Video

Exodus Chapter Thirty-Two

1. During Moses’ 40 day sojourn on the mountain, the nation of Israel grew tired of waiting (Ex. 32:1).
   1. They assume that Moses is dead, and are making light of his humanity.
   2. They ask Aaron to make a god for them, to lead them into the promised land.
2. Aaron takes the leadership in this idolatrous rebellion (Ex. 32:2-6).
   1. He instructs them in obtaining the necessary gold.
   2. He fashions the gold into an idol.
   3. He presents the idol for Israel’s worship, builds an altar for the idol, and proclaims a feast to the idol.
   4. He presides over Israel’s evil activity.  They rose up “to play.” צָחַק tsāchaq ^#6711: to laugh, mock, play; cf. Isaac: laughter.  Used in a sexual context (Gen. 26:8; 39:14,17; Ex. 32:6).
3. The Lord notifies Moses of what is going on at the bottom of the mountain (Ex. 32:7-14).
   1. He orders Moses to descend immediately and observe the evil of Israel (Ex. 32:7-9).
   2. He also warns Moses against getting too close, because He intends to blast Israel, and build a nation out of Moses (Ex. 32:10).
   3. Moses responds to the test, and becomes the intercessor for undeserving Israel (Ex. 32:11-13).
   4. The Lord “changed His mind” (Ex. 32:14).  נָחַם nācham ^#5162: to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted.
      1. This is obviously an anthropopathism (figure of speech), using human terms to describe Divine activity.  God does not change His mind (Num. 23:19; 1st Sam. 15:29).
      2. Other occurrences of God “changing His mind” include the flood (Gen. 6:6,7), the cycle of judges (Jdg. 2:18), making Saul King of Israel (1st Sam. 15:11,35), destroying Jerusalem over David’s sin (2nd Sam. 24:16; 1st Chr. 2:15).
      3. God’s activity in v.14 is a direct response to Moses’ prayer in v.12.
4. Moses obeyed the Lord’s command to descend immediately, and was filled with wrath by what he observed (Ex. 32:15-29).
   1. Joshua misunderstood the sounds he was hearing from a distance, but Moses knew the reality (Ex. 32:17,18).
   2. Moses’ anger burned (Ex. 32:18), and he administered immediate justice.
      1. He smashed the stone tablets, and destroyed the golden calf.  He also made Israel drink the powder that the golden calf was ground into (Ex. 32:19,20).
      2. He challenged any faithful believers to step forward (Ex. 32:26).
      3. He ordered executions against the “out of control” (Ex. 32:27-29).
      4. This was God’s judicial sentence (Ex. 32:27).
   3. Aaron could only offer lame excuses (Ex. 32:21-24).
5. Moses confessed the sins of Israel before the Lord (Ex. 32:30-35).
   1. Moses is willing to suffer spiritual death on behalf of Israel (Ex. 32:32).
   2. The Lord answers that only the guilty shall bear the guilt (Ex. 32:33).
      1. The Book of Life will be more fully developed in Revelation (Rev. 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12,15; 21:27).
      2. Some doubt that Moses could have known about the Lamb’s Book of Life, but David obviously did (Ps. 69:28).  So, too did Daniel (Dan. 12:1).
   3. The Lord declared that Israel will have to face long-term Divine discipline for their rebellion with the golden calf (Ex. 32:34,35).

Exodus Chapter Thirty-Three

1. The Lord instructed Moses to take Israel on to Canaan (Ex. 33:1-6).
   1. The Lord promised to send an angel before them (ahead of them), but that He would not be among them (Ex. 33:2,3).
   2. This message accomplished its purpose—the mental attitude repentance and sorrow on the part of Israel (Ex. 33:4-6; 2nd Cor. 7:9,10).
2. The Lord’s message had another benefit—accelerating Moses’ prayer life (Ex. 33:7-17).
   1. Moses routine was to communicate with the Lord face-to-face in the tent of meeting outside the camp (Ex. 33:7-11).
   2. Moses is not satisfied with the Lord going ahead to prepare the way.  He wants the Lord “with him” (Ex. 33:12,13).
   3. The Lord answered Moses that He would be with him, and provide him faith-rest (Ex. 33:14).
   4. Moses celebrates God’s answer to his prayer, and anticipates the unique position of Israel in contrast to the surrounding gentile nations (Ex. 33:15,16).
   5. The Father is pleased to provide according to what Moses asked (Ex. 33:17), and indeed beyond all that we could ask or think (Eph. 3:20).
3. The final request Moses makes, is to behold the glory of God the Father (Ex. 33:18-23).
   1. The Father is pleased to reveal Himself through His works, the proclamation of His name, and the manifestation of His grace (Ex. 33:19).
   2. The Father cannot be personally viewed except through the personal view of the Lord Jesus Christ (Ex. 33:20; Jn. 1:18; 12:45; 14:9; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:3).
   3. The Father permits Moses to observe a veiled “back-side” view of Himself (Ex. 33:21-23).

Exodus Chapter Thirty-Four

1. Moses is required to cut his own tablets out for the replacement of the ones he smashed (Ex. 34:1; 32:19).
2. Moses is required to ascend Sinai for another period of forty days and forty nights (Ex. 34:2-4,27,28).
   1. The Lord pronounces His own majesty, which prompts Moses to plead on behalf of Israel once again (Ex. 34:5-9).
   2. The Lord promised His works of power in the Conquest will be greater than His works of power in the Exodus (Ex. 34:10,11).
   3. He warns Israel, in light of this, to guard themselves from the idolatry of the land they were conquering (Ex. 34:12-17).
   4. His name is Jealous. קַנָּא qannā’ ^#7067: jealous (Ex. 34:14).
   5. The Lord reviewed some of His previously revealed instructions (Ex. 34:18-26).
   6. Although the Lord made Moses cut out the tablets himself, the Lord once again did the writing on the second set of tablets (Ex. 34:1,27,28; cf. 31:18; 32:15,16; Deut. 10:1,2,4).
3. Moses custom of meeting the Lord face-to-face will continue, but now Moses will have to wear a veil in the presence of his fellow Israelites (Ex. 34:29-35; 2nd Cor. 3:7,8).  Church Age believers today have the privilege of face-to-face, unveiled worship with the Lord Jesus Christ (2nd Cor. 3:18).