At ERC, where I fellowship, preach, and teach, we have a question and answer time once a month where people can submit their questions anonymously and then either Thang Bwee or I answer them. For the questions that I have the privilege of answering I’m posting the answers here for your edification and general discussion. If you think there’s room for correction then you’re more than welcome to do that publicly using the comment feature below this post. I look forward to our interactions.
The Question(s)
Exodus 32:33
33 But the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.”
What does ‘blot out of my book’ mean?
The Response(s)
- Firstly, the ‘book’ referred to here is derived from the custom of the ancients of keeping genealogical records (Neh 7:5; Neh 7:64; Neh 12:22; Neh 12:23) and of enrolling citizens for various purposes (Jer 22:30; Eze 13:9). So, God is represented as having a record of all who are under His special care and guardianship.#
- BLOT – exaleipho – “to wipe,” signifies “to wash, or to smear completely.” In the sense of removal, “to wipe away, wipe off, obliterate;” Acts 3:19, of sins; Col 2:14, of writing; Rev 3:5, of a name in a book; Rev 7:17; Rev 21:4, of tears.
- To be blotted out of the Book is to be cut off from God’s favour, to suffer an untimely death, to be robbed of an inheritance.
- Here, in Exodus, the inheritance is the promised land, and by implication, eternal life.
# – In the New Testament it is the record of the righteous who are to inherit eternal life.
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What are your thoughts on these answers? Agree? Disagree? A bit of both? Please use the comments section to share what you think.
Blessings,
Martin
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