Justin Houtz

Exodus 34, John 16

DateVersionReading Plan
March 25, 2025ESV (2016)OT/NT Plan 2025 – 2027

Exodus 34

Observation

The LORD commanded Moses to cut two tablets of stone like the first and come up the next morning to present them to Him on the top of Mount Sinai (Exod. 34:1-2). No one was to come up with Moses and no one was to be seen throughout all the mountain (Exod. 34:3). Moses cut the two tablets, rose the next morning and went up the mountain as he was told by the LORD (Exod. 34:4). The LORD descended in a cloud and stood with Moses, passing by Moses and proclaimed that He is the LORD who is gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, keeping it for thousands but will by no means clear the guilty (Exod. 34:6-7). Moses quickly bowed his head, worshipped the LORD and asked that the LORD would go with them if Moses had found favor in His sight (Exod. 34:8). Moses acknowledged that the people were stiff-necked (the first and only time Moses referenced the people as “stiff-necked” rather than God) and asked that God pardon their iniquity and take them for His inheritance (Exod. 34:9).

The LORD responded and said that He was making a new covenant and would do marvels before such as never had been created in all the earth (Exod. 34:10). The LORD said that He would drive out before them the current inhabitants of the land and that the people should take care not to make a covenant with them lest it become a snare in their midst (Exod. 34:12). The LORD gave several commands that the people were to follow in order to proceed in faith and obedience to the one, true God. These included both things to avoid doing and things they were to do (Exod. 34:13-26). The LORD commanded Moses to write these words because they were in accordance with the covenant He made with Moses and Israel. Moses stayed with the LORD forty days and forty days. He ate nothing in this time and wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments (Exod. 34:27-28).

When Moses came down the mountain, he did not know that his face shown from speaking with of the LORD (Exod. 34:29). Upon seeing Moses, Aaron and the people responded in fear and did not want to come near him (Exod. 34:30). However, Moses called to the people and Aaron and all the leaders returned to him (Exod. 34:31). Moses spoke to the people and, when finished, put a veil over his face (Exod. 34:33). When Moses spoke to the LORD, he would remove the veil until he came out (Exod. 34:34). When he came out and told the people what the LORD commanded, they would see that Moses’ face was shining (Exod. 34:34-35). Moses would then put the veil back on until he went in to speak with the LORD (Exod. 34:35).

Application

The heights of God’s steadfast love, faithfulness and holiness are on wonderful display in this chapter. The LORD expressed His love by creating a covenant with the people and gave them the parameters by which they could live in faithful obedience to Him. However, even His radiant holiness reflected by Moses’ face fostered fear among the people. Understanding the balance of these things is crucial. By Jesus’ condescension, God became flesh—tangible and approachable—and yet remained fully God, possessing all attributes of holiness and righteousness. It is a mystery beyond measure but one that should instill a sense of wonder, reverence and worship of our God.

John 16

Observation

Jesus told His disciples that He said these things in order that they would be kept from falling away (John 16:1). They would be put out of the synagogues—considered by most Jews as one of the worst things that could happen (BBC)—and even seek to kill them, thinking that this is an offering of service to God (John 16:2). However, it is because they do not know Jesus that they do such things (John 16:3). Jesus told His disciples these things so that when the hour comes, they would remember what He told them (John 16:4)

Jesus told them that He was going to the One who sent Him and that none of them asked Him where He was going (John 16:5). He acknowledged how sorrow had filled their heart, but it was to their advantage that He go away because He would send the Helper, the Holy Spirit (John 16:6-7). The Helper would come to be the divine ministerial agent within the world, convicting the world of sin and righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-11). Jesus told them that he was telling them things that they could not now bear but the Spirit of truth would guide them into all the truth when He comes (John 16:12-13). The Spirit does not speak on His own authority, but speaks of what He hears, declaring what is Jesus’ and declaring it to them (John 16:15).

Jesus continued in telling the disciples that in a little while they would no longer see Him but then they would a little while after (John 16:16). This confused the disciples (John 16:17-18), but Jesus gave them clarification, knowing that they wanted to ask Him (John 16:18-19). He told them that they would weep and lament like a woman giving birth whose hour had come (John 16:20-21). However, the woman’s anguish would be forgotten and replaced with joy that a human being was born into the world (John 16:21). So too would the disciples have sorrow but their hearts would rejoice when they see Jesus once again and this joy would not be taken from them (John 16:22).

Jesus said these things in figures of speech, but the hour was coming when He would tell His disciples plainly about the Father (John 16:25). He told them that they would ask in His name, a privilege in praying to the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus (BBC). He helped them to understand that the Father loves them because they love Him (Jesus) and that they believed that He had come from God (John 16:27). The disciples responded by saying that He was now speaking plainly and no longer needed to question whether Jesus came from God (John 16:29-30). In reply, Jesus told them that His hour had come and that they would be scattered, but He would not be alone because the Father is with Him (John 16:32). He told them these things that they would have peace, confirming that they would have tribulation in this world but to take heart because He has overcome the world (John 16:33)

Application

It is such a short time in which we are here in this world. We are sure to encounter trials and difficulties, but as with the woman in labor, all will be forgotten in light of the eternal blessedness of dwelling with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How important it is to take heart in all circumstances, knowing that our Lord has overcome the world and that everything will be made right in the Day of His coming. May we look upon this Day with eager expectation, proclaim its forthcoming excellencies to all who will hear.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, You are awesome in wonder and worthy of all praise. You are merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty. Lord Jesus, keep my eyes fixed on Your glory now as given to me by Your Word and the abundantly more glories to be beheld when I see You face to face.

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