EXODUS CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

32:1-33:23, THE BUILDING OF THE TABERNACLE WAS DELAYED BY ISRAEL'S LAPSE INTO IDOLATRY WHILE MOSES WAS IN THE MOUNTAIN.

32:1 AND WHEN THE PEOPLE SAW THAT MOSES DELAYED TO COME DOWN OUT OF THE MOUNT, THE PEOPLE GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER UNTO AARON, AND SAID UNTO HIM, UP, MAKE US GODS, WHICH SHALL GO BEFORE US; FOR [AS FOR] THIS MOSES, THE MAN THAT BROUGHT US UP OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, WE WOT NOT WHAT IS BECOME OF HIM.

A.THE PEOPLE GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER UNTO AARON: Aaron had been given the responsibility of solving any difficulties which might arise in the absence of Moses - Ex 24:13-14 ("13 And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God. 14 And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur [are] with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them").

B.The people wanted a visible god leading them, so as to give them confidence. This is amazing -- Remember, these people who had recently heard God say, "2 I [am] the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any like-ness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me" (Exo 20:2-5); And then they had responded so forcefully, as shown by Exo 24:3 ("And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do").

C.There were some of the people who were ON THE LORD'S SIDE (Verse 26), but their voices were drowned out.

D.This whole scene underscores the tremendous power of the per-sonality of Moses, and shows how much he was missed.

E.Now Aaron faced this big and strange request from the people, and he did not have the courage to stand up and say NO.

32:2 AND AARON SAID UNTO THEM, BREAK OFF THE GOLDEN EARRINGS, WHICH [ARE] IN THE EARS OF YOUR WIVES, OF YOUR SONS, AND OF YOUR DAUGHTERS, AND BRING [THEM] UNTO ME.

**Some have guessed that Aaron thought they would not give up their valuable personal ornaments, and therefore they would be turned from the purpose of building an idol. If so, he made a tragic miscalculation about the strength of their resolve.

32:3 AND ALL THE PEOPLE BRAKE OFF THE GOLDEN EARRINGS WHICH [WERE] IN THEIR EARS, AND BROUGHT [THEM] UNTO AARON.

**They immediately complied, and Aaron either had to break his word or go along with their sinful desire; He did the latter.

32:4 AND HE RECEIVED [THEM] AT THEIR HAND, AND FASHIONED IT WITH A GRAVING TOOL, AFTER HE HAD MADE IT A MOLTEN CALF: AND THEY SAID, THESE [BE] THY GODS, O ISRAEL, WHICH BROUGHT THEE UP OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT.

32:5 AND WHEN AARON SAW [IT], HE BUILT AN ALTAR BEFORE IT; AND AARON MADE PROCLAMATION, AND SAID, TOMORROW [IS] A FEAST TO THE LORD.

**Aaron seems to have intended the calf to be only a symbol of Jehovah, and he did not want the people to turn away from worship of Him.

32:6 AND THEY ROSE UP EARLY ON THE MORROW, AND OFFERED BURNT OFFERINGS, AND BROUGHT PEACE OFFERINGS; AND THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND TO DRINK, AND ROSE UP TO PLAY.

A.THEY ROSE UP EARLY ON THE MORROW: It seems they could hardly wait for the light of day to get to their idolatry.

B.ROSE UP TO PLAY: This was not harmless play, but was the kind which goes with idolatry and drunkenness -- All kinds of shameful immorality.

32:7 AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, GO, GET THEE DOWN; FOR THY PEOPLE, WHICH THOU BROUGHTEST OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, HAVE CORRUPTED [THEMSELVES]:

**FOR THY PEOPLE: It seems God had already disowned them, because they had broken the covenant with Him.

32:8 THEY HAVE TURNED ASIDE QUICKLY OUT OF THE WAY WHICH I COMMANDED THEM: THEY HAVE MADE THEM A MOLTEN CALF, AND HAVE WORSHIPPED IT, AND HAVE SACRIFICED THEREUNTO, AND SAID, THESE [BE] THY GODS, O ISRAEL, WHICH HAVE BROUGHT THEE UP OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT.

A.THEY HAVE TURNED ASIDE QUICKLY: We are struck by the rapidity with which these miracle-led people turned from Jehovah; It had been only a few weeks since they made solemn pledges to do all that God COMMANDED THEM.

B.THE WAY WHICH I COMMANDED THEM: They stopped obeying Him.

32:9 AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, I HAVE SEEN THIS PEOPLE, AND, BEHOLD, IT [IS] A STIFFNECKED PEOPLE:

**STIFFNECKED: Stubborn, obstinate. Like a horse that stiffens his neck and refuses to go the way the driver pulls him.

32:10 NOW THEREFORE LET ME ALONE, THAT MY WRATH MAY WAX HOT AGAINST THEM, AND THAT I MAY CONSUME THEM: AND I WILL MAKE OF THEE A GREAT NATION.

A.LET ME ALONE: In the context this seems more of a wish (as between two friends) than a command. God's anger was real, and it was right, but it was restrained by Moses' words.

B.THAT MY WRATH MAY WAX HOT: This is what intercession from Moses would prevent; Later, when Moses actually witnessed their sin (as God had done - cf Heb 4:13), he too became very angry with the people.

C.I WILL MAKE OF THEE A GREAT NATION: The promise to Abraham would then be fulfilled through the descendants of Moses. The choice Moses now had was either to take the personal glory of being in Abraham's place, or to humbly intercede for his nation. For those of less noble character the choice may have been an agonizing one; For Moses it seems to have been made without a moment's hesitation.

32:11 AND MOSES BESOUGHT THE LORD HIS GOD, AND SAID, LORD, WHY DOTH THY WRATH WAX HOT AGAINST THY PEOPLE, WHICH THOU HAST BROUGHT FORTH OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT WITH GREAT POWER, AND WITH A MIGHTY HAND?

**GREAT POWER...MIGHTY HAND: Moses pleads with Jehovah in three ways as he appeals to three principles in the Character of God which govern His actions; This first effort Moses makes is a reference to God's regard for His work. The reasoning of Moses is that God has already done so much for this nation that it would not be good for Him to destroy them and thus set back His purposes for perhaps hundreds of years, as He would have to start this great work all over.

32:12 WHEREFORE SHOULD THE EGYPTIANS SPEAK, AND SAY, FOR MISCHIEF DID HE BRING THEM OUT, TO SLAY THEM IN THE MOUNTAINS, AND TO CONSUME THEM FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH? TURN FROM THY FIERCE WRATH, AND REPENT OF THIS EVIL AGAINST THY PEOPLE.

**THE EGYPTIANS SPEAK: This is Moses' second argument; It has to do with God's regard for His own honor. The Egyptians would rejoice to know that the people who had escaped them had been taken by their God into the mountains just so He could get rid of them. They would interpret this to mean they were trium-phant after all, and that Jehovah is not any greater than their pagan gods.

32:13 REMEMBER ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND ISRAEL, THY SERVANTS, TO WHOM THOU SWAREST BY THINE OWN SELF, AND SAIDST UNTO THEM, I WILL MULTIPLY YOUR SEED AS THE STARS OF HEAVEN, AND ALL THIS LAND THAT I HAVE SPOKEN OF WILL I GIVE UNTO YOUR SEED, AND THEY SHALL INHERIT [IT] FOR EVER.

**I WILL MULTIPLY YOUR SEED: Here is the third plea, and it has to do with God's regard for His servants -- He had promised the fathers that they would have as many descendants as there are stars, and they would receive the promised land; That promise which now had been partially fulfilled would be revoked if the nation already formed were destroyed.

32:14 AND THE LORD REPENTED OF THE EVIL WHICH HE THOUGHT TO DO UNTO HIS PEOPLE.

A.THE LORD REPENTED: This of course is not repentance in refer-ence to sin, for in Jehovah there is no darkness - Compare 1Sa 15:29 ("And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he [is] not a man, that he should repent"). But REPENT involves a change of purpose, and Jehovah can change His Mind about threats to do bad things to people - Jer 26:3 ("If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings").

B.So the effect of Moses' intercession was that God turned back from the course His displeasure moved Him to pursue.

32:15 AND MOSES TURNED, AND WENT DOWN FROM THE MOUNT, AND THE TWO TABLES OF THE TESTIMONY [WERE] IN HIS HAND: THE TABLES [WERE] WRITTEN ON BOTH THEIR SIDES; ON THE ONE SIDE AND ON THE OTHER [WERE] THEY WRITTEN.

32:16 AND THE TABLES [WERE] THE WORK OF GOD, AND THE WRITING [WAS] THE WRITING OF GOD, GRAVEN UPON THE TABLES.

32:17 AND WHEN JOSHUA HEARD THE NOISE OF THE PEOPLE AS THEY SHOUTED, HE SAID UNTO MOSES, [THERE IS] A NOISE OF WAR IN THE CAMP.

**JOSHUA mistook the NOISE for the sound of battle.

32:18 AND HE SAID, [IT IS] NOT THE VOICE OF [THEM THAT] SHOUT FOR MASTERY, NEITHER [IS IT] THE VOICE OF [THEM THAT] CRY FOR BEING OVERCOME: [BUT] THE NOISE OF [THEM THAT] SING DO I HEAR.

A.AND HE SAID: Now Moses speaks.

B.THAT SHOUT FOR MASTERY: Victors exulting in their winning.

C.THAT CRY FOR BEING OVERCOME: Losers moaning in defeat.

D.(NKJ, IT IS NOT THE NOISE OF THE SHOUT OF VICTORY, NOR THE NOISE OF THE CRY OF DEFEAT, BUT THE SOUND OF SINGING I HEAR)

32:19 AND IT CAME TO PASS, AS SOON AS HE CAME NIGH UNTO THE CAMP, THAT HE SAW THE CALF, AND THE DANCING: AND MOSES' ANGER WAXED HOT, AND HE CAST THE TABLES OUT OF HIS HANDS, AND BRAKE THEM BENEATH THE MOUNT.

A.AND THE DANCING: The context would indicate the DANCING was sensual and indecent (virtually all dancing is, but this may have been even more immoral than usual).

B.MOSES' ANGER WAXED HOT: He was looking upon idolatry with all the fleshly activities that go along with it; And it was being engaged in by the people of Israel!

C.HE CAST THE TABLES OUT OF HIS HANDS: There is never any indi-cation he was reprimanded by the Lord for this. He acted out of righteous indignation; And Jehovah Himself also was angry.

  1. This was a way of taking light from them who sinned against light -- It was showing them they were unworthy to receive a revelation from God.
  2. The act was symbolic of breaking of the covenant, and was in effect saying to the whole nation, "Jehovah has cast you off from being His people."

32:20 AND HE TOOK THE CALF WHICH THEY HAD MADE, AND BURNT [IT] IN THE FIRE, AND GROUND [IT] TO POWDER, AND STRAWED [IT] UPON THE WATER, AND MADE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DRINK [OF IT].

A.The idolaters were humiliated by seeing their god ground to powder, made into some kind of a nauseous mixture, and then being forced to drink it - Compare Deu 9:21 ("And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, [and] ground [it] very small, [even] until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount").

B.Perhaps the spiritual among them were fully impressed with the truth later stated in 1Co 8:4, ("As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol [is] nothing in the world, and that [there is] none other God but one"). They could now see their idol in its weakness and nothingness.

C.This is a good illustration of what sin brings. Sin may look and sound great, and people may enjoy it to the full extent of its pleasures, but eventually the brightness will disappear, the sweet experiences will turn to bitterness, and it will take sinners down in shame and disgrace as they "receive the things done in the body" - 2Co 5:10. Someone well said, "Sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, cost you more than you want to pay").

32:21 AND MOSES SAID UNTO AARON, WHAT DID THIS PEOPLE UNTO THEE, THAT THOU HAST BROUGHT SO GREAT A SIN UPON THEM?

A.WHAT DID THIS PEOPLE...: "What did they do to harm you?"

B.THAT THOU HAST...: "Why did you make them sin in such a ter-rible way?"

32:22 AND AARON SAID, LET NOT THE ANGER OF MY LORD WAX HOT: THOU KNOWEST THE PEOPLE, THAT THEY [ARE SET] ON MISCHIEF.

32:23 FOR THEY SAID UNTO ME, MAKE US GODS, WHICH SHALL GO BEFORE US: FOR [AS FOR] THIS MOSES, THE MAN THAT BROUGHT US UP OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, WE WOT NOT WHAT IS BECOME OF HIM.

A.MY LORD: Aaron was penitent and humble before Moses, and he immediately proceeded to make two excuses (both of which are typical and have been often used).

B.THEY ARE SET ON MISCHIEF: Excuse No. 1 -- Blame somebody else for the sin: "Moses, you know as well as I that these people are determined to do wrong." This is a weak and childish excuse, made by those who are not honest enough or not big enough to admit their wrong and take responsibility for it. Some blame society for their sins, saying that what is done is wrong, but since everybody else does it, we have to go along.

C.MAKE US GODS: "We need someone to lead us."

D.THIS MOSES, THE MAN: Note their lack of respect for Moses.

E.WE WOT NOT WHAT IS BECOME OF HIM: "We do not know what has happened to him; He may never be back."

  1. Here was Aaron's opportunity/privilege/responsibility to speak out with an unmistakable NO.
  2. He might have reasoned that if he said no, the people would have killed him. But it would have been better for him to die than to lead this nation into sin against their God.
  3. Anyone who argues "I couldn't help it," or "Everyone else is doing it," or "I would have lost my job," or "I would have offended my friends," etc., should instead look on the action to see if it is wrong, and if so, abstain from it regardless of the personal cost.

32:24 AND I SAID UNTO THEM, WHOSOEVER HATH ANY GOLD, LET THEM BREAK [IT] OFF. SO THEY GAVE [IT] ME: THEN I CAST IT INTO THE FIRE, AND THERE CAME OUT THIS CALF.

A.This is Excuse No. 2 -- It just happened; Just the way circum-stances are. Aaron did not make the calf, it just CAME OUT!

B.This is the kind of explaining which does not explain.

C.It is used by people who are guilty of something, but they say it was "Just my luck," or "It was an accident," or "Things just happen," rather than frankly admitting they were wrong. Our circumstances are largely under our control, as are our tempers, our natures, our desires -- We are not forced to sin.

D.Moses was hurt and angry, but we see a type of the advocacy of Christ as he who loved his brother interceded for him - See Deu 9:19-20 ("19 For I was afraid of the anger and hot dis-pleasure, wherewith the LORD was wroth against you to destroy you. But the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also. 20 And the LORD was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him: and I prayed for Aaron also the same time").

32:25 AND WHEN MOSES SAW THAT THE PEOPLE [WERE] NAKED; (FOR AARON HAD MADE THEM NAKED UNTO [THEIR] SHAME AMONG THEIR ENEMIES:)

A.(NKJ, NOW WHEN MOSES SAW THAT THE PEOPLE WERE UNRESTRAINED {FOR AARON HAD NOT RESTRAINED THEM, TO THEIR SHAME AMONG THEIR ENEMIES})

B.THE PEOPLE WERE NAKED: They were out of control, and were making fools of themselves in front of their enemies. Likely, as the KJV indicates, many of them were now without clothes -- The primary force of the original refers to nakedness.

32:26 THEN MOSES STOOD IN THE GATE OF THE CAMP, AND SAID, WHO [IS] ON THE LORD'S SIDE? [LET HIM COME] UNTO ME. AND ALL THE SONS OF LEVI GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER UNTO HIM.

32:27 AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL, PUT EVERY MAN HIS SWORD BY HIS SIDE, [AND] GO IN AND OUT FROM GATE TO GATE THROUGHOUT THE CAMP, AND SLAY EVERY MAN HIS BROTHER, AND EVERY MAN HIS COMPANION, AND EVERY MAN HIS NEIGHBOR.

**The Levites were instructed to strap on their swords and go through the camp, killing relatives, friends, and neighbors.

32:28 AND THE CHILDREN OF LEVI DID ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF MOSES: AND THERE FELL OF THE PEOPLE THAT DAY ABOUT THREE THOUSAND MEN.

**AND THE CHILDREN OF LEVI: The men of Moses' tribe gathered around him, followed his orders, and killed about 3,000 men.

32:29 FOR MOSES HAD SAID, CONSECRATE YOURSELVES TODAY TO THE LORD, EVEN EVERY MAN UPON HIS SON, AND UPON HIS BROTHER; THAT HE MAY BESTOW UPON YOU A BLESSING THIS DAY.

A.It was difficult for the Levites to kill their own kinsmen, but God had required it, and now they were to be blessed by being given the privilege of being made God's priests - See Num 6:3 ("Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him").

B.Let those who criticize God here remember that earthly ties are not to be permitted to stand between us and duty to the Father and His Son - Mt 8:19-22 ("19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whither-soever thou goest. 20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air [have] nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay [his] head. 21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead"); Mt 10:34-37 ("34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man's foes [shall be] they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me").

32:30 AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE MORROW, THAT MOSES SAID UNTO THE PEOPLE, YE HAVE SINNED A GREAT SIN: AND NOW I WILL GO UP UNTO THE LORD; PERADVENTURE I SHALL MAKE AN ATONEMENT FOR YOUR SIN.

32:31 AND MOSES RETURNED UNTO THE LORD, AND SAID, OH, THIS PEOPLE HAVE SINNED A GREAT SIN, AND HAVE MADE THEM GODS OF GOLD.

32:32 YET NOW, IF THOU WILT FORGIVE THEIR SIN; AND IF NOT, BLOT ME, I PRAY THEE, OUT OF THY BOOK WHICH THOU HAST WRITTEN.

A.Moses begged God to forgive the people their terrible sin; And he so identified with them and his life was so bound up with theirs that he was willing to have his name taken out of the Book of Life in order to be with them.

B.Some think Moses was offering himself as a sacrifice to atone for the people's sin (note Verse 30); That he was saying if the people could be forgiven in no other way, then let his eternal welfare be sacrificed for their forgiveness. This

reminds us of Paul's burst of feeling in Rom 9:1-3 ("I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me wit-ness in the Holy Ghost, 2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen accord-ing to the flesh"). Perhaps we have not yet grown to the degree of spirituality which would make us capable of compre-hending that kind of selfless courage.

32:33 AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, WHOSOEVER HATH SINNED AGAINST ME, HIM WILL I BLOT OUT OF MY BOOK.

A.Other than the offering of Him Who was sinless, no vicarious atonement can ever be accepted - Eze 18:20 ("The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him").

B.The words of the Lord do not fit the doctrine of the impossi-bility of apostasy (perseverance/preservation of the saints).

32:34 THEREFORE NOW GO, LEAD THE PEOPLE UNTO [THE PLACE] OF WHICH I HAVE SPOKEN UNTO THEE: BEHOLD, MINE ANGEL SHALL GO BEFORE THEE: NEVERTHELESS IN THE DAY WHEN I VISIT I WILL VISIT THEIR SIN UPON THEM.

A.(NKJ, IN THE DAY WHEN I VISIT FOR PUNISHMENT, I WILL VISIT PUNISHMENT UPON THEM FOR THEIR SIN)

B.Mercy extended to those who will not repent and be renewed is simply a delay of the punishment which must surely come.

32:35 AND THE LORD PLAGUED THE PEOPLE, BECAUSE THEY MADE THE CALF, WHICH AARON MADE.

A.(NKJ, SO THE LORD PLAGUED THE PEOPLE BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY DID WITH THE CALF WHICH AARON MADE)

B.Some terrible punishment came as the result of terrible sin.

C.Moses was writing after the fact; This does not tell what hap-pened, or when it happened.

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