Daily Devotion | Exodus 34:1–16 | December 30, 2025

Dear brothers and sisters, peace to you. By the grace of God, we come to a new day to study our Daily Devotion. Today’s Scripture is Exodus 34:1–16.

Let us pray. Lord, we thank you. You are so willing to deal graciously with us. Although we fail again and again, you never cast us off. You continue to draw us with cords of steadfast love and bring us before you. You once again enter into covenant with us—how faithful you are, how merciful you are, and how mighty is this expression of your grace. Have mercy among us, O Lord, that we may run all our lives after you. In the name of Christ, amen.

Now we consider what happens after Israel’s sin. How does God face such a situation? How does He deal with His people? After Moses came down from the mountain, and after the Levites struck down about three thousand men, Exodus 33 records the dialogue between the LORD and Moses. Because of Moses’ intercession, God forgave Israel’s sin.

We understand very clearly that this forgiveness was not because of Moses himself, nor because of Moses’ name, but because the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ would one day cover and blot out sin. Moses then asked to see God’s glory, and God told him that he would see His back while standing in the cleft of the rock. This teaches us that God’s glory is only truly seen in Jesus Christ.

After this, the question remains: how will God continue to deal with His relationship with Israel?

In Exodus 34, God commands Moses to cut two new stone tablets, like the first ones that Moses had broken. God says that He Himself will write again what was written before. Moses is then commanded to go up Mount Sinai again, to meet the LORD on the top of the mountain. No one else may go up with him. There must be no one anywhere on the mountain, and even the flocks and herds may not graze at its base.

This covenant setting is the same as before. The same commands appeared earlier in Exodus 19: no one may touch the boundary of the mountain, and whoever touches it must be put to death. Even animals may not approach. God’s holiness and the seriousness of His covenant have not changed.

Moses obeys. He cuts the two stone tablets, just like the first, rises early in the morning, and goes up Mount Sinai as the LORD commanded him, carrying the two tablets in his hands. This is recorded in verse 4.

As we read Scripture, we often discover a recurring pattern: the pattern of “two times.” The first attempt ends in failure; the second follows after. This pattern appears again and again throughout the Bible and throughout Israel’s history.

Israel’s spiritual life often unfolds in this way. When you see this pattern, you should not be surprised. For example, when Israel asked for a king, Saul was appointed first, and he failed; then David was raised up. First failure, then restoration. This pattern appears repeatedly in Scripture.

Through this pattern, God trains His people to understand that in the Old Testament, it is impossible for fallen human beings to keep God’s statutes and commandments by their own strength. We must be in Jesus Christ if we are to walk in obedience to God’s law.

God then stands with Moses and proclaims the name of the LORD. Verses 6 and 7 record God’s proclamation of His own name.

Why is knowing God’s name so important? God’s name reveals His attributes. When God proclaims His name to Moses, He is telling Moses what kind of God He is. And when we know what kind of God He is, we know how we must worship Him.

Earlier, God revealed Himself as “I AM.” This declared His self-existence, infinity, omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence. It emphasized His power as Creator. Now, in Exodus 34:6–7, the revelation becomes more concrete.

The Creator now reveals Himself also as the Redeemer. “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious.” God reveals that He is merciful and gracious. Otherwise, after the covenant was broken, He could have destroyed Israel and made Moses into a great nation. Instead, He heard Moses’ prayer and renewed the covenant.

God is “slow to anger” and “abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” This does not mean that God never becomes angry. It means that He is not quick to anger, while His steadfast love and faithfulness are exceedingly great.

God keeps steadfast love for thousands and forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin. This does not mean every individual without exception will be saved. Rather, it means that among all nations God preserves a people for Himself.

God also declares that He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting iniquity to the third and fourth generation. This echoes the second commandment.

For believers, this curse has been removed in Christ, because Christ has borne the full judgment for His elect. This warning refers to those who remain within the covenant community outwardly, yet do not truly believe.

When Moses hears God’s declaration of judgment, he immediately bows down and worships. He pleads that the LORD would go in the midst of this stiff-necked people and forgive their sin. Moses understands that if God dealt with Israel strictly according to justice, none could stand.

God then responds in verse 10. He declares that He will make a covenant and perform marvelous deeds before all the people.

Historically, this includes God’s mighty works in bringing Israel into Canaan. Ultimately, it points to God’s solution to sin: although He is merciful, He must uphold justice. Therefore, He gives His Son, Jesus Christ, to bear the sins of His chosen people.

God then warns Israel not to make covenants with the nations, not to follow their idols, and not to fall into spiritual adultery. This warning reaches beyond ancient Israel.

We must examine our hearts. Who truly reigns as king within us? Are we devoted to God, or to earthly security, comfort, and prosperity?

Verse 16 warns against intermarriage with idolaters, explaining Genesis 6:1–2. Israel was easily led astray because idolatry promised prosperity, pleasure, and indulgence.

God calls His people to abandon this false system. There are two languages: the language of the world, which seeks a comfortable life, and the language of heaven, which speaks of sin, grace, and eternal life. We must move from the world’s language to heaven’s language, or we will perish.

May God help us to do this. This concludes today’s devotion. Thank you, brothers and sisters.