In this renewal of the Covenant, the people were kept at a distance. Events have taken place between God and Moses; now, the people can be confident about their future because Moses represents them as the perfect mediator: he speaks face-to-face with God and receives his favor, for he listens to him. The people would not dare turn their backs on their guide and mediator, as they had done in 32:1-4. It is interesting how the forty days that Moses spends on the mountain, according to 24:18, are used as an excuse for rejecting him (32:1-4). This is mentioned again in 34:28. It serves to connect the people’s will and destiny to the guidance of the mediator who has acted for their benefit, not his own, and who has been able to reestablish the Covenant with God by and for them. This devotion and respect for his leadership are illustrated by the image of the shining face, which radiates—not for himself, but for the people.