5)
In all of this Isaac stands in our stead...he is blessed, not for his son sake, or because of his own goodness or merit, but because of his father's. It was the righteousness and the merit of another that brought Isaac all that he had, else he would have been lost and wandered under judgment.
Likewise, you and I stand in precisely the same position. It is not our own goodness or merit that wins us our position of blessing and favor before God, but rather it all of grace and mercy. We must consciously and deliberately choose to remember that. If we fail to
It is difficult to believe that Abraham was motivated by anything other than the normal desires to keep the blood lines pure and what not. It is clear God used this to bring Rebecca into the picture, but Abraham's motivation must be held suspect here. He is sending back the homeland from God called him. He is refusing to take a bride from the land to which God has called him. Though it is clear that God used Rebecca and blessed the union of she and Isaac, the trouble that results is clear.
...that I may make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, (Genesis 24:3)
But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there. ” (Genesis 24:8)
I understand his unwillingness to allow his son to go back to the old land, for God hand brought him out of that land in no uncertain terms. There is no question that Isaac could not go back there, this is good and solid thinking on Abraham's part.
Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed, taking all sorts of choice gifts from his master; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia to the city of Nahor. (Genesis 24:10)
But I've always had a question about the return to Mesopotamia for the wife of Isaac. God had called Abraham out of that land with the full knowledge and intention.
My wife and I sometimes go out for a breakfast these days. I'm often only good for half of an Omelet, but we quite often debate whether or not to get an order of bacon with the eggs; an interesting debate considering the fact that we are both trying to watch our weight (me especially) and SLICE of bacon has 110 calories (4 slices to an order).
I came across an interesting item a day or so ago. They’re pushing for a special new product to sell big during the holiday season, so they’ve packaged it accordingly in one tidy little bacon-centered gift bag.
For about $10 a pop, you get two bottles of bacon-flavored soda, one bag of Cheddar “BaconPop” popcorn, one tube of bacon lip balm and a packet of brand-new bacon-flavored country gravy. And 2 bottles of Jones Bacon-Flavored Soda - Yummy!
What an indulgent culture we live in! I can see the gravy surely. The popcorn, perhaps. Lip balm - not so much. But Soda? Oi! You gotta really, REALLY like bacon!
But this is modern culture isn’t it? We indulge ourselves. If it isn’t available naturally, to satisfy our cravings, we’ll make it. And that’s OK!, because, after all, it’s just natural right? It’s not hurting anyone?
We never realize until far down the line, almost too far many times (too far for many folks) that they indulgence is so very debilitating. Discipline and self-denial is far more beneficial to the body and to the spirit than indulgence can ever be (Believe me, I know from the really, really bad end of experience - as many of you used to know I used weight well up into the 500's pound-wise) and can take an immense amount of time to recover from (again, IF it can ever BE fully recovered from).
This is why Paul said, in 1 Corinthians 9:27:
But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
Both of the terms “discipline” and “disqualify” are from the arena and are fighting terms. Discipline is from a term literally meaning to “hit under the eye”. Paul “punched out” his bodily impulses to prevent them from keeping him away his mission of winning souls to Christ. In light of all that was going in Corinth, that was quite a statement (he would have been moved, for instance, to a good bit of irritation, frustration, etc.)
“Disqualified” is another metaphor from the athletic games. MacArthur notes:
“A contestant who failed to meet basic training requirements could not participate at all, much less have an opportunity to win. Paul may be especially referring to such fleshly sins that disqualify a man from preaching and leading the church, particularly being blameless and above reproach in the sexual area, since such sin is a disqualification” [John Jr., MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed. (Nashville: Word Pub., 1997). 1 Co 9:27.].
Indulgence thus is in direct contrast to that which facilitates use by God as it is displeasing to Him. We are here to serve Him and not ourselves. Let’s be sure that we are going about doing just that, I suspect that it involves other than Bacon-flavored soda!
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. (Genesis 17:7)
Note that here, and elsewhere, the phrasing that marks the possession of the covenant usually lists God first, as the initiator of agreement.
14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant. ” (Genesis 17:14)
This is the statement of the symbolism of circumcision, at a part of it. Those who did not submit to the command of God, and yield to His covenantal promises, symbolized by the "cutting off" off the foreskin of the male member. If that foreskin is not removed, if that symbolism is not fulfilled, then the picture is not completed.
17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child? ” (Genesis 17:17)
The "laughing" here is distinctly different than the laugh that Sarah will do in just a chapter or so. Her laugh is one of doubt and ridicule. Abraham's is one of joy. Note that this is so, even though he SMS virtually the same question!
18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you! ” (Genesis 17:18)
I've always been fascinated by Abraham's love for Ishmael. Not merely favoritism, as we will see in the case of Jacob and Esau; but a genuine love that we see put forth here as he cries out to God for his salvation as a primary manifestation of the Covenant! What is wonderful is that Abraham is not primarily interested in what he reaps as benefit from the Covenant; but rather his primary concern is for his child Ishmael (remember that Isaac is not yet alive) and for the glory of The a name of the Lord (...that he might live before You!).
1 When Abram was ninety- nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, (Genesis 17:1)
Though the Law of Moses had not been issued yet, the Law of God has been in effect from eternity past. Men have always been responsible to walk "blameless" before the Lord and thus be acceptable before Him. It is important to realize that that this "blameless" is not necessarily the holiness required of the sacrificial lamb in the law. We're told, for instance that both Noah (Genesis 5) and Job (Job 1) were, indeed, blameless before the Lord. David, in Psalm 119:1, urged believers to seek this practical blamelessness. The Lord Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, told us to be "perfect" as His heavenly Father was perfect. The point of the command was to drive Abram to look to God and not to himself.
2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” (Genesis 17:2)
The condition of "blamelessness" set forth in the prior verse is here demonstrated as to it's purpose. It is a condition of fellowship with God, here put in terms of the Covenant made with Israel. Without "blamelessness", no fellowship can be enjoyed. This is because of the character of God and the need for man to measure up to that character in order to have an more than evangelistic contact with Him.
2 And Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her. ” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.(Genesis 16:2)
Sarai makes the common mistake that all men make when they are considering their lot in the light of self instead of in the light of the plan and purpose of (as He had revealed time and again). When we fail to see that which occurs in life in that light, and instead interpret those occurrences in the limited and finite context of our own happenstance, we dramatically cripple our ability to rightly see and understand the workings of God our world. Here, like so many others, both before and since, Sarai interprets God as the cause of her "misfortune". Whether or not her condition actually IS a misfortune is another matter altogether.
There is a very, very large difference between God causing a thing and He not doing anything to forestall a thing. Men that are focused on self ace little ability to focus on anything else.
11 And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord has listened to your affliction. 12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen. ” (Genesis 16:11-12)
The Covenant made with Hagar, and thus with Ishmael, is prophetic in at least two ways. First, it speaks of Ishmael's nature as a "wild donkey" of a man who will fit against every man and thus, as a result (or perhaps not) every man against him. Second, it is, indeed, a covenant. God did, indeed, listen to her affliction. As a result, He (God) has preserved her (and thus Ishmael) from destruction. Hagar knew this and thus called God "El Roi" or the The God Who Sees".
13 So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me. ” (Genesis 16:13)
Note at this point, she is worshipping and and calling on the Name of the One true and Living God. Departure from the Lord began to occur, apparently, during Ishmael's lifetime or shortly after. It is interesting to note that experiences such as these, wonderful experiences, that I'm sure Ishmael heard full expression of, are not sufficient to guarantee obedience. It takes more than seeing and hearing about what God has done to act as the foundation for a life of obedience and service. It takes redemption and regeneration. Though we see Hagar interacting with God, there is no evidence that Ishmael followed suit and was a redeemed man.
Over in Genesis 15:1 - The "these things" speaks of the events of the prior chapter - namely the capture and rescue of Lot and the citizens of Sodom by Abram, as well as the treatment of Abram by the King of Sodom and his treatment of Melchizedek.
The point here being that Lot, in his disobedience, was taken and needed rescuing. God did not protect him and his family. But, once that situation was resolved, God reassures Abram that, in his covenanted relationship with his God, he could rest assured that God would protect and be a shield to Che and his family as He had already promised.
We cannot pass Genesis 15:11 without noting that Abram spent the afternoon waiting for God's good pleasure and in keeping the birds of prey off of the offering set out in preparation for the later sacrifice. The obvious intent here is the offering stay undefiled in preparation for what was coming.
Further, in verse 2, note that the "great" (meaning 'profound') and 'Dreadful' (awe-inspiring or stimulating worship) FOLLOWS the fact that Abram fell deeply asleep. what I mean is that we are not talking about the fact Abram is merely having a frightening dream - it is something far more profound than that. The experience is one that is akin to Isaiah's when he saw the Lord in Isaiah 6. Here, like there, Abram is not seeing a Christophany, a "gentled" appearance of God as we frequently see in the OT. This is the Holy and fearsome God Whose very approach can strike terror into the heart of men.
Job 10:1-2 1 “I loathe my life; I will give free utterance to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. 2 I will say to God, Do not condemn me; let me know why you contend against me.
The great danger of trial is discontent and it's resultant anger.it is what occurs when we dwell on the circumstances of life, the particulars to the exclusion of all else. This is what has happened to Job. The result is that perspective gets skewed, and the further along it proceeds, the further the skew slews...to one side or the other. That skewed perspective drives one to think and say things that, in anchor, more objective context, one would not say or even think. This is surely the case with Job.
Under other circumstances, Job would be able to reason his way through the situation his is in and come to the proper conclusion. But because Job allowed himself to be overcome (and it was a matter of him allowing himself to be overcome - it was a choice he made to yield to his flesh) by the variety things that have intruded themselves into his thus far, his normal perspective has become impossible at this point, and another, ungodly perspective, has thrust itself into the fore, as expressed in verse 2.
Rather than being held accountable by God and answering to Him as His servant; he calls God to account and makes the critical mistake of charging Him with evil and insisting that God had mistreated him and dealt with him unjustly.
3 Does it seem good to you to oppress, to despise the work of your hands and favor the designs of the wicked?
Again, we note the charging of God with evil. Job he calls God to account for the evil that is present in his life, not just implying that God is responsible, but that He is the direct agent of the calamity that has occurred. This is the argument, no, the accusation and expression of temper he makes for the rest of this chapter as well as for a considerable part of the rest of the his own part of the book, at least until God Himself speaks up at the end of the book.
Genesis 14:12 12 They also took Lot, the son of Abram's brother, who was dwelling in Sodom, and his possessions, and went their way.
Here we see Lot (and his family) beginning to pay the price for the decision made earlier to separate from Abraham and go his own way and settle in Sodom. In so doing, he also separated himself from the protection and blessing of Abraham's God. The result is that when these Kings seek to expand their kingdoms, God has no reason, Covenantally, to intervene and protect Lot. Abraham is the object of God's promises here, not Lot, much as that does NOT make sense to and our NT manner of thinking. This is not the NT - it is the OT and functions in a practical sense, in that OT fashion.
Genesis 14:13 13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner.
These were allies of Abram. Just a note to observe that this "escape" could not have been and should NLT be construed to have been by happenstance. In spite of Lot's deliberate and, (evident from later Scripture) persistent disobedience and his increasing slide into depravity though still a believer and, as Hebrews 11 tells us, an example of faith for us, God makes provision to see that he is rescued! How marvelous and merciful a God we serve - who cars for us, despite our faithlessness and sin!
Genesis 14:21-24 21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself. ” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich. ’ 24 I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share. ”
In contrast to Abraham's remarks to Melchizedek, the King of Sodom's remarks to Abraham are surly and rude. For someone who has just been delivered from servitude or worse, he is ungracious and expresses no gratitude. Remembering that God has promised that promised that He will bless those bless Him and curse those curse Him, such behavior is ominous at best!
29 Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. 34 But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. 35 And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him. Exodus 34:29–35 (NKJV)
Verse 31 - “and Moses…talked with them…” - Language and grammar are highly flexible and eloquent things. particularly the "idiomatic" ones. An "idiom" is "a speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements, as in 'keep tabs on'." It draws on pictures and graphic ideas that are particular and unique to the culture that the language is taken from. Such is the case here. The grammar of this phrase draws a picture for us. Moses calls the rulers of the congregation to him, and he "talks with them. The tense and force of the verbs is such that we are meant to see this as an ongoing conversation, one that is active, ongoing, in the midst of happening, incomplete if you will. The picture drawn for us is meant to create in our minds the picture of Moses actually speaking with the Elders of Israel. It is not simply a matter of his telling them what happened on the mountain. He "talked" with them - he explained, communicated, announced, preached, told, whatever was needed to be sure was necessary to see that they understood what God desired for Israel.
That is the task of the leader of God! It is the task of anyone who has been given by God to see that God's message is communicated to another. He is:
Call them to himself
Talk to them and tell, in whatever way is needful, what God desires for them to know in order that they might act as God desires them to act.
Now, we understand that, as those not under Law but under Grace, we communicate a different set of facts. But, at the root, we are still talking about salvation by grace through faith alone for that has always been the way that God has brought men to Himself.
“Afterward" - There is an translated conjunction here, "and" or "then", that joins the prior verse to verse 32. The English translators thought it unnecessary to include it. It is another indicator of temporal sequence.
There is also a little adverbial "appendage" attached to the end of the word "afterward" proper that is not rendered in most English translations. It is the Hebrew word "ken" and is yet another indicator of sequence, but implies a similarity of fashion or comparison, likewise, in this case. The context makes it obvious that the people approached Moses just like the Elders did, and so the English translators did not include it.
"Afterward" itself is an adverb (it modifies the act of the people coming to Moses - when did they come?) It is another direct time reference, with regard to the event directly before what it is attached to and means "then, afterward, later, some time later, i.e., pertaining to a time subsequent to another time, depending on the context of the verse. It is fairly common, for instance Genesis 18:5 uses it:
5 And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.”
Note that in some contexts it can have a spacial reference as well, "behind" (Genesis 19:6); or even directional "to the west" (opposite the rising sun - Judges 18:12); and, as a metaphor, it can speak of following someone in a linear motion (1 Sam 12:14).
Verse 32 - "...he gave them as commandments..." is all one word in the Hebrew. As we have said the original languages in which the Bible is wirtten are very expressive and can give a lot of information that require more than one word in English to express. The first portion of the verb is what is called a "wav consecutive" that acts as a conjunction at the beginning of the verb. Tagged on the end of the verb is the particle "em" that functions as an English pronoun, "them" in a sort of a Dative case - "to them". Further, as a third aspect to the verb, we see once again the form that suggests that we see the verb as "imperfect" or in progress and Moses actually speaking with the people themselves. The verb itself means "to command, to order, or to instruct, that is to state with force/authority what others must do. Moses is here functioning in the role of a Prophet once again and performing that role by communicating authoritatively to the people what God had communicated to him on the mountain.
Note that he tells them "all that the Lord had spoken with him". He left nothing out and he soft-pedaled nothing that God had said to him. There was no holding back, no qualification of the matter, he gave it to them straight, just as God had communicated it to him.
Once again we must note that this is the task of the man of God. We are to communicate to the congregation that which God has said. It is our responsibility to repeat to them what the Word of God has said to us.
29 Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. 34 But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. 35 And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him. Exodus 34:29–35 (NKJV)
Verse 33 - "he put a veil on his face" - Most miss an obvious truth here. The purpose of the veil was not to calm the anxiety of the people. We know this because Moses put on the veil only after the people had come near and after he had finished declaring the law to the people (vv. 31, 32). Rather, as Paul in 2 Cor. 3:13 makes clear, the veil was to keep the Israelites from seeing that the glory was fading away.
According to Paul, this fading glory shows the temporary and inadequate character of the old Mosaic covenant and points to the need for a greater covenant Mediator—Jesus Christ.
When not speaking to the Lord or authoritatively on His behalf to the people, Moses veiled his face. The Apostle Paul advised that the veil prevented the people from seeing a fading glory and related it to the inadequacy of the Old Covenant and the blindness of the Jews in his day.
This physical action pictured the fact that Moses did not have the confidence or boldness of Paul because the Old Covenant was veiled, that is, it was was only an unclear foreshadowing of the coming work of God's Messiah. It was shadowy. It was made up of types, pictures, symbols, and mystery. Moses communicated the glory of the Old Covenant, but with a certain obscurity.
The “veil” here can be seen as representing unbelief. Those Israelites did not grasp the glory of the Old Covenant because of their unbelief. As a result, the meaning of the Old Covenant was obscure to them (cf. Heb. 3:8, 15; 4:7). Paul’s point was that just as the Old Covenant was obscure to the people of Moses’ day, it was still obscure to those who trusted in it as a means of salvation in Paul’s day. The veil of ignorance obscures the meaning of the Old Covenant to the hardened heart (cf. John 5:38).
Without Christ the OT is unintelligible. But when a person comes to Christ, the veil is lifted and his spiritual perception is no longer impaired (Is. 25:6–8). With the veil removed, believers are able to see the glory of God revealed in Christ (John 1:14). They understand that the law was never given to save them, but to lead them to the One who would.
This underscores for us the truth that the NC, the NT is not a replacement for the OC/OT; rather it is the fulfillment of it. It is the ultimate demonstration of all that God had "merely" foreshadowed in type and picture in the Law.
Verse 34 - “…he would take the veil off…” - Given that the above is so, we can readily understand why Moses took the veil off when in the presence of God. That picture of the Law, the OC, is not needful for the redeemed when he stands before the Lord. Between the genuinely saved believer and his God there are no "veils". There is only reality. There are no shadows or types. There is only the real. And so Moses, when in the presence of his God, removed the veil, for there was no need for it. There was no unbelief in Moses heart, nothing to keep him from God's presence as there was in the hearts of the people of the congregation. He was safe in the presence of His God and thus, off with the veil.
“…he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded…” - The grammar here is very similar to what we saw earlier. What we want to note is that he continued to do this in what appears to be an ongoing basis. He went into the presence of God and immediately emerged and communicated what God told him to the people of God.
We want to note also that nowhere, here or elsewhere, are these people called "his people". They are God's people, the children of Israel, not Moses' people. Moses understood that, and our leaders today ought to understand that. My congregation is not "my people", even innocently. They are God's people. I must remain constantly, painfully aware that this always the case!
Further, we note that there is also a limitation on Moses here – he spoke all that God had told him, but he also spoke NO MORE! We see through the rest of the OT Law that the prophet was strictly limited as to what he could say. False prophesies we dealt with very, very harshly! It was important that the man of God speak for God and speak accurately, both positively by what he said, and negatively by what he did NOT say. Would that this were true today!
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
“In Him" indicates the "repository" for the trust that the one "dwelling in the “secret place of the Most High" will place in his God. "Him", of course, refers back to Yahweh, Elohim, the One true and living God.
“...will I trust" is to rely on, to put confidence in, that is to believe in a person or object to the point of reliance upon. This is not a "surface" or fanciful, casual believing, but rather a full faith and trust that prompts one to exercise the will and act on that faith. 2 Kings 18:5 tells us that Hezekiah exercised faith and:
5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him.
It is mostly a later word in the OT. The earliest appearance is in Deuteronomy 28:52, a reference to trusting in the wall of a city. In Judges there are two references to have confidence in or relying on men. (9:6; 20:36).
2 Kings 18:5 is the first Direct reference to having reference to trusting the Lord God, as we have already mentioned. In 2 Kings 18:5-30, the Rabshekah mentions Hezekiah's "trust" in his God six times. It is mentioned again in 2 Kings 19:10. 1 & 2 Chronicles each use it once (5:20 & 32:10).
Isaiah uses the term 14 times in his Book and Jeremiah uses it 15 times in his. In contrast Ezekiel uses it only once, in Ezekiel 33:13. Hosea, Amos, Micah, Habakkuk and Zephaniah all use it once.
Psalms uses the terms by far the most time at 45, most of them in the metaphorical sense of trusting in the Lord God. Job uses it 4 times and Proverbs uses it 10 times.
This is not the first time we have heard the Psalmist proclaim God his shelter. Psalm 18:1–2:
1 I will love You, O Lord, my strength.2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 46:1:
1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble
Psalm 71:3:
Be my strong refuge, To which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress.
So this is a relatively common theme throughout the Scripture, and especially in the Psalms. God is a fortress, a rock, a defense for His people and they can trust in Him.
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” 1
“I will say" - To speak or talk usually with a focus on the content to follow, that is, it is most often used as a prelude to offering the content of what the person actually says. It is future, or more properly, imperfect and calls to mind the action itself, in progress.
“The LORD" is a euphemism of Adonai and is the name of the One true and Living God. The focus of the term is two-fold.
His sure existence.
His relationship to his covenant persons and peoples.
Thus Yahweh was set apart from the gods of the other peoples round about the Israelites. Not that they were any less sure that their gods existed. But that Israel was sure of a self-revealing God who was in Covenant with them and them alone. This was what made them unique among all nations round about. It was this of which the name YAHWEH spoke.
One must ask the question, then, (off topic) how wise was it, how truly reverent of Israel was it refuse to speak this Name and to use Adonai instead? It would seem to me (with humility) that truly honoring God and all that He had done and would do for Israel would require that they use the Name Yahweh and uphold the truth He was a covenant making and upholding God and that His covenant was with them and no other. I understand that the issue of "reverence" and holiness entered in, but I suspect that this became a false matter and that the real issue was that of tradition and bureaucracy and little more.
"He is my refuge..." - A refuge is a place of safety and a place that is free from danger; and figuratively, an extension of a place of refuge or shelter. It is most often used in the non-literal sense. David said that the Lord is the "refuge" for the poor (Psalm 14:6). In the very famous Psalm 46:2, he said
God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
In Psalm 62:8 we read:
7 In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.
Solomon concluded:
26 In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge. (Proverbs 14:26)
Likewise Isaiah knew that...
4 You have been a strength to the poor, A strength to the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, A shade from the heat; For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. (Isaiah 25:4)
The word was derived from a word referring to a cave or a den, i.e., a physical hole or an overhang for shelter. In fact, the OT uses in that fashion at times. Job 24:8 speaks of being "...huddled around the rock for want of shelter". Psalm 104:18 says that the "...cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers".
Because we have referred specifically to Yahweh, the covenant implied in the use of the Name applies. Hence, the refuge offered is "my" refuge (the author being a member of the covenanted family).
"And", of course, is a coordinating conjunction, or a word that joins two phrases that are usually of the same grammatical status. It joins the two descriptions: "my refuge" and "my fortress"; implying that they are, grammatically at least, equal.
"...my fortress..." - A fortress is a stronghold, a mountain or rock fortress, namely, a place where one resides as a hiding or defensive position, often occupying a natural land formation in the high inaccessible rock or hill area. David was in a "stronghold" in 1 Samuel 22:4-5. Likewise, after David spared Saul's life in 2 Samuel 24:22 he went home to his "stronghold". It can also be translated "Fortress", a walled construction built for defensive position, and is so translated for instance in 2 Samuel 5:7 where we are told that David "took" the "fortress" of Zion (Jerusalem).
Note that both of these terms (refuge and fortress) are preceded by the Hebrew term "my or me". It is a simple preposition that is in a possessive form.
Scholars suggest that it is possible, grammatically, for both of these phrases, "My refuge and my fortress" to be joined and rephrased as “my secure fortress.” an interesting suggestion.
29 Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. 34 But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. 35 And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him. Exodus 34:29–35 (NKJV)
“The skin of his face shone” - "Shone" in verse 30 is to be radiant, to emit light rays, i.e., a shining appearance due to glow of a face that supernaturally beams light. The basic form of the word can literally mean "with horns"! We are talking shooting out spikes of light here! There was a blinding brilliance to Moses face man had never seen since the Garden (and Adam had nothing to compare that with!).
"They", here, includes Aaron, Moses brother and by the time of Exodus 34, High Priest of Israel. And they were afraid with good reason!
"Afraid" is a common Hebrew word meaning to be in a state of feeling great distress, and deep concern of pain or unfavorable circumstance. It is the word used to describe the state of emotion in Adam and Eve when they hid themselves in the garden after thier din in Genesis 3:10 and Adam gave explanation for their hiding to God:
10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
Adam knew that God had commanded that he obey and there would be consequences for disobedience and was "afraid" as a result.
The reaction of fear in this passage suggests previous events leading up to the current experience. It was only when they drew near and conversed without harm were they reassured.
"Then" is another marker of co-ordinate relationship. Here indicating another time relationship. One phrase or action following immediately after the prior to keep the narrative moving.
"Called to them..." is a verb that is used of leader to subordinates or of one who has something to offer to the "offeree". It means to summon, i.e., call a person(here, a group) to come into one’s presence. God "called" Moses and Aaron in Exodus 12:31 and told them lead Israel out of Egypt:
31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have said.
Moses acts as Israel's leader, their Prophet and calls them back to speak to them all that God has said to Him. Let's not make the mistake of thinking that this is harsh. It surely is not. It is reasonable to see Israel as reluctant to come in to the presence of Moses, and by implication God, once again. The experience, thus far, has been an awesome one, but it has not been a real positive one (their fault not God's of course.) If not excused, we can surely see why they might hang back and need to be called to Moses' feet.
Just as a note, "...rulers of the congregation..." seems to refer to the leaders of the tribes of Israel. That particular English phrase only appears 5 times, twice in Exodus and three times in Joshua. The phrase "rulers of Israel" appears in Judges 5:9 and seems to refer to the same concept. 2 Kings 10:1 makes reference to the "rulers of Jezreel". 2 Chronicles 29:20 speaks of "rulers of the city" speaking of Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 35:8 speaks of "...Hilkiah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God..." Isaiah 1:10 refers to the "rulers of Sodom" and Micah 3:1 refers to the "rulers of the House of Israel". Matthew 2:6 refers to the "rulers of Judah" and Matthew 20:25 speaks of the "rulers of the Gentiles". Mark 5:22, speaking of Jairus, calls him a "ruler of the synagogue". Luke 14:1 speaks of the Rulers of the Pharasees. In Acts 4:8 peter address the "rulers of the people and Elders of Israel...". In Acts 13:15, when preaching at Pisian Anticoh, Paul address the "rulers of the Synagogue". In Acts 17:6-8, preaching at Thessalonica, Paul was dragged from Jason's house by the Jews before the "rulers of the city", but was eventually let go. 1 Corinthians 2:6-8 speaks twice of the spiritual "rulers of this age. Likewise Paul, in Ephesians 6:12 famously speaks of the "rulers of the darkeness of this age".
There are many "rulers" in the Scriptures. These seem to the ones Moses selected and put in place in Exodus 18:21–26:
21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.”
24 So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 26 So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.
It is this group that Moses called, summoned to him so that they, in turn could lead their charges to him in what follows.
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” 1
"Most High" - a title for the true God with a focus on him being supreme, and shows high status. It occurs about 43 times in the English Bible. The point here is to invoke the idea of a ruler and all that this would imply to the ancient mind. Rulership, sovereignty, power, fear in the minds of followers, and the inviolable and unbroachable ability to protect. This is virtually absolute in the human world, how much more so in the realm of God Himself?
The title emphasizes God’s majesty and is parallel to the term Almighty. Together the terms Most High and Shaddai speak of God as a mountain-like majesty, in whose presence there is a “secret place” or a shadow.
"Shall abide" - The word appears 87 times and is from a root meaning to stay the night, to "lodge" or to abide for some extended time. The declension of the verb implies a causative idea, namely that the subject will be "caused to abide." It's form is also "imperfect" and so we are to see this either as future tense or as an incomplete action. It seems unlikely that this is a "pure" future tense, meaning that we dwell in the secret place now and abide later. Rather, we are to see this an an action in progress, incomplete as it were. The one who dwells in the secret place will be abiding, is, according to this verse, to be seen as abiding now, under the shadow of the Almighty.
One might actually view this in the form of a promise. It is surely a declarative statement on David's part, and, as the "Singer of Israel", under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he speaks for God and thus this declarative statement can be taken as being made by God Himself.
These kinds of statements can and should be taken be what they are - statements of God's intention to be, not only to David himself, but to all of His people what He promises. We see this by the generic nature of the verse. It is "He who..." and directed to David particularly.
"Under" is a simple preposition, a marker of position within certain limits, contrasted with being outside an area, even in a three dimensional area. It takes its' specific meaning from the context of the sentence. Here, because we are talking something that casts a "shadow", "under" seems the best and most logical translation.
"...the shadow of the Almighty" - A "shadow" refers to the state of interposing something between an object and a light source, with the associative meanings of protection and refreshment, and a transitory nature. This is the "shadow" referred to in 2 Kings 20:9 that went backward:
Then Isaiah said, “This is the sign to you from the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing which He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go backward ten degrees?”
As a metaphor it can refer to protection, or formally, shadow, i.e., that which keeps an object safe from harm or danger as a figurative extension of shade which comes between a light source and an object. The imagery is that of the superior extending a strong and mighty appendage so that it interposes itself between the the one in question and some danger or threat, with its' "shadow" thus providing security and protection. In a land where the sun can be oppressive and dangerous, a “shadow” was understood as a metaphor for care and protection.
"The Almighty" - One of the titles in the OT for the true God, as we have noted, with a focus on the power to complete promises of blessing and prosperity. The Hebrew word is used 41 times in the OT, 31 of those times are in the Book of Job; it is used a time or two in just a a book or two elsewhere.
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” 1
This is a psalm of trust, does not identify its author, but it is generally thought to be wither David or Moses. The psalm is sufficiently similar to Ps. 90, a psalm of Moses, that it might also be by him. Alternatively, the experiences and ideas of Moses could have been used by an anonymous writer. This poem has a very strong messianic thrust, and God Himself speaks in vv. 14–16 (see also Ps. 12; 60; 75; 87). The development of the psalm is in four main sections: (1) a confession of confidence in the Lord (vv. 1, 2); (2) assurance that those who trust in the Lord need not fear evil (vv. 3–8); (3) promises of God’s protection to the coming One (vv. 9–13); (4) a description of the Lord’s protection of the coming One (vv. 14–16).
Verse 1 - "He who dwells" - The "he" is editorial, not mean to imply males, but rather the whole of humanity.
"Dwells" is to live or stay, i.e., to be in a place for any period of time, usually implying a longer amount of time. It first used of the family of Cain in Genesis 4:16:
16 Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.
Of course, such a common word has a variety of other applications and meanings, many of them metaphorical and non-literal. The idea is to be in a place (there is not necessarily personal relationship implied in every instance) or be with a person. The thing about this verb is the implication of a long amount of time, commitment or settledness.
As a general statement, the verse states the theme of the whole psalm. Those who draw near to God can have peace in Him, however difficult their circumstances. We'll see that as move through the passage. We should take care to look and see the 4 Names for God given:
Most High (see Gen. 14:18),
Almighty (see Gen. 17:1),
Lord (see Gen. 2:4), and
God (see Gen. 1:1).
This God is the shelter, or hiding place, and protection (shadow), refuge, and fortress for His own.
The "secret place" is a hiding place, or a covered place. The word means a place of shelter and refuge as a location where one can dwell, implying protection from a danger. It is certain that this is not referring to a literal, physical place. No believer runs to a physical, literal place for safety when the world threatens. To interpret this and other passages like in such a fashion (and some have - hence the retreating of Monks and such) is miss the intent of the verse altogether. It is not David's intent to have us withdraw from society, but rather to have us live in society, safe, but yet bold in the assurance that we live , say by day, in the "secret place" of the Most High God. What better assurance could there be?
David said in Psalm 61:3–4:
3 For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. 4 I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.
Of course, we remember the great assurance of Psalm 90:1
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Isaiah assured Israelites that "He will be as a sanctuary..." (Isaiah 8:14a). Ezekiel said much the same thing when he said
"...yet I shall be a little sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone." (Ezekiel 11:16b).
Elsewhere, David made mention of God's "secret place":
You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence From the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues. Psalm 31:20
Note that here we get a little more information about that "secret place - it is wrapped up in His "presence", that is, in our interaction with Him on a personal and direct level.
In Psalm 27:5 David again mentions the "Secret Place":
For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
In Psalm 32:7 he spoke of God Himself as that place:
You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.
In Psalm 64:2, without specifically mentioning the "secret place, David conveys the same idea:
Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,
Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 36:26 records that God Divinely protected he and Baruch:
And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them.
Of course, ultimately, all of this points to the fulfilled work of Christ as it safely shelters us in rock that is Christ and His finished work on Calvary. Paul told the Colossians in Colossians 3:3:
3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
He is that secret place! The person who trusts in God is the one who lives close to Him.
