Exodus 33 - 40: Moses and God Smooth Things Over and Move On

God says to Moses, "You've spent enough time here and everyone has caused a lot of trouble. Get going to that land I'm giving you. But I'm not going with you myself. I'm so angry that I could just spit and I'm honestly afraid that I might do something stupid like wipe you all out. I'm sending an angel to guide you instead."

"Aw, c'mon," say the people. "Come with us. We're sorry..."

"I need a break," says God. "And NO JEWELRY! This is a pilgrimage, not a fashion show."

Moses pitches his tent outside the camp and calls it the Tent of Meeting. Whenever he goes inside, the big funnel cloud descends from the sky and God talks to Moses. The people would get up and watch the giant pillar of cloud from their own tent doors and worship it.

Moses sighs. "God," he says, "I'm not getting all the information I need here. You tell me to bring the people out of Egypt, but you're not leading us yourself. You tell me I've found favor in your sight, but you don't tell me anything about your decision making process. These are your people you're entrusting me with, so consider that."

"My presence will be with you as you travel," God replies.  "You'll have an angel."

"See, but we really need you with us. It makes us special and distinguishes us from all the other people," says Moses.

"Yeah, you're right," says God. "I'll do as you say since you are my favorite and the only person that I really feel like I can talk to."

"Prove it," says Moses. "Show me your glory." (As if everything that God's done for him up until now is not enough.)

"I'll travel with you, but you can't see my face or you'll die."

"But didn't we all have dinner a couple month back on Mt. Sinai? I saw you then."

"Shh," says God. "How about this... go stand in that crack in that rock. Then I'll walk by but I'll block your view of my face."

God tells Moses to cut two stone tables like the ones he threw on the ground in his temper tantrum over the golden calf. "Carry those up the mountain," God says. "And come alone."

Moses goes up the mountain and God tells him that while he is gracious, merciful, loving and forgiving and also slow to anger (really???), that guilt for sins will follow their people through the fourth generation, essentially setting up everyone for lifetimes of guilt and doom.

"I see that I've found favor in your sight," says Moses. "Please... lead on."

God reminds Moses that they're his favorite people and that they're going to a land of milk and honey, but reminds him again of all the rules regarding worshiping other gods, keeping the feasts, not working on the seventh day, leavened bread, etc. He's again up there for 40 days and 40 nights, re-carving the tablets with the Ten Commandments.

The future's looking brighter already!

When Moses comes back down, there's no debauchery, no golden calf, no dancing or parties or nakedness. The people behaved. But everyone looks at him and is terrified because he's all shiny and glowing from talking to God.

"Get over here!" says Moses. Everyone comes over and he tells them again everything that God said. But then he puts a veil over his face because it's probably pretty distracting to everyone. He only takes it off to talk to God.

Everyone gets around to finally building all the stuff that God told them to make. Moses does warn them though that they need to take a break on the seventh day. If they work on that day they will die. The people all contribute the materials needed and Moses lays out the plans and delegates the work load. The tabernacle, the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars for incense and burnt offerings, the bronze basin, the courtyard, and Aaron's and his sons' priestly robes were all made and blessed as per instructions.

"Excellent!" says God, steepling his fingers together. "So on the first day of the month, set all this up and anoint and consecrate the whole thing."

Moses does this, and the pillar of cloud comes down and fills the tabernacle with the glory of the lord. So much glory that Moses can't even enter.

Throughout their journey from now on, the cloud over the tabernacle signals when it is time to move on. When the cloud is there, they stay. When the cloud lifts, they pack up and move.