The Context of Exodus 34: Moses and the Broken Tablets
The narrative of Exodus 34 is one of profound restoration following a period of catastrophic failure. To fully grasp its significance, one must understand the events immediately preceding it. In Exodus 32, while Moses is on Mount Sinai receiving the Law directly from God, the Israelites below pressure Aaron into constructing a golden calf—an idol they proclaim as their god. This act constitutes a blatant and severe violation of the covenant just established in the previous chapters.
God’s anger burns against the people, and Moses intercedes on their behalf, invoking the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Exodus 32:13). Moses descends from the mountain, witnesses the debauchery himself, and in a righteous fury, smashes the two tablets of the Testimony, symbolizing the people’s breaking of the covenant. After administering justice and again pleading with God, Moses is instructed to carve out two new stone tablets like the first ones and return to the mountain. Exodus 34 opens at this precise moment: a second chance, not born of human merit, but of divine mercy and the intercession of a faithful mediator.
Exodus 34:1-9: The Revelation of God’s Character
The heart of Exodus 34, and perhaps one of the most theologically significant passages in the Old Testament, is God’s self-revelation to Moses. He does not simply reiterate the Law; He first proclaims His own character.
This proclamation (Exodus 34:6-7) becomes the foundational definition of God’s nature, echoed throughout the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures (e.g., Numbers 14:18, Nehemiah 9:17, Psalm 86:15, Joel 2:13, Jonah 4:2). It is a balanced revelation of overwhelming grace and unwavering justice. God is:
- Compassionate (רַחוּם – Rachum): This word conveys a deep, visceral, womb-like love; a mercy that is tender and intimate.
- Gracious (חַנּוּן – Channun): He gives freely and generously, bestowing favor that is not earned and never deserved.
- Slow to Anger (אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם – Erech Apayim): Literally “long of nose,” meaning His patience is vast and His forbearance is long.
- Abounding in Lovingkindness and Faithfulness (רַב־חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת – Rav Chesed ve’Emet): His covenant love (chesed) is steadfast, loyal, and immense. His truth (emet) is reliable and firm.
- Forgiving Iniquity, Transgression and Sin (נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָאָה – Noseh Avon vaFesha veChataah): He lifts up and carries away the guilt of all forms of wrongdoing—from subtle error to willful rebellion.
Yet, this grace is not lawless. God does not leave guilt unpunished. His justice ensures that the consequences of sin ripple through generations, while also highlighting His mercy toward the thousands who choose love and obedience.
Moses’s response to this revelation is immediate and correct: he bows in worship and pleads for God’s presence to remain with the stiff-necked people, appealing directly to the character God just revealed.
The Renewed Covenant and Its Stipulations (Exodus 34:10-28)
In response to Moses’s intercession, God announces He will make a covenant—a formal, binding agreement. The chapter then details the stipulations of this renewed covenant. It is crucial to note that this is a reaffirmation, not a replacement, of the covenant made earlier. The core moral law (the Ten Commandments) is reiterated (v. 12-26), but with a heightened emphasis on the specific sins that just led to the golden calf incident: idolatry and assimilation with surrounding pagan nations.
Key commands include:
- Driving out the inhabitants of Canaan (v. 11-12, 24): This was a command for total separation from idolatrous cultures to protect the purity of Israel’s worship.
- The destruction of idols and altars (v. 13-14): “For you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” This divine jealousy is not petty envy; it is the righteous passion of a husband for his wife or a king for his people, demanding exclusive loyalty owed within the covenant relationship.
- A warning against intermarriage and political alliances (v. 15-16): These relationships would inevitably become a snare, leading the Israelites’ hearts away from Yahweh and toward their gods.
- Reiteration of religious festivals (v. 18-26): The Feast of Unleavened Bread, the dedication of the firstborn, the Sabbath, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Ingathering (Tabernacles). These communal practices were designed to keep God’s redemptive acts (like the Exodus) at the center of Israel’s identity and calendar.
This section concludes with the Lord commanding Moses to write down these words, signifying the formal re-establishment of the covenant. Moses remains on the mountain forty days and nights, without food or water, as God Himself writes the words of the Decalogue on the new tablets of stone.
The Radiant Face of Moses (Exodus 34:29-35)
The chapter closes with one of the most powerful visual representations of encountering God’s presence. Unbeknownst to him, Moses’s face shone with radiance (קָרַן עוֹר פָּנָיו – qaran ‘or panav) because he had spoken with God. This was not a mere reflection, but an emission of light—a physical transformation resulting from intimate contact with the Divine.
This radiance was so intense it caused the Israelites to be afraid to approach him. Moses began wearing a veil after these divine encounters, removing it only when he went in to speak with the Lord and when he relayed God’s words to the people. The veil served two purposes: it mitigated the people’s fear, and it concealed the fading nature of the glory. The Apostle Paul would later use this very imagery in 2 Corinthians 3 to argue that the glory of the New Covenant in Christ is far more permanent and glorious than the fading glory of the Old Covenant mediated by Moses.
The Theological Significance of Exodus 34 Today
Exodus 34 is far more than a historical account; it is a foundational chapter for understanding the character of God and the pattern of redemption.
- The Primacy of God’s Grace: The covenant was renewed before any laws were reiterated. Grace preceded the law. God’s actions are motivated by His innate character of compassion and steadfast love, not by human performance.
- The Role of the Mediator: Moses is a clear type of Christ—a foreshadowing. He stands between a holy God and a sinful people, interceding for them based on God’s own word and character. Jesus is the ultimate mediator (1 Timothy 2:5) who perfectly intercedes for us.
- The Call to Holiness: God’s grace demands a response. His mercy is not permission for licentiousness but a call to separation from sin and wholehearted devotion to Him. The commands against idolatry are a timeless call to examine what “gods” we may be building in our own lives.
- The Transforming Power of God’s Presence: Moses was physically transformed by spending time with God. This serves as a powerful promise for believers today. Through the Holy Spirit, we are called to be continually transformed into the image of Christ with ever-increasing glory as we behold Him (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Exodus 34 stands as an eternal testament that our God is both transcendent in His holy justice and immanent in His merciful love—a God who rightly judges sin yet provides a way for restoration for all who seek Him.