98 Daniel Timmer e) Request for Yahweh to Fully Restore the Covenant (34,9) Immediately after witnessing the theophany, Moses shows the relevance of the divine character just displayed and described by praying God to “go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate; and do pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as your own possession.” Moses’ request to see God’s glory is not, as Terrien colorfully puts it, libido theologica, since both before and after the event Moses’ ultimate concern is Israel’s preservation as the people of God (23). Both the theological and narratival elements of the theophany connect directly to the final request of Moses in 34,9 and the subsequent renewal of the covenant in 34,10-28. First, the preposition brqb in Moses’ last petition establishes that the account has finally come to discussion of fully restored divine proximity and presence among Israel. That God’s presence brqb Israel was the ideal appears from the equivalent description of Yahweh’s dwelling among (˚wtb) Israel in the tabernacle in 25,8 and 29,45, and especially from the denial in 33,3.5 that Yahweh could be brqb Israel without destroying them (24). Second, the problem of sin is not ignored, as the people’s repentance (33,4-6) and Moses’ importunate intercession together incline God to forgive graciously Israel’s sin. Finally, the first indicators of the covenant’s fracture in 32,7.19, Yahweh’s telling Moses that Israel belonged to Moses and Moses’ breaking of the tablets, have likewise been resolved by Moses’ petition that Yahweh once again take Israel as his inheritance and by Yahweh’s call for new tablets. 2. Theological Reflections On the basis of the above exegesis we can now summarize the developments in the treatment of divine presence within Exod 32–34, recognizing the equally critical role of Israel’s sinfulness which jeopardizes it (25). After its introduction in Exod 32, this tension between divine presence and its endangerment by Israel’s sin continues in the following chapters. On the one hand stands the (still incohate) tabernacle, to be built expressly to establish Yahweh’s permanent presence among the people; on the other stand the golden calf and Israel’s apostasy and idolatry, which have rendered Yahweh’s beneficent presence impossible at this point in the narrative. As we (23) S. TERRIEN, The Elusive Presence. Toward a New Biblical Theology (Religious Perspectives 26; San Francisco 1978) 144. (24) See S.S. TUELL, “˚wt”, New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis (ed. W. VANGEMEREN) (Grand Rapids 1997) IV, 279-280; S. RATTRAY – J. MILGROM, “br,q,”, TDOT XIII, 148-152. Especially in the context of the tabernacle (cf. Exod 25,8; 29,45-46; Lev 26,11-12), one would indeed expect that full divine presence would be described with ˚wtb and brqb rather than simply via µ[. (25) Thus W. Brueggemann’s aptly titled “The Crisis and Promise of Presence in Israel”, IDEM, Old Testament Theology. Essays on Structure, Theme, and Text (ed. P.D. MILLER) (Minneapolis 1992) 150-182. Notably, Brueggemann focuses on the paradox of God being “present in Israel but hidden from Israel” but does not integrate Israel’s forgiveness in his discussion (169, his emphasis). For an exploration of the interrelation of divine presence and forgiveness in this context, see my “Creation, Tabernacle and Sabbath: The Function of the Sabbath Frame in Exodus 31:12-17; 35:1-3” (Ph.D. diss., Trinity International University 2006).