Torah Portion: Exodus 30:11-34:35
Ki Tissa (‘When you take…’)
Moses was on the mountain a long time – long enough for the Children of Israel to murmur yet again. They had already grumbled when they lacked bread and water, despite seeing God's great deliverance from Egypt. Now a new set of grumblers without discernment led the entire nation to worship an idol such as they would have known in Egypt – even Aaron gave way to them.
God saw it all even as He gave instructions to Moses concerning the sanctuary where He Himself would be pleased to dwell among the people. Too late then! The plan was to be shelved. Wrath instead of favour would pour from heaven upon Israel.
One of those biblical paradoxes then occurred: Moses interceded for the people with all his heart and God relented of His plan to destroy the entire nation. Did God inspire Moses' prayers so that He could answer them, or did Moses change God's mind? Possibly both of these things (within a logic that is higher than ours), and in the working out of God's purposes Moses himself was tested and found a worthy leader of the people, caring more for them than for himself. God remembered His covenant with Israel.
Biblical Parallels
There are many parallels in this incident with the ministry of Yeshua, who came down from heaven, fulfilling the Torah that was first given to Moses. Yeshua returned from sinful humanity to the place where God dwelt. He is our intercessor. He will return one day, as Moses came down from the mountain a second time. It is interesting to study our Torah portion with these parallels in mind.
Yet Yeshua's ministry is far greater than that of Moses. The temporary nature of Moses' ministry was typified by his shining face that was to be veiled. His shining face was hard to look at and would gradually lose its shine (Ex 34:29-35). Just as the Torah is unable to change the inner nature of man when obeyed in the flesh, so Moses’ face shone externally. The external requirements of Torah were hard to keep, just as Moses' face was too bright to look upon. The heart intent of ‘the law’ was also veiled at the time of Moses.
By contrast, the light of God came from within Yeshua and is imparted to His disciples by the giving of His Holy Spirit, enabling us to live by the precepts of Torah.
Our Privilege
When we read of all that the Children of Israel encountered in the wilderness in those dramatic days we might think that they were highly privileged, as we consider the escape from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the provision in the wilderness, the giving of the Torah and the building of the Tabernacle. Yet our privilege is infinitely higher. This week we have an opportunity to meditate on this and be thankful.
...if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? (2 Corinthians 3:7-8)
Author: Clifford Denton