Surely you've all seen the great Charlton Heston movie, the Ten Commandments, where he comes down from being on the mountain with God, and all the people are dancing and worshiping around the golden calf. Heston, playing Moses, became so angry he cast the tablets of God down and broke them. But that wasn't all Moses did. He took the golden calf (Exo 32:20), burned it in the fire, presumably to melt it down, he ground it into powder, which he placed into water, and then made the people drink it. Wow! So much for the golden calf. What an object lesson for the people.
This particular episode in the life of God's people never ceases to amaze me on several levels.
The first is just how prone to wander into sin we really are. You would think that such an amazing encounter with God through His deliverance of the people from Egypt would so firmly set His power in their hearts and minds that they would never stray. But they did. Immediately. Sadly, this cycle would repeat itself over and over again in their history. No wonder God continuously calls them "stiff necked."
On a personal note I know that a day has not passed in my life that I did not struggle with sin. As a pastor other people think we do not struggle, but believe me, the temptation to forsake your faith and build a golden calf of even good things, preaching, a church, personal relationships, ministerial success, biblical knowledge, etc., can slip in so silently you hardly even notice, but it is just as real as a golden calf. John Calvin, the great reformer, pastor, theologian, of the 16th century, said the human heart is an idol factory. So true.
Next, is the nearly unbelievable forbearance of Moses. In Exo. 32:10 God told Moses that He would kill all the people and make a great nation of Moses. Let me say, that would have been a far easier path for Moses to take than to deal with the 2 million sinners at the bottom of the mountain. But Moses, man of faith that he was, pleaded with God to spare the people, calling on God to remember His covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God did remember and God did relent. Thank God. But what about Moses?
It wasn't the last time he would have a similar conversation with God to spare the people. Moses' compassion towards his people is incredible. I liken this to a man who is called to stay with his church and continue to lead them, although they are difficult and painful because of their stubbornness, versus his leaving to gather his own group. What if Moses had said, "Go ahead and kill them God, they deserve it! I'll start over with my own group of people." The history of the world would be very different. I'm not sure how that could have worked out since Jesus came from the tribe of Judah and Moses was of Levi. Perhaps that could be an interesting theology article one day...
But most importantly is the compassion of God. "The Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people (Exo 32:14)." That is a serious statement. When God said He would kill the entire nation He really meant it. He had already essentially destroyed the nation of Egypt and He would destroy several nations in the land of Canaan to clear it out. God isn't above destroying a nation. In fact, three thousand "unrestrained" men did die at the hands of the Levites that day. I take this to mean that they would not repent of their behavior, therefore, they were killed.
At the end of the age, which I do believe is near, God will essentially destroy all nations and set up His own kingdom rule. But thank God for grace, mercy, and compassion. God relented from the harm He said He would do, and He will relent from the harm that is coming. If He didn't, none of us would make it.
At the end of chapter 32 Moses goes back to God to make atonement for the peoples sins, offering his own life. God did not, however, accept the life of Moses, and Moses' plea was only partially successful. God did not completely cut off the people, but He did punish them for their sin.
We do have a perfect atonement for our sins, one God will accept. Our hope is in the compassion of God found through the death of His Son Jesus Christ. Moses was a murderer. God could not accept His life as an atonement. Jesus Christ was a Savior. This was the only life God could accept, and it was acceptable for the sins of not only a nation, but the entire world.
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