Scared to Death Exodus 33

Scared to Death

How many times have you heard a mother say to her child "you scared me to death"? The child having been lost, in the street, climbing  or jumping off of "who knows what". In this case it is a saying of relief, however science has proven that you can in actuality be "scared to death". The controversy over this saying put science to the test. Science set out to show and has now proven that if enough adrenaline is pumped into the heart when the fight or flight response take over, that yes! your heart can actually stop. In 2009 the Associated Press did a story of a 79 year old woman that died when confronted by a 20 year old male man that robbed her home. He was tried and convicted of first degree murder. The terror of the attack killed her without ever being touched. This same phenomena has also been recorded in other perceived life threatening situations such as animal attacks, amusement rides or sudden scares. The event does not have to be a bad one, it can be joyful, it is the suddenness and overwhelming response of the nervous system that causes the heart to stop. It could for instance be the response that a human might have if he were to see the face of God.
When Moses requests to see God in Exodus 33, Gods response is to allow Moses to see his back however God states "No-one can see my face and live". What an awesome God we serve!!
John 1:18New Living Translation (NLT)
¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God,^[a] is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.
1 John 4:12New Living Translation (NLT)
¹² No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
Exodus 33 actually contains one of my favorite passages. It is a touching conversation between a man and his friend. The back and forth, the reasoning and understanding draw us in and cause us to crave this kind of relationship with God. In verse 13 Moses states "let me know you so that I can understand you more fully and please you".

Cool Tidbits from Exodus 33;

• Prior to the tabernacle being built Moses met with God in a tent set apart from the people.this is where he was found often pleading for God not to strike them down because of disobedience.
• Moses clearly understand that God's presence is the only thing that sets them apart from other nations.. Moses points this out and states that there is no point continuing on to the promised land without God being with them.

Dig Deeper:

Exodus 33 New Living Translation (NLT)

33 The Lord said to Moses, “Get going, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt. Go up to the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I told them, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’ ² And I will send an angel before you to drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. ³ Go up to this land that flows with milk and honey. But I will not travel among you, for you are a stubborn and rebellious people. If I did, I would surely destroy you along the way.”

⁴ When the people heard these stern words, they went into mourning and stopped wearing their jewelry and fine clothes. ⁵ For the Lord had told Moses to tell them, “You are a stubborn and rebellious people. If I were to travel with you for even a moment, I would destroy you. Remove your jewelry and fine clothes while I decide what to do with you.” ⁶ So from the time they left Mount Sinai,^[a] the Israelites wore no more jewelry or fine clothes.
⁷ It was Moses’ practice to take the Tent of Meeting^[b] and set it up some distance from the camp. Everyone who wanted to make a request of the Lord would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp.
⁸ Whenever Moses went out to the Tent of Meeting, all the people would get up and stand in the entrances of their own tents. They would all watch Moses until he disappeared inside. ⁹ As he went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at its entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses. ¹⁰ When the people saw the cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, they would stand and bow down in front of their own tents. ¹¹ Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting.

Moses Sees the Lord’s Glory

¹² One day Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, ‘I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.’ ¹³ If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.”

¹⁴ The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”
¹⁵ Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place. ¹⁶ How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”
¹⁷ The Lord replied to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.”
¹⁸ Moses responded, “Then show me your glorious presence.”
¹⁹ The Lord replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh,^[c] before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. ²⁰ But you may not look directly at my face, for no one may see me and live.” ²¹ The Lord continued, “Look, stand near me on this rock. ²² As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.”

Footnotes:

1. 33:6 Hebrew Horeb, another name for Sinai.
2. 33:7 This “Tent of Meeting” is different from the Tabernacle described in chapters 26 and 36.
3. 33:19 Yahweh is a transliteration of the proper name YHWH that is sometimes rendered “Jehovah”; in this translation it is usually rendered “the Lord” (note the use of small capitals).