Exodus 34:10 - Meaning and Application

With reconciliation made, God now establishes a covenant of friendship with Israel. The traitors are not only forgiven, but welcomed back and treated as favored people again. No wonder this is introduced with the word “Behold,” which calls for attention and amazement: “Behold, I make a covenant.”

When the covenant was broken, Israel was the one who broke it. Now that it is renewed, it is God who makes it. If there is strife, we must take the blame. If there is peace, God must receive all the glory. Here is God’s part of this covenant, what he promises to do for them (Exodus 34:10-11).

First, in general, “Before all your people I will do wonders.” Covenant blessings are wonderful things (Psalm 98:1), marvels in the kingdom of grace. The things mentioned here were wonders in the natural world, such as the drying up of Jordan and the sun standing still. They were true wonders because they had never happened before, things unlike anything seen anywhere in the earth. They would be Israel’s joy and help confirm their faith. “Your people will see and recognize the work of the Lord.” They would also strike fear into their enemies. “It is a terrifying thing that I will do.” Even God’s own people would see these works with awe.

In particular, God says, “I will drive out before you the Amorites.” As King over the nations, God removes some peoples and plants others, just as he pleases. As King over his saints, he made room for the vine he brought out of Egypt (Psalm 80:8-9). Whole kingdoms are given up for Israel’s good (Isaiah 43:3-4).

Second, here is their part of the covenant, “Observe what I command you.” We cannot expect the benefits of God’s promises unless we take his commands seriously. The two great commands are these. “You shall worship no other gods” (Exodus 34:14). Do not give divine honor to any creature, or to any made-up god of the imagination. A strong reason is given: it is dangerous to disobey this, “for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” He is as careful about the honor of his worship as a husband is about the honor of marriage. Human jealousy is often sinful rage (Proverbs 6:34), but God’s jealousy is his holy and just displeasure. No one can worship God rightly unless they worship him alone.

The second command is, “You shall not make for yourself a molten god” (Exodus 34:17). In other words, they must not try to worship the true God through images. This was the very sin they had just fallen into, so they are warned especially against it.

Two other commands put a fence around these two great commands. First, to keep them from being tempted to worship false gods, they must not form close ties with the people who did (Exodus 34:12). “Take care,” God says, because they were on dangerous ground. This was a sin they were likely to fall into, so they had to be very cautious and keep away from every step that led toward it. “Make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land.” If God, in kindness to them, drove out the Canaanites, then they should not, in disobedience to him, shelter them. What could be more reasonable? If God makes war on the Canaanites, Israel must not make peace with them. If God sees to it that the Canaanites are not their rulers, Israel must make sure they are not their trap.

This was also for Israel’s own civil good, since they were to finish taking the land. God’s laws often protect our good as well as his honor. They must especially avoid marrying them (Exodus 34:15-16). If they gave their children to these people in marriage, they would soon be in danger of joining themselves to their gods. Such is the corruption of human nature that evil people are far more likely to lead good people astray than good people are to reform the evil. Sin always goes downhill. Those who make alliances with idolaters will slowly come to love idolatry, and those who are first tempted to eat idol-sacrifices will eventually offer them too. Stop the wrong at the beginning.

Second, to keep them from making idols, they must completely destroy the idols they find, along with everything connected to them, the altars and sacred groves (Exodus 34:13). If these were left standing, they might later use them, copy them, or grow less hateful toward idolatry. The remains of idolatry should be wiped out because they insult the holy God and shame human nature. It should never be said that people who claim to reason have been foolish enough to make their own gods and then worship them.