Ex 32:1-34:35

Ex 32:1-6 (NIV) When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him."

2 Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."

5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord." 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.

• Let's start with a Aaron's action. Let's start with some positive reasons for his decision, can you think of any? Then, we will discuss negative reasons?
  
  • Positive: maybe Moses was gone (low view of God's sovereignty)
    
  • Mostly negative: Aaron did not create a new god, but rather an idol to represent God (used plural, which might be okay since Hebrew word is plural, but also forgot previous command from God)
    
  • Negative: people pleaser
    
  • Did not stand up for what is right
    
  • Tried to keep the people busy to stall for time
    
• Let's look at it from the people's point of view. What were they thinking?
  
  • Is Moses ever going to return? We need to move on (this is a typical battle most of us deal with God regarding decisions)
    
  • Wanted something tangible to put their faith in -- Jesus tells Thomas and others that those who followed are blessed because they believed without seeing
    
  • They too disobey the previous instruction of God, given before Moses went up the mountain, to not make any graven image
    
• This is not just an incident in the life of Israel. This is a major event. Some of the story in Exodus has parallels to the creation story in Genesis
  
  • The people's sin is the equivalent of Adam's disobedience
    
  • This sin has tremendous repercussions
    
  • When we recognize this fact, we see why Idolatry is such an important issue. APPLICATION: while we don't make graven images, I think we too worship objects of wood, stone, and metal. The worship of anything other than God is a path toward greater sin
    
• Why does the sacrifice to the calf turn into revelry?
  
  • Because sin leads to further sin. That is the whole argument of Romans 1 -- God gives people over to sin when they continually disobey Him
    

  Ex 32:7-14 (NIV) Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.'
  

  9 "I have seen these people," the Lord said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation."
  

  11 But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. "O Lord," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.'" 14 Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
  

• On a humorous note, no one wants to lay claim to being the one who brought the people out of Egypt
  
  • The people say Moses
    
  • Aaron says it is the calf
    
  • God says Moses
    
  • Moses say God
    
• The immediate verses are God's response to the people's sin. How does God respond to the sin?
  
  • God is angry
    
  • God is ready to destroy the people
    
  • God says that he will build a new nation from Moses
    
• The word "relented" is difficult to understand. There are two ways to view it
  
  • One, God changes his mind. That violates scripture and the very definition of God himself
    
  • Second, this is the best word to describe the appearance of events
    
    • Moses intercedes for the people
      
    • Moses argues on the basis of God's promise and covenant
      
• I'm sure God knew his covenant and his promise. God also was angry at the sin. Whatever God was going to do, he allowed Moses to intervene through prayer. Therefore, one possibility is ...
  
  • God wanted to teach Moses to intervene for the people in prayer
    
  • God wanted to teach Moses how much he hated sin
    
  • God was creating important leadership skills in Moses that will be essential for the next forty years
    

  Ex 32:15-29 (NIV) Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. 16 The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.
  

  17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, "There is the sound of war in the camp."
  

  18 Moses replied:
  

  "It is not the sound of victory,
  

  it is not the sound of defeat;
  

  it is the sound of singing that I hear."
  

  19 When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. 20 And he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.
  

  21 He said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?"
  

  22 "Do not be angry, my lord," Aaron answered. "You know how prone these people are to evil. 23 They said to me, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.' 24 So I told them, 'Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.' Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!"
  

  25 Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. 26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is for the Lord, come to me." And all the Levites rallied to him.
  

  27 Then he said to them, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.'" 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. 29 Then Moses said, "You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day."
  

• We see that the tablets that will be placed in the ark are not the original version
  
• What do you think of Aaron's response to Moses?
  
  • It lacked courage
    
  • He did not stand up for what was right
    
  • He tried to placate or please the people
    
• The scripture says that the people were running wild, and out of control. The Levites stand with Moses and kill 3,000 of their own people. Why kill the people, that seems harsh?
  
  • I don't know
    
  • Maybe it was the seriousness of the sin
    
  • Maybe these people would continue to be a trap to lead others into temptation and sin
    
  • APPLICATION: The Levites, in contrast to Aaron (also a Levite), we clearly not people pleasers, and were willing to do what was required for the sake of holiness
    

  Ex 33:1-7 (NIV) Then the Lord said to Moses, "Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants.' 2 I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 3 Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way."
  

  4 When the people heard these distressing words, they began to mourn and no one put on any ornaments. 5 For the Lord had said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, 'You are a stiff-necked people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments and I will decide what to do with you.'" 6 So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments at Mount Horeb.
  

  7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the "tent of meeting." Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp.
  

• The golden calf incident is called a great sin (verse 30), and it has consequences
  
  • One of the consequences is that 3000 die
    
  • Another consequence is a plague strikes the people (verse 35)
    
  • What are some other consequences?
    
    • God says he will not travel with the people (although as a result of Moses' prayer later, his presence does go with them)
      
    • The tent of meeting is moved far outside of the camp (this is different from the tabernacle)
      
    • The gold ornaments, that some had used to make idols, are removed from the people
      
• There are other effects. Note the parallelisms (Constable, 2009)
  

THE GIVING OF THE COVENANT (EXOD. 20—31)	THE RESTORING OF THE COVENANT (EXOD. 33—34)
All the people were to be priests (19:5-6).	Only the Levites would be priests (32:29).
Moses ascended Mt. Sinai and God spoke with him there while the people waited below (19:20).	Moses ascended Mt. Sinai and God spoke with him there while the people waited below (32:31).
God sent His angel to destroy Israel's enemies (23:23).	God sent His angel lest He destroy Israel (33:2-5).
The tabernacle in the center of the camp was to be the "tent of meeting" where God would meet with the people (25:8; 27:21; 28:43; 29:42-43).	Another "tent of meeting" outside the camp was where God met with Moses and Joshua only (33:7).
God displayed His glory for all the people to see on Mt. Sinai (24:16-17).	Only Moses could see God's glory partially (33:18-23), and the people only saw God's glory reflected on Moses' face (34:29).
God wrote the Ten Commandments on stone tablets (Deut. 10:1-4).	Moses wrote the Ten Commandments on stone tablets (34:28).
The structure of the narrative begins and ends with warnings against idolatry (20:22-23; 23:13) and instructions for proper worship (20:24-26; 23:14-19).	The structure of the narrative begins and ends with warnings against idolatry (34:11-17) and instructions for proper worship (34:11-26).

• APPLICATION: Our sin separates us from fellowship with God. It does not terminate it or change our position in Christ, but it creates a barrier between us and God. That is why repentance is so essential for the Christian, to keep the relationship with God free of sin
  

  Ex 33:15-18 (NIV) Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?"
  

  17 And the Lord said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."
  

• Verse 5 says that God has not decided what to do with Israel. Why would God need time to decide?
  
  • God was waiting for Moses to intercede
    
• In this section, Moses takes the issue head on. Clearly God could have "decided" what to do with the Israelites (vs 5) in a moment. But God doesn't, possibly because he was waiting for Moses to intervene. What is the lesson?
  
  • There is a lesson for leadership -- good leadership intervenes for the people, and God wants to teach his shepherds to intervene in prayer
    
• APPLICATION: God waits for us to pray. He is looking for partners in ministry. People who will intercede in the lives of others. Why does he do that? I don't know, but I do know he wants us to pray for others, that is one of our roles