The Bible Slam: Exodus Chapter 33

God is so angry with the stiff-necked Israelites that he refuses to hang out with them, choosing to send an angel instead, who will clear the way of  "the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite" so that the people will make it to the promised land flowing with milk and honey.   Because God is so angry with the Israelites, he will consume all of them if he is in their presence.   As penance, the Israelites are not to wear jewelry or fancy clothes.

Moses, however, gets to talk "face to face" with God inside his tent, in the manner of good friends.   Everyone knows this is about to happen because a cloud pillar stands at the tent door when God descends and is about to to talk with Moses.   A few verses later, God tells Moses that "Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live."   He does, however, allow Moses to see his glorious "back parts."

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Discussion Points.

For the literalist, the contradictions in Exodus 33 are obvious — and hilarious!   Chelev points it out the best.

Digging deeper, Skeptics Annotated points out:

(33:2) "I will drive out the Canaanite."
God promises to cast out many nations including the Canaanites and the Jebusites. But he was unable to fulfill his promise. (See Joshua 15:63, 16:10, 17.12-13: Judges 1:21, 27, 3:1-5)

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