This chapter concerns the recovery of the broken covenant between God and His people (Exo. 32:19; v. 10a).

Lit., he.

To meet with God in the morning is not only to meet with Him early in the day; it is also to meet with God in a situation that is full of light (cf. Prov. 4:18). Like Moses, we should go to God alone, without any persons, matters, or things to distract or occupy us (v. 3; cf. Mark 1:35).

For God to proclaim His name means that He assumed His position by declaring who He is.

God’s wonderful doings were for the goal of bringing His people into the good land for the building up of the temple as God’s testimony and His dwelling place on earth. Likewise, God performs wonders for us with the intention of bringing us into Christ, the reality of the good land (see note Deut. 8:7¹ in ), for the building up of the church as God’s testimony and God’s temple (Rev. 1:2; 1 Cor. 3:16).

Images of a female deity.

Verses 12-17 are a warning concerning the snare of idolatry, a repetition of the first three of the Ten Commandments (Exo. 20:2-7). An idol is any person, matter, or thing that replaces God and keeps us from the full enjoyment of Christ as our good land. God declared that He would do everything to bring the people into the good land (vv. 10-11), but He also pointed out the danger of idolatry, which would nullify His wondrous doings on behalf of the children of Israel. Likewise, God has promised to do everything necessary to bring us into the all-inclusive Christ for our enjoyment (cf. Col. 1:12-13), but we must take heed to God’s warning concerning idolatry (cf. 1 John 5:21).

It was not God’s intention that His people would endeavor in their own strength to keep the Ten Commandments. Rather, His intention was to command His people to enjoy Him — to feast with Him and rest with Him. This is contrary to our natural desire to always want to do something for God (cf. Luke 15:18-32 and note Luke 15:19²). The keeping of God’s commandments must be secondary; it must be the issue of feasting with the Lord and resting with Him (see note Gen. 2:17^1a, par. 1).

For the significance of the three annual feasts mentioned in vv. 18 and vv. 22-23, see note on Exo. 23:14-16 and on Lev. 23.

See note Exo. 13:13¹.

In addition to the annual feasts (vv. 18, 22-23), every week the children of Israel were to keep the Sabbath, ceasing from their labor and resting with God in remembrance of Him as their Creator and Redeemer. The inserting of the word concerning the Sabbath between the word concerning the feasts indicates that while we are enjoying Christ, simultaneously we rest with Him.

For the children of Israel the feasts were held yearly and the Sabbath (v. 21) was kept weekly. However, this should be a portrait of our daily experience of Christ. Every day we should enjoy Christ as the three feasts mentioned in this chapter, and many times during the day we should cease from our work and rest with Christ in remembrance of Him.

This verse gives the reason that God’s people need to feast with Him and rest with Him. The best way to fight against the enemy and to keep the enemy away from us is to enjoy the Lord.

The driving out of the nations signifies the demolishing of the things that preoccupy and usurp us (see note Exo. 23:23^1a); the enlarging of the borders of the good land signifies the enlarging of our capacity to enjoy Christ (1 Chron. 4:10 and note 1 Chron. 4:10^1a); and the keeping away of the coveting enemies signifies the guarding of the enjoyment of Christ.

See note Exo. 34:24².

See note Exo. 23:18¹.

This signifies that we should enjoy the riches of Christ to the fullest extent in this age and not postpone this enjoyment until the next age (morning — cf. 2 Pet. 1:19). Cf. note Exo. 29:34².

See note Exo. 23:19¹.

See note Exo. 23:19^2b.

Lit., mouth. God’s speaking in this chapter is a repetition of what He spoke in chs. 20—23. The focus of this repeated speaking is not on the keeping of the Ten Commandments and the ordinances of the law but on the enjoyment of God through the enjoyment of the riches of the good land and the repeated feasting and resting with Him. This matches the focus of the New Testament teaching, which is concerned primarily with the enjoyment of Christ (1 Cor. 1:9; 5:8). It was not God’s intention merely to have a people to keep His commandments and ordinances. God’s intention was to dispense Himself into His chosen people so that they would be fully infused with Him in order to express Him (see note Exo. 34:29¹).

Lit., words.

Or, his (Moses’) speaking with Him (Jehovah); cf. Num. 7:89. Through God’s speaking to Moses during his lengthy stay with God, Moses was thoroughly infused with God and saturated with Him. As a result, Moses’ face shone. According to this chapter, God did not first give Moses the tablets of the law; rather, He first spent time to infuse Moses with Himself by speaking to Moses concerning the enjoyment of Himself (cf. 2 Cor. 3:3). Before God gave the law to Moses, God gave Himself to him. This clearly portrays God’s intention.

See 2 Cor. 3:13 and note 2 Cor. 3:13¹.

Cf. 2 Cor. 3:18 and notes 3-6.