Lesson #39

EXODUS 32
Lesson #39
THE TRAGEDY OF THE GOLDEN CALF

• Memory Verse: Psalms 13:5

• Our studies in Exodus continue with the narrative of the events that happened after God made the covenant with Moses and the people of Israel.

• Read Exo 32:1-6 The Golden Calf
• Why did the people fall so easily into idolatry?
• The people lacked strong, effective leadership.
• Aaron should have known better. In his weakness he let the people persuade him to make a representation of God. .
• Moses left Aaron and Hur in charge of the camp while he went up into the mountain. (24:14)
• This passage does not mention Hur. Therefore he must not have been involved in the idolatry. However, we are not told that he openly objected to the golden calf..
• 2 Leadership Principles:
• =1= A strong leader knows where he is going.
• In other words he has the ultimate goal in mind.
• This is what Aaron forgot.
• =2= A strong leader knows how to encourage the people toward that goal.
• The impatience of the people.
• Often believers have specific expectations of how God will work and when.
• God promised to take them to the promised land. Instead they waited at Mt. Sinai for a year.
• When things do not work out as expected, we take matters into our own hands and do things our way.
• This is exactly the same situation as Sarah and Abraham in Genesis when she gave Hagar to Abraham for the purposes of having a child.
• God knew the people were not ready for the struggles in entering the promised land.
• God’s timing is perfect, and believers are soon confronted with this lesson.
• This event of the golden calf occurs because of Moses’ absence for 40 days and 40 nights.
• Remember that the number 40 in the Bible is a symbolic number for the testing of leadership.
• Aaron and Hur failed this test.
• The desire for a physical representation of their idea of God

• “…make us gods…”

(1)

• The Hebrew word is “Elohim” which is the name for God in the book of Genesis.
• However in Genesis it is a plural noun used with a singular verb which indicated the Holy Trinity as one God.
• Here in Exodus the name God revealed to Moses was the name, “Jehovah” which indicates a covenant making God who redeems.
• The word here in Exo 32 is the name, “Elohim” as a plural noun with a plural verb.
• This tells us what they had in mind. They wanted to worship the one true God but saw Him as one of many.
• As a result, they had combined their idea of God with pagan ideas and practices. We call this “syncretism”.
• We can see this practice of syncretism in the phrase, “…a feast to the LORD.” (5) and the phrase, “,,, and rose up to play.” (6)
• These phrases were common with pagan practices that involved sensuality, sexual fertility practices, and nakedness in pagan worship.(25)
• Syncretism occurs in many cultures with Christianity when people combine pagan festivals with Christian symbols or Christian festivals with pagan, idolatrous symbols. In the end, the result is idolatry and the worship of other gods.
• This same thing occurred again much later in Israel’s history.
• Read 1Kin 12:28-32
• When people walk by sight and not by faith, they seek some physical representation of their idea of God. This often takes one of two forms:
• =1= Some people seek constant supernatural miracles to reassure themselves of God’s existence and presence.
• =2= The Israelites wanted an idol as a physical manifestation of what they thought of God.
• The Israelites grew up in Egypt. They were used to many gods and idols. Therefore, it was a manifestation of their old nature that they wanted to walk by sight.
• Remember that Egypt represented the world system of human nature.
• The golden calf (4)
• The Hebrew word for “calf” indicates a young bull.
• When we studied the gods of Egypt earlier in Exodus, we saw that one very important god in Egypt was the Apis bull. This was the representation of a god with which they were very familiar.
• They used gold earrings to make the golden calf.
• Gold earrings were an indication that the people had never left the idolatry back in Egypt for earrings were a symbol of pagan gods.
• The extent of the idolatry:
• We have seen that Israelites consisted of between 2 and 3 million people. However, only 3,000 were punished for this idolatrous event. (28)
• However, because the covenant was made with all the people as a nation, all bore the responsibility of a broken covenant.

• Read Exo 32:7-14 God’s Reaction

• “…for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:”

(7)

• Usually God referred to the Israelites as His people that He brought out of Egypt. Now God is so angry that He calls them Moses’ people that Moses brought out of Egypt.
• It is sin that separates man from God.
• We see a similar event in the New Testament:
• Read 2Pet 2:20-22
• The word, “corrupted” means = to go to ruin.. It is the same word that describes the corruption of Noah’s time.
• A stiff-necked people
• This is a very descriptive phrase that God often used to describe the Israelites through the Old Testament.and into the New Testament (Exo 33:3,5 Exo 34:5 Deu 9:6 Deu 10:16 2Chr 30:8 2Chr 36:13 Psa 75:5 Jer 17:23 Act 7:51).
• The phrase displays the idea of a horse that is so stubborn that it will not go in the direction the rider desires no matter how hard he pulls on the reins.
• God’s solution and Moses’ test (10)
• God revealed to Moses the sin of the people before Moses saw the golden calf.
• God suggested to Moses that He destroy the Israelites and start again with Moses and his descendants.
• However, this was a test for Moses. Why?
• Moses had been faithful to God to bring the people out of Egypt. Moses had already seen instances of murmuring and disobedience in his relationship with the people.
• This was a temptation to Moses’ pride. In other words, the people were not worthy of so great a leader as Moses.
• A leadership principle:

When a leader removes his eyes from God and sees the people as his people instead of God’s people, he opens the door to two temptations:

• =1= There is the temptation to become over burdened with the responsibility of leadership.
• =2= There is the temptation to become prideful in that the people are not worthy of you as a leader.
• Moses’ intercessory prayer (11-14)
• Moses’ prayer tells us Moses’ attitude as he passes God’s test.

• “…why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power,”

(11)

• Moses places upon God the responsibility for the people God brought out of Egypt.
• The basis of Moses’ plea for mercy (12-13) is based on 4 sound principles for praying effectively in interceding for others:
• =1= Notice that in Moses’ prayer he bases his plea for mercy on God’s reputation in the world.
• The Egyptians will say that God brought the Israelites into the wilderness to kill them, but God’s reputation is love and mercy.
• =2= Notice that Moses bases his prayer on God’s promise to bring them into the promised land.
• =3= Notice that Moses bases his prayer on God’s promises in an unchangeable and permanent covenant that He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Israel for a nation of people and a promised land.
• =4= Notice that Moses basis his prayer on the identification of God with his people.
• As a leader he takes responsibility for the actions of the people.
• God repents (14)
• What does it mean that God repented of the evil that He thought to do to them?
• We usually use the word “repent” in regards to man’s actions toward God.
• The idea behind the word repent indicates a turning totally in the opposite direction.
• The Hebrew word that is used here literally means = to be moved to pity or compassion.
• It does not mean that God was indecisive or that he had made a mistake and changed his mind.
• Therefore, God decided totally to change his course of action from what he had said to Moses as a test. He would not destroy the people based on Moses’ intercessory prayer which moved Him to compassion..

• Read Exo 32:15-20 The broken tablets
• When Moses descended from the mountain with Joshua, Moses saw the golden calf, the dancing, and the nakedness of the people. He became very angry.
• Moses’ anger is an expression of God’s anger.
• Moses broke the tablets on which God had written the Mosaic covenant. Why?
• It is an outward expression of his and God’s anger.
• It is a symbolic expression of a broken covenant.
• Moses burned the golden calf, ground it to powder, put it in water, and made the people drink it.
• What purpose did it serve to force the people to drink it?
• In the Middle East, guilt and punishment was determined in such a way. If a person got sick and died from it, it was just punishment for the crime.
• These people did suffer a plague as a result. (35)
• For our purposes, we see that sin has consequences that are sometimes severe and sometimes the consequences last for a long time.

• Read Exo 32:21-29 Aaron’s incredible explanation of his guilt
• Human nature’s explanation of sin:
• Human nature being what it is, Aaron tries to pass the blame to Moses for staying away so long, and then to the people for requesting the idol.

• “…thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.”

(22)

• Human nature seeks to make light of a serious sin.

• “…Let not the anger of my lord wax hot:…”

(22)

• Human nature excuses wrong behavior as accidental.

• “…I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.”

(24)

• In other words, according to Aaron, the golden calf formed itself in the midst of the fire.
• Aaron lied for the Bible is clear to tell us that he fashioned the golden calf with tools. (4)
• The point of decision (26)
• Moses gives the people a choice. They must decide if they will follow God or not.
• All of the tribe of Levi were quick to decide for God.
• Perhaps they felt guilty for not restraining the people from this sin.
• The Levites executed 3,000 men in one day. (28)
• There were probably more than that number, for they counted only the men.
• This punishment may seem harsh. However, it brings to our attention two facts:
• =1= There is no gray area. Man is either for God or against God.
• This is a decision still valid today and down through history that man must make for himself.
• =2= Sin left unpunished in the camp breeds more sin and makes God a liar.

(1Joh 1:8-10)

• A new consecration to the Lord (29)
• Once sin was forgiven and punishment given, Moses called for a new consecration to the Lord in order to restore the broken covenant and God’s conditional blessings.

• Read Exo 32:30-35 Moses’ passionate plea to God
• The guilty have been given a chance to repent and choose God.
• The guilty who have not accepted mercy have been punished. (3,000 +)
• The people consecrate themselves to God anew.
• However, atonement must be made for this sin. (30)
• “Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.”

(32)

• Moses’ amazing offer to give his life in place of the people tells us of Moses’ deep love for his people in spite of their stubbornness and sin.
• What does it mean to blot a person’s name out of God’s book?
• First we need to identify the book.
• The Bible speaks of several different books in which God keeps records.
• The book of Law

which shows what God requires of every person. (Gal 3:10 Rom 2:12-16)

• The book of Works

which records all of man’s deeds, good or bad. (Ecc 12:14 2Cor 11:15 Mat 16:27)

• The book of Tears

which records the suffering of believers. (Psa 56:8)

• The book of Life

which records the names of all those who were ever born physically. (Deu 9:14 Deu 29:20)

• The Lamb’s book of Life

which records the names of all those who have received Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. (Rev 20:15)

• The book of which Moses speaks seems to be God’s book of Life, which is different from the Lamb’s book of life.
• The tradition of the Jews says that when a person is born his name is written in God’s book of life and when a person dies his name is blotted out. In other words, to call for a person’s name to be blotted out of the book is simply a call for physical death to come upon that person in an untimely manner.
• This seems to be what Moses says here in Exo 32:32. In other words, if God will not forgive the people, Moses has no reason to go on living for his job for God is done.
• God agrees to the untimely death of those who have indulged themselves in this sin of idolatry.

• Application:
• The Israelites confidently agreed to keep the Law of Moses that included the ten commandments. However, as soon as Moses was absent, they broke the Law and worshipped the golden calf.
• Many times we make promises to God with just as much confidence and determination to keep our promise. However, we soon fail in the same way the Israelites failed.
• What is so amazing is that God did not punish Aaron severely. He was the leader in charge of his people in the absence of Moses. He was weak. Why did God not punish him as severely as He did the people who died as from the consequences of this great sin?
• It is obvious from the scriptures that Aaron must have repented for this sin and made a decision to follow God when Moses gave the people the choice.
• God is merciful and just. Aaron kept his position as High Priest and the Levites kept their positions as priests because of God’s mercy, not because of God’s justice.
• Equally God is willing to extend mercy to us when we repent for the times we fail God.

HOMEWORK
EXODUS 33
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application of Exo 32
• If the Holy Spirit convicts you of any time when you promised something to God and did not fulfill your promise, ask God for forgiveness and begin again your relationship with God as Aaron did. Write your experience here.
• Preparation for Exo 33
• Read Exo 33:1-23
• Why did Moses put the tabernacle outside the camp?
• Why did the people watch Moses so intently as he went into the Tabernacle?
• How did Moses and the people know that God would fulfill the promises He made to His people?
• Memory verse: 2Corinthians 3:2