Exodus | Chapter 32 – Scripture Supply

Exodus 32:1-14 – “Coming Down the Mountain (Part A)”

Outline:

Intro.
Vs. 1-6: A Crisis of Faith
Vs. 7-14: Change Your Heart Through Prayer

Intro.

This chapter requires a brief timeline so we can understand what is taking place. Israel has been out of Egypt for around a year. During that year, they have seen the miraculous hand of God guiding them. When their backs were against the Red Sea, He parted it. When they had no food or water, He provided it. When they had an enemy, He dealt with them. Finally, He brought them to this campsite right in front of Mount Sinai and spoke to them. God told them that out of all the nations and peoples of the earth, He chose them as His special treasure. Why, God even revealed His glory to them, and then He told them how to maintain a right relationship with Him. The leadership got to sit down and have a dinner with the Lord present.

Now, it is in the 24th chapter where the events of this chapter are born. God tells Moses to come back up the mountain so that He can give the people the tablets of stone and the pattern for the tabernacle. Why were these things important? Well, God says that the purpose was so that He could dwell among them! As Moses and Joshua ascend the mountain, the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire upon the mountain. So they knew as long as the fire was upon the mountain, the Lord was there with Moses. From chapter 24 through 31, Moses is on the mountain with the Lord.

Man, have you ever had one of those “mountaintop” experiences with the Lord? The trouble with mountaintop experiences is that sooner or later, you will have to come down—and Moses is about to come down into the biggest mess he could have ever imagined.

II.) Vs. 1-6: A Crisis of Faith

Vs. 1: It is important to see that the events of chapters 32-34 happen at the same time as chapters 24-31. It is while Moses is hanging out with the Lord that the people gather before Aaron. Now, I cannot prove beyond a doubt, but it is safe to say that not too much time had passed before they approached Aaron. I say this because it took time to collect the gold, decide on what animal to make, and then fashion the idol. At any rate, it had to be less than 40 days! So how could a people who had only a few days prior seen the glory of the Lord make such an about-face?

They had heard the conditions to maintain fellowship, and clearly, one of them was, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.” What happened in such a short time that caused them to totally forsake God? Did they have some sort of amnesia? And what in the world would cause the leadership, specifically Aaron, to go along with this?

Now, before you get all high and mighty, could it be possible that whatever caused these folks to forsake God are the same things that we are prone to ourselves? I would like to look at this section with an eye toward why I at times have a crisis of faith. In so doing, it will be necessary to look at all of the parties involved—from the ordinary person all the way up to Aaron.

Vs. 1: “When they saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain”: I would like to suggest to you that this crisis started at the point when they began determining their situation based on what they saw rather than God’s word. They were walking by sight and not by faith! Simply put, they lost faith in God’s provision and promise because of the passage of time. Now don’t tell me that you haven’t done the same thing at times. They panicked when what God had told them did not happen according to their timeframe. The word “delayed” here is an interesting one. Though it is rightly translated “delayed,” it is most often translated “ashamed.” Now, what this suggests to me is that they equated Moses’ delay as shame against them. Tell me that is not true of you and me! We often allow our insecurity and misunderstandings to lead us into wrong decisions based on erroneous feelings. This crisis of faith was based on insecurity. They were using their situations and circumstances to interpret who God was instead of the other way around.
Vs. 1: “They gathered together to Aaron, and said to him”: This crisis gained momentum when they got together and talked about it. Impatience gave way to fear. Soon, it was not just one person feeling insecure—it was a mob. They then approached Aaron with one voice to make their demand. Furthermore, the words “gathered together” are more accurately rendered “gathered together against.” This was no passive collection of people; it was a mob of angry people who were being moved along by their feelings and emotions. They were not making a suggestion; they were making a demand. This is what happens when feelings and emotions lead to rebellion. Notice that they made this decision based on what they did not know (“we do not know what has become of him”) instead of what they did know—that God would never leave them or forsake them.
Vs. 2-4a: Aaron’s response: Aaron gave them what they wanted! The crisis of faith escalated when leadership caved in to what the people wanted instead of what God’s word said. Many churches today start out by going around to the community and asking what they want in a church. If the pastor or leadership gives in to the demands of the people, soon they will be building a golden calf. Aaron had stopped being a leader and started being a politician.

It is here that I stop and begin to examine myself. All too often, it is easier for me to trust what I see than what God’s word says. My attitude toward the Lord becomes a “what have You done for me lately” attitude! Both of these lead me down a slippery slope to trusting things rather than God. So may I ask you the same question I asked myself: “What is it going to take to get you to take the Lord at His word?” Don’t say, “I need some proof!” because God had already proven Himself to them. Maybe this whole thing was to get them to realize that walking with God had more to do with being convinced of His unconditional love than with intellectual agreement with the written code.

I started thinking about this in light of the planned move to the south side, and what I saw opened my eyes. God is getting me to trust His word, not what I see. Why? Because He likes to torment me? No! Because He wants me to be secure in His love!

Vs. 4b-6: Once they went down this road, all restraints were off.

Once we move away from trusting God to following our feelings, all bets are off. Look at these verses and see what they are doing:

Vs. 4b: They made a golden calf and proclaimed to the nation, “Here he is, the god who did all those miracles in Egypt.” How could something Aaron just made be a god that delivered them? Religion is just plain dumb! Did they not just watch Aaron fashion the idol? “Hey Aaron, how’s the god coming along? We’re all ready to worship it!” How many times have I done the same? No, I didn’t fashion a gold bull, but I trusted my own foolishness! I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s just way too much work to follow feelings instead of trusting God’s word. Don’t we all too often worship things and allow them to give us a false sense of security?
Vs. 5: Aaron builds an altar for it. The dumb little gold idol has an altar! Not only that, there is a special day to worship it. This is what was to give meaning, hope, purpose, and direction to their lives—something they themselves created. Do you see the irony here? Man, I’m sure glad that I don’t do that, aren’t you? Think again!
Vs. 6: They were eager to worship the gods of their own creation. They were ready to spend money on it—they brought burnt offerings and peace offerings. Amazing how we have no problem spending time and money on what we want to worship. Notice the phrase, “sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” The word “play” means to caress, suggesting they had an orgy. Paul uses this story in 1 Corinthians 10:6-8 as an example of immorality. Following feelings leads to worshipping at the altar of pleasure, where all that matters is how you feel! These people who had just experienced the true God were now having an orgy in front of a golden calf.

Their pleasure was only temporary. That’s always the problem with worshipping things—it never lasts long.

III.) Vs. 7-14: Change Your Heart Through Prayer

Vs. 7: The first thing I realize in reading this verse is that the secret thing I may be worshipping is not so secret after all. The Lord knows what you are into—in fact, He is the one who tells Moses. Old Moses is just enjoying his time with the Lord when the Lord says, “Hey Moses, we have a problem!” Notice the way God tells Moses this: “For your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.” This reminds me of what parents do: “Honey, have you seen what your boy did?” But when they do good, we say, “Honey, have you seen what my boy did?”

Why would God do this? He already knew what kind of people they were, and yet He still called them His special treasure. So why does He tell Moses that they are his people and his problem? I think this is for Moses’ benefit—they never stopped being God’s people even though they broke the relationship. God is allowing Moses to identify with them and care for them.

A good leader must always have God’s heart toward His people. With that said, God does not wink at their rebellion. In fact, here He gives Moses a threefold description of their sin:

Vs. 7: Corrupted themselves: God describes what they did. God uses the past tense: “They have corrupted themselves.” Their sin has caused decay—it’s already happened; they are rotten. Poor Moses! He is up on the mountain fellowshipping with God when suddenly God says, “You better hurry up and get down the hill—your kids have thrown a big party and tore up the house!”
Vs. 8: Turned aside quickly: This has to do with how and when they did it—quickly! They wasted no time. Moses, as a typical parent, might have said, “God, I just don’t understand. I read them the rules, I had qualified people watching them.” But the truth is, they did it right away.
Vs. 9: Stiff-necked people: There you have the reason—they are rebellious by nature. God says, “I have seen this people, and indeed, it is a stiff-necked people.” Their rebellious nature was the cause of their quick sin. This is not a new thing—they did it while in Egypt, they did it after leaving Egypt, and they are doing it now.

Folks, you cannot reform the flesh! No amount of miraculous encounters, education, experience, or even threats will have any lasting effect on the flesh. That may surprise Moses, but God is not surprised. Guess what? That light show on the mountain, the food from heaven, the word of God, and even their intellectual agreement with the truth had no effect on their hearts!

Vs. 10: Before I answer this, let’s take a step back.

Realize that God is all-knowing, and if He wanted to wipe out Israel and start over, He did not need to get Moses’ permission. The words, “Let Me alone,” suggest that God’s desire is to give the people a chance to repent. God is inviting Moses to intercede on behalf of the people, to change hearts through prayer.

All of this leads me to see what will change a sinner into a saint. Look at God’s words here: “consume them”—that is, destroy them. How is that good news? How do you change a sinner into a saint? DEATH! You cannot reform them; they must die and be made new! You see the rest of the words, “and I will make of you a great nation”? There is only one thing that can permanently change a sinner into a saint: death and rebirth!

Vs. 11: And how can that be accomplished?

Look at what Moses does here—he prays! More than that, he makes his appeal based on three things:

Vs. 11: The Lord’s Love: Moses uses the words, “Your and You,” in describing God’s action toward them. In other words, Moses says, “You rescued the people from the Egyptians with great power, which clearly shows that You love them!” Moses knows, even though the people had forgotten, the great lengths God went through to deliver His people.
Vs. 12: The Lord’s Reputation: Moses realizes that God will always be consistent with His character. If God were to wipe out the Israelites, it would cause the Egyptians to think of God as evil.
Vs. 13: The Lord is Faithful: God had made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel), so Moses knows that God always keeps His promises.

What would have happened if the Jews had remembered these same truths concerning the Lord that Moses now does? They would have never made an idol! Moses uses what he knows to be true about the Lord to interpret the situation.

Vs. 14: This is what we call anthropomorphic (man-centered) language.

Moses is describing the actions of God as they appear to him. Moses’ prayer did not change God, for God already knew that the people would repent of their sins. What changed was the heart of Moses and the heart of the people.

Oh, that you and I would simply trust the Lord’s love, character, and faithfulness in our lives instead of the silly little idols we place in His stead. Next week, we will take up Aaron’s lame excuse and look deeper into Moses’ prayer.

Exodus 32:15-35 – “Coming Down the Mountain (Part B)”

Outline:

Intro.
Vs. 15-29: Standing on the Word or Dancing Before a Bull
Vs. 30-35: My Life for Theirs

Intro.

Right up there with the mystery of God using people to share the truth of who He is to a world that so desperately needs to know Him, is the patience He has with us. I don’t know about you, but people try my patience! The trouble with us people is that we act like people. Oh, if more people could be just as perfect as you and I! My kids are very good at pointing out all of my weirdness, and when I am honest, I see it too. It is at this point that I marvel at the Lord’s grace in spite of me.

This chapter began with a description of Israel’s activities while Moses was up on the mountain with the Lord. We saw that the people demanded that Aaron fashion a god to their liking. In Deuteronomy, just before the nation enters the land of promises some forty years later after a whole generation dies in the wilderness, Moses again gathers the nation together as he goes over the law and why they failed. It is interesting to read the 9th chapter as Moses retells the events (verses 8-21). Clearly, Moses wanted them to know that it was not “because of their righteousness that the LORD had brought them into the land.” Furthermore, Moses says, “Understand that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.” He then goes and retells the events of this chapter.

When you compare the two passages, you will realize that though they tell the same details, they do so in two different orders. This leads me to believe that one is topical, and the other one chronological. In Deuteronomy, the tablets are smashed, then Moses intercedes for Israel, then again for Aaron. Lastly, Moses destroys the idol and goes back up the mountain to intercede for another 40 days and nights. Logically, it would appear that the Deuteronomy passage is chronological, and the Exodus passage is more focused on the topics. In verses 15-20, Moses deals with the nation. In verses 21-24, he deals with Aaron, his brother. In verses 25-29, the Levites come forward. And in verses 30-35, Moses intercedes for the nation.

So? Well, it would appear to me that Moses, in giving this story in Exodus topically, is painting a picture for all to see and not just retelling a story. Last week we saw a nation who had personally experienced the presence of God rebel. We saw how an angry mob turned a leader into a lying politician. How will God deal with them? How will Moses turn them back toward the Lord?

II.) Vs. 15-29: Standing on the Word or Dancing Before a Bull

Vs. 15-18: How many times have you heard folks say, “What can I do? I’m just one person?” Perhaps you yourself have even used that excuse when dealing with injustice. Just what can one person do when your friends, company, or even the nation is going astray? Well, let’s see what Moses did.

Vs. 15: He turned and went down the mountain: Don’t laugh—this was a big step of faith. God has just told him that the nation has turned their backs on God and that it’s a real mess down the hill. The first thing we see Moses do is take responsibility; it’s his problem, not just theirs.
Vs. 15: He took the Word of God as his standard: Moses did not go down the hill alone; he took the Word of God with him. Moses knew that whatever the problem was, the Word was the answer.
Vs. 16: He trusted in the work of God: He recognized that just as the Word of God was God’s work, so was the changing of the nation. Look at how Moses focuses on the details of the tablets by saying, “The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God.” No matter what he faced, God was still in control.

Vs. 17-18: No big deal, you think? Remember now that Moses was not a good speaker; furthermore, we are told that he was the meekest man on the earth. Joshua had gone with Moses but had not gone all the way up the hill. So when Moses comes to where Joshua had been camped, Joshua can hear the noise of the over two million people and thinks it’s the Amalekites warring against the Israelites. Can you imagine how loud this must have been?

I’ve gone many times to watch the Sacramento Kings play basketball at Arco Arena, and when the Kings are doing well, 17,000 people can make so much noise that you cannot hear what the person sitting next to you is saying, even if they are yelling at the top of their lungs. This is what Joshua heard in the valley below. Moses had already been told what was going on with the nation, as he tells Joshua that it was the sound of a party, not a war. Although I’m not sure that Joshua was entirely wrong with his assessment, as there was clearly a spiritual battle going on.

Now think about this: At the very least, there are several hundred thousand people completely out of control in their partying before a golden calf. It is into this scene that Moses comes. I’ve got to tell you, I’m impressed with Moses in the very fact that he confronts a rebellious nation of two million with only two stone tablets and Joshua. If this were me and Tom, I think I would lean over to him and say, “Tom, this is a good opportunity for you to learn some good diplomatic skills, so it’s all yours! God wants me back up the hill—I’ll get the next one!” But that is not what Moses does at all.

Vs. 19: He draws near and sees: He cared enough to get close, even to the ugliness of their sin. Time and time again, we see Jesus doing this, don’t we? There was not a sinner that He wouldn’t sit down with. Many Christians prefer to sit at a safe distance away from the ugliness of a sinful world and hurl insults at those who rebel against God’s word. But that is not what Moses did. No, he drew near and saw for himself what they were doing.
Vs. 19: He got angry and showed why he was angry: It never tells us that Moses was angry until he saw what they were doing for himself. It is only after this that Moses’ reaction matched that of the Lord’s. In other words, what angered the Lord angered Moses. Folks, I think that we Christians are far too tolerant of sin—ours as well as others’. Sin ought to anger us, not because we hate sinners, but because we must hate what sin does to people.

As Moses threw down the stone commandments, we see that sin destroys fellowship with the living God. Does it anger you that people pass into eternity every day apart from knowing God? In Deuteronomy 9:17, Moses tells us that he “took the two tablets and threw them out of my two hands and broke them before your eyes.” This was quite dramatic, as Moses confronted the nation with both their sin and the consequences of their sin. The covenant contained all that was necessary for the people to receive all the blessings of a relationship with the Lord. But all those promises were contingent upon their obedience to the commandments. By shattering the tablets, Moses was declaring that their covenant with God was broken.

Vs. 20: He took the bull by the horns. How ironic is this? Moses took the golden calf and turned it into veal hamburger. They had been partying to their golden calf, no doubt drinking toasts to him, and now they were literally drinking him. Sin separates fellowship between people, as we see the people divided from each other. Sin always has that effect—it divides.

So why did Moses grind up the golden calf?

To show them the futility of worshipping something that could be destroyed so easily.
To completely get rid of the idol. Moses ground it into fine dust.
To make them experience immediate consequences for their rebellion. Too often, we don’t experience immediate consequences for our sin, but these people did.

Vs. 21:

Moses addresses the lack of leadership. He recognizes that although the plan to do this didn’t originate with Aaron, Aaron allowed it to happen and took the lead in making the idol. Moses rebukes Aaron to his face, but just like the Israelites, we are told that “the LORD was very angry with Aaron and would have destroyed him; Moses prayed for him.” There’s a balance here—anger at the sin, but compassion for the sinner!

Vs. 22-24: Let’s take a look at Aaron’s excuses, which may sound all too familiar to us:

Vs. 22: “Do not let the anger of my lord become hot”: Calm down, it’s not as bad as you think! Moses had just called it a “so great a sin,” and Aaron’s first response is, “It’s not as bad as you are making it out to be!” We always seek to minimize our sin.
Vs. 22-23: “You know the people, that they are set on evil”: It’s their fault! Aaron uses the sins of others to cover his own sin. Aaron is right in recognizing the people’s bent toward evil, but he used their sin as an excuse to sin himself.
Vs. 24: “I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out!”: It just happened! Aaron emphasizes the sins of others while minimizing his own responsibility. He lies, saying that it was all just an accident, when in fact, he had fashioned it himself with an engraving tool (Exodus 32:4).

Vs. 25-29: These verses stand in stark contrast to Aaron’s feeble excuses. Moses places the responsibility squarely on the leadership. Aaron had not restrained the people, and what Moses saw was an out-of-control nation, engaged in an orgy centered around the worship of an idol.

Buried in this verse is an interesting point: Sin has long-lasting consequences. Notice that Moses says in verse 25, “Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies.” We don’t think our sins have any lasting consequences, nor do we think that we have a problem with a particular sin. Yet, sin sows seeds that may bear fruit long after the initial act. The King of Moab, for instance, saw Israel’s moral failures during this incident and used that knowledge to tempt them into sin in Numbers 25.

Vs. 26-29: Moses draws a line in the sand, and the Levites come to his side. Moses and Aaron were both from the tribe of Levi, and these people chose to stand with Moses. 3,000 of the most riotous, unrepentant men were killed by the Levites. Their actions were endangering the entire nation. Picture a riot where the authorities try to stop the crowd, but the rioters become even more violent—that was the case here.

I used to think that Aaron got off rather lightly, but I now realize that living with the consequences of his actions might have been even worse than dying. As a leader, I’ve made mistakes that have caused people to stumble, and that weighs on me every day. Sin has consequences for others!

III.) Vs. 30-35: My Life for Theirs

Vs. 30: Moses tells the people that what they’ve done may have lasting effects. He does not minimize their sin, but he emphasizes that God is able to forgive. I find it difficult to balance these two truths: We are totally depraved, and we must never underestimate our sin, but we also have a great Lord who reminds us in 1 John 1:9 that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Vs. 31: Moses is more aware of their sin than they are. He intercedes for them, overwhelmed by what they have done against a great God. Oh, that we too would be brokenhearted enough over the sins of others to intercede for them!

Vs. 32: Moses goes beyond being brokenhearted—he offers himself in their place. Only the Lord can forgive sin, but Moses is willing to stand in the gap. There’s a dash after the word “sin” in verse 32, which indicates that Moses paused for some time after saying, “Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—” He waited upon the Lord for a response, but none came. It is then that Moses continues, “But if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” We are not sure what “book” this is, but it could be the book of life mentioned in Scripture. At any rate, Moses is willing to die with the people or for them.

Vs. 33: God’s answer is that each person will live or die based on their own actions. As noble as Moses’ offer was, he was not the right person to make that statement. There would come another who could say, “My life for theirs,” and mean it. Jesus Christ would be that Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. As Caiaphas, the high priest, would say about the death of Jesus, “It is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.”

Vs. 34-35: God forgave the nation as a whole, but those who did not repent would be judged. The Lord would still lead the nation with His angel, showing His faithfulness despite their unfaithfulness. We are not told what or when the plague took place, but clearly, the nation understood the consequences of forsaking God. Yet, like us, they would fall again.