Disclaimer: Everything presented here is in Bible Study format. Please understand that I do not have any formal theology instruction. I ask that you pray first, and read the verses for yourself. Should God ever convict me of errors in my understanding, I will add a note.
Verses: Exodus 32, Exodus 33 (NIV)
Passages: “The Golden Calf” “Moses and the Glory of the Lord”
Intro:
When it comes to my reading of the Bible… I am still in Exodus.
On one hand, I feel this showcases my attentiveness. (Haha!) I was determined not to rush through it because every portion is powerful, and I didn’t want to miss a word. On the other hand… I’ve taken so many breaks, it’s appalling.
It has literally taken me longer to read through God’s instructions to Moses than it did for Moses to return from Mount Sinai. (The Israelites would have been left and returned back to Egypt if they’d been waiting on me!)
Although it has taken me forever to complete this book of the Bible, I would absolutely encourage anyone to read (or re-read) Exodus. Although, in Christ, so much of the actual law has been fulfilled… Exodus is so valuable in showcasing God’s power, standard, character, mercy and judgment. From:
• Delivering the Israelites out of Egypt, to…
• Imparting the law to the Israelites through Moses, to…
• Expressing His anger toward the idolatrous Israelites, to…
• Showing mercy (for His name’s sake) and promising judgment for sin.
The impact of Exodus is enormous and worth revisiting. So let’s get into it!
•••
Recap:
When God called Moses to the mountain to receive and transcribe the law, the Israelites were warned not to approach. They were to await Moses’ return. Eventually, the Israelites became restless to the point of doubting Moses and turning on God. They desired another god to worship and Aaron obliged.
The chapters I’ll cover are Exodus 32 and 33. This is God’s reaction to the idol worship; and Moses’ intercession and plea for the people of Israel.
GOSPEL RENDERING
Gospel Rendering:
Verse
Exodus 32:1-4
When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods,[b] Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
Extract
These opening verses are so significant. If you’ll recall the way in which God delivered the Israelites from their enslavement in Egypt, He did so with this constant reiteration: “Let my people go so they may worship me.”
Moses’ conversation with God lasted 40 days and 40 nights and, within that time, the Israelites decided to turn their attention to false gods. To add insult to idolatry, Aaron – the very man chosen to be the mouthpiece for a hesitant Moses – fashioned the golden calf.
In a direct affront to God’s command, they proceeded to claim the idol as: “the gods who brought” them out of Egypt.
•••
Verse (Bolded!)
Exodus 32:9-14
9 “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”
11 But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’” 14 Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
Extract
Just as in the account of Sodom and Gomorrah, where Abraham asked God to consider the righteous before destroying the land; Moses holds a similar conversation, here. In both accounts, God’s wrath rages against a sinful body of people. As He expresses His intent to destroy them, He is met with an intercession.
Yet while Abraham’s plea was for the righteous, Moses’ approach was to remind God that His name and testimony might be intertwined with the fate of the Israelites; His chosen people.
•••
Verse
Exodus 32:25-29
25 Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. 26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him.
27 Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’” 28 The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. 29 Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the Lord today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”
Extract
Moses – having just interceded for God’s chosen people – calls forth those who are truly “for the Lord.” The Levites came to him. The rest met their fate by sword. Moses informs the Levites that they were set apart, having chosen the Lord over their own flesh and blood.
•••
Verse
Exodus 32:31-34
31 So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”
33 The Lord replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. 34 Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin.”
Extract
Moses once again intercedes for the Israelites, this time bargaining his own salvation.
•••
Verse
Exodus 33:2
2 I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 3 Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”
Exodus 33: 14-20
14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”
17 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”
18 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”
19 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
Extract
Moses begs for God’s Presence to remain with the Israelites during their travel.
Bible Study Questions:
How is the enemy present in this passage? The enemy is represented by the Israelites who embodied a spirit of unbelief, doubt and impatience. They had been personally delivered by the hand of the Lord; they were given provision when needed – manna and water; they saw their enemies defeated and witnessed mighty acts of God – the plagues and the Red Sea.
And yet, during a period of waiting, they denied God and the one He sent: Moses. The Israelites actively sought another god to worship. They didn’t simply adopt another custom (which would have been bad enough). They created and invited in another entity.
•••
How did God respond? God became enraged. And, as previously seen in Scripture, He was prepared to destroy His creation because of their wickedness.
•••
How are Believers foreshadowed? When you come to faith as a Believer you are to repent and be set apart.
I came away with such a powerful understanding of this passage, which is that: Moses didn’t intercede for the righteous, but he put out a call so that God’s people might be spared in that moment – through him. Of everyone, the Levites answered that call.
Upon reading Bible commentary, I see that the common rendering is that the Levites were set apart because they were the only ones who did not worship the golden calf. This might be true! But I don’t see where Scripture explicitly tells us that the Levites resisted idol worship.
What I do see, is that everyone was given an opportunity to repent. Moses placed the call for repentance to all of the Israelites; yet many failed to turn away from their sin.
Moses was not the Messiah, so his call was for people to be “spared” from the punishment of the particular sin at hand. Moses’ call was not for eternal salvation.
However, Jesus is the savior and His saving grace is eternal. Believers are those who: hear the call of salvation through Christ; understand the call; and answer the call by accepting Jesus as our savior.
•••
How is Jesus foreshadowed? Moses interceded for the Israelites. As mentioned, he did not make his plea on behalf of the righteous. Instead, he reminded God of His namesake and testimony. When God relented, Moses then proceeded to set God’s children apart from the rest.
First: The call. Then: The command. First, Moses called for the Lord’s people to come to him. Then, he commanded them to take up their sword. Ultimately, those who came to Moses were met with “life,” and the rest perished.
Moses then went to make atonement for the Israelite’s sin of idolatry. Though he did not commit this sin himself, he asked that God either forgive the Israelites or allow his name to be blotted out of the book of life.
This very much foreshadows Jesus. During His earthly ministry, Jesus preached many sermons and performed countless miracles; many of which are recorded in the New Testament. Those are our commands; and thankfully they don’t include literally “picking up a sword.”
But Jesus’ teachings do require us to be “set apart” from the way and culture of this world. He very clearly taught on sin, hell and God’s wrath. He taught that no one is without sin, and that we can only be made righteous through Him; the Messiah.
Jesus took our place on the cross and was crucified and shed His blood for all who are to call on His name. His death represented a full covering for all of our sins. Ultimately, it’s by placing faith in Jesus that allows our names to be preserved in the Book of Life.
Other Parallels or Gems:
The first parallel:
As Believers, God’s Presence is always with us. We have the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit which ministers to us, intercedes for us and convicts us of the truth of Jesus.
1 John 5:9-12
9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
•••
The last parallel:
Most of us know how Moses’ story ends. Moses was fully man and – though he found favor in God’s eyes and was used greatly – he was by no means sinless. Still, Moses foreshadows Jesus; and so does Exodus 33:17: “And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.””
Later, in the gospel accounts, we find Matthew 3:16-17: 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Jesus is the only One to ever be fully man and fully God, and God is forever pleased with Jesus.
Jesus lived a sinless life; was baptized in the water in order to identify with sinners; He was crucified – shedding His blood – and paying the debt of sin for all who believe in Him; and He was resurrected, now seated beside God in Heaven. In Him, we will be led to the ultimate Promised Land; a place we could never make it to in our own merit.
And as we navigate this journey of life, Jesus gives us rest and blessed assurance of salvation.
Lexzie in Christ 
Leave a Reply