Daily Scripture Reading Exodus 32:7-24

As Christians, we are servants of Jesus. Thus, we should always be focused on doing what is best for Christ. That is difficult because we humans naturally think first about our own needs and desires. Humans are by nature selfish. Moses is a great example of thinking first and foremost about God and what is good for His reputation.

Moses was on Mount Sinai so long that the Israelites concluded he was not coming back. They coerced Aaron into created a molten calf, which they began to worship.

Ex. 32:7 ¶ Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, “Go! Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.

Notice the pronouns “your” and “you”. At first glance it appears Yahweh was being childish and denying any responsibility for the Israelites, making them Moses’ problem. However, Moses was an Israelite and he had brought these people out of Egypt. Yahweh was emphasizing that the idolaters were not foreigners or some random group of people who joined Israel at Mount Sinai. Instead, the Israelites, the relatives of Moses, the people Moses led out of Egypt had corrupted themselves.

Ex. 32:8 They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’”

Ex. 32:9 And Yahweh said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people.

Ponder the term “stiff-necked”. Yahweh had delivered the Israelites out of slavery, brought them safely through the Red Sea, and provided food and water in the wilderness, and yet the Israelites wanted to create their own gods.

A core fundamental fact about humanity is that we do not want there to be a god because we do not want to obey God. Humans want to make our own rules.

Ex. 32:10 Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may consume them; and I will make you a great nation.”

Notice the word “anger”. Yahweh had a right to be angry. After everything He did for Israel, they should have been loyal to Yahweh.

Take note of the word “consume”. Yahweh was done. He wanted to destroy Israel and start over.

I assume the idea of being made a great nation would have been very tempting to Moses.

Ex. 32:11 ¶ Then Moses entreated the favor of Yahweh his God and said, “O Yahweh, why does Your anger burn against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a strong hand?

Ex. 32:12 Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘With evil intent He brought them out to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your burning anger and relent concerning doing harm to Your people.

Moses’ first priority was to think about what was best for Yahweh’s reputation. If Yahweh destroyed Israel, then the Egyptians would conclude Yahweh had evil intentions when He brought Israel out of Egypt. Moses implored Yahweh not to give the Egyptians a reason to come to that conclusion.

Humans are naturally selfish; therefore, we Christians do not find it easy to always put Christ first in everything. However, just as Moses thought immediately about what was good for Yahweh’ reputation, so too as we go through life, we need to always be mindful of how our actions affect the reputation of Jesus. Jesus always comes first.

Ex. 32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and You said to them, ‘I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your seed, and they shall inherit it forever.’”

Moses argued that Yahweh could not destroy Israel because He made a promise to Israel and could not fulfill that promise if He destroyed them.

Ex. 32:14 So Yahweh relented concerning the harm which He said He would do to His people.

Look at the word “relented”. This verse proves prayer works. Prayer is asking God to act in certain ways. Moses asked Yahweh to allow Israel to live, and Yahweh agreed to do that, even though He wanted to destroy Israel.

Ex. 32:15 ¶ Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain. And the two tablets of the testimony were in his hand, tablets which were written on both sides; they were written on one side and the other.

Ex. 32:16 Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.

Ex. 32:17 Then Joshua heard the sound of the people as they shouted. And he said to Moses, “There is a sound of war in the camp.”

Ex. 32:18 But he said,

“It is not the sound of the cry of triumph,

Nor is it the sound of the cry of defeat;

But the sound of singing I hear.”

Ex. 32:19 Now it happened, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses’ anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain.

Take note of the words “burned”, “threw”, and “shattered”. Moses was angry and deliberately destroyed the tablets. These tablets contained the law given to Moses, including the ten commandments. The ten commandments prohibited idolatry, but Israel had just committed a blatant act of idolatry. If Israel was not going to obey, then it was somewhat pointless to have the tablets, so Moses destroyed them.

Ex. 32:20 Then he took the calf which they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it over the surface of the water and made the sons of Israel drink it.

Ex. 32:21 ¶ Then Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you, that you have brought such great sin upon them?”

Ex. 32:22 And Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil.

This was true. The Israelites were prone to evil.

Ex. 32:23 Indeed they said to me, ‘Make gods for us who will go before us; for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’

Ex. 32:24 And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them tear it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”

Look at the words “out came this calf”. Aaron was not quite honest. Aaron intentionally fashioned the calf (see Ex. 32:4).

When Yahweh was so angry with Israel He wanted to destroy them, Moses immediately considered what was best for Yahweh’s reputation. Moses understood that the Egyptians would make the wrong conclusion about Yahweh if Yahweh meted out the punishment Israel deserved. Therefore, Moses implored Yahweh to protect His reputation.

We Christians are human; therefore, we naturally think first about ourselves. However, we are servants of Jesus. Thus, we must always think first and foremost about how any of our words and deeds affect Jesus.

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”