On the next day Moses went up the mountain again, and took with him the two tables of stone. And the Lord came down in the cloud; and Moses was in the cleft of the rock, where he could see a small part of the glory, and hear the Lord's Voice proclaim before him, "The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth." Then indeed Moses bowed his head and worshipped. No man ever came so close to God as Moses, with whom God spoke face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend.
MOSES BRINGING THE NEW TABLES OF THE LAW.—Ex. 34:29-32.
Moses stayed forty days and forty nights up in the mountain. And God again wrote the Commandments upon the two tables of stone, and granted the Israelites to try again to keep them. When Moses came down from being in converse with God, the glory was still about his face. It was all shining like the sun, and was so bright that the Israelites could not fix their eyes on it; and he was obliged to put a veil over his face, because they could not bear to look at it. Was ever living man so favored, and brought into such glory?
QUESTIONS.
1. What wicked thing had the Israelites done? 2. Who prayed for their forgiveness? 3. Where did Moses go to pray for their forgiveness? 4. Who forgave them? 5. What did Moses venture to ask God to show him? 6. But what can no one do? 7. Where was Moses placed? 8. What passed by? 9. What voice did he hear? 10. How was Moses more honored than any man? 11. How long did he stay in the mountain? 12. What did God give him again? 13. How did his face look when he came down? 14. What did he do to hide his face? 15. How came his face to be so glorious?
SECOND READING.
"Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him."—Deut. 13:4.
