Exodus 32:15-29
“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. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.” (Exodus 32:15-16)
For forty days, Moses had been on the mountain top with Joshua, communicating with God and learning how to please him. After months of dealing with the constant complaining about the food, the water, the way the Egyptians treated them, the fear of Pharaoh, etc., besides the interpersonal conflicts in such a large group, it must have been a relief to just get away. When God sent them down the mountain because o what the Israelites were doing. They were carrying the tables of stone God had prepared for them.
“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.
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.” (Exodus 32:17-18)
As they came down from the mountain, they could hear a lot of loud noise. A new parent may hear a baby cry and rush to it’s rescue in panic while a more experienced parent recognizes the cry as being of anger or desiring attention and is far less upset. Joshua had little experience leading, and upon hearing the commotion, remembered what it had been like when the Amalekites attacked and assumed Israel was under attack again. Forty years of herding sheep had taught Moses to listen more closely to what was going on, and he recognized the noises of a loud party.
“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. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strowed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.” (Exodus 32:19-20)
Up on the mountain it had been easy to assume God was over reacting to what was happening. When he saw the drunken orgy the people were having Moses lost his own temper, throwing the tables of stone violently to the ground and breaking them. He melted down the golden calf, ground up the resulting blobs of gold, and scattered it across the water, then made the people drink the water, to make it clear that since the calf couldn’t even protect itself from him, it wasn’t much of a god and couldn’t have been the one that delivered them from Egypt.
“And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?” (Exodus 32:21)
Aaron had been with Moses when he met with God before, and Moses had left him in charge. He couldn’t believe his own brother would willingly go along with such things. Surely they had forced him against his will.
“And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. 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. 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.” (Exodus 32:22-24)
Like Adam and Eve, long before, Aaron blamed it on someone else. The people were determined to do wrong so he had just done what they wanted to keep from causing trouble. He’d told them to bring their gold, and when he threw it into the fire the calf came out. Some how, he neglected to mention making a crucible, and molds and the engraving of the finished casting. It just miraculously became a calf, all by itself. It wasn’t his fault things got out of hand.
“And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) 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. 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 neighbour.” (Exodus 32:25-27)
Before Moses went up the mountain God had told them, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” in Exodus 20:14. While on the mountain, God had made it clear that sexual sin was to be punished by execution of both parties in cases of consensual involving a married or engaged person, and the execution of the man in cases of rape. Moses’ order to execute the guilty was just fulfilling God’s command.
The orgy had been Aaron’s idea. The people had just done what he told them in this case. However, God had warned them they were not to just go along with things that were wrong in Exodus 23:2. “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment.” God holds the individual accountable for his own actions. That the one in charge told them to, or that everyone else was doing it did not absolve them of responsibility.
They could not claim ignorance because in Exodus 24:7 they had agreed to these things. “And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.” They deserved the punishment they received.
“And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.” (Exodus 32:28-29)
Three thousand men were executed for their participation in the orgy. Consecration or sanctification means setting apart for a special use. Just as one separates his eating utensils and would insist they be cleansed after being used to change a baby’s diaper before eating off them, sin has to be removed before people can be acceptable to serve God. Stolen items can be returned or replaced, but sexual sin or murder cannot be undone or fixed.
“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. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.” (Exodus 32:15-16)
For forty days, Moses had been on the mountain top with Joshua, communicating with God and learning how to please him. After months of dealing with the constant complaining about the food, the water, the way the Egyptians treated them, the fear of Pharaoh, etc., besides the interpersonal conflicts in such a large group, it must have been a relief to just get away. When God sent them down the mountain because o what the Israelites were doing. They were carrying the tables of stone God had prepared for them.
“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.
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.” (Exodus 32:17-18)
As they came down from the mountain, they could hear a lot of loud noise. A new parent may hear a baby cry and rush to it’s rescue in panic while a more experienced parent recognizes the cry as being of anger or desiring attention and is far less upset. Joshua had little experience leading, and upon hearing the commotion, remembered what it had been like when the Amalekites attacked and assumed Israel was under attack again. Forty years of herding sheep had taught Moses to listen more closely to what was going on, and he recognized the noises of a loud party.
“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. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strowed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.” (Exodus 32:19-20)
Up on the mountain it had been easy to assume God was over reacting to what was happening. When he saw the drunken orgy the people were having Moses lost his own temper, throwing the tables of stone violently to the ground and breaking them. He melted down the golden calf, ground up the resulting blobs of gold, and scattered it across the water, then made the people drink the water, to make it clear that since the calf couldn’t even protect itself from him, it wasn’t much of a god and couldn’t have been the one that delivered them from Egypt.
“And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?” (Exodus 32:21)
Aaron had been with Moses when he met with God before, and Moses had left him in charge. He couldn’t believe his own brother would willingly go along with such things. Surely they had forced him against his will.
“And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. 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. 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.” (Exodus 32:22-24)
Like Adam and Eve, long before, Aaron blamed it on someone else. The people were determined to do wrong so he had just done what they wanted to keep from causing trouble. He’d told them to bring their gold, and when he threw it into the fire the calf came out. Some how, he neglected to mention making a crucible, and molds and the engraving of the finished casting. It just miraculously became a calf, all by itself. It wasn’t his fault things got out of hand.
“And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) 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. 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 neighbour.” (Exodus 32:25-27)
Before Moses went up the mountain God had told them, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” in Exodus 20:14. While on the mountain, God had made it clear that sexual sin was to be punished by execution of both parties in cases of consensual involving a married or engaged person, and the execution of the man in cases of rape. Moses’ order to execute the guilty was just fulfilling God’s command.
The orgy had been Aaron’s idea. The people had just done what he told them in this case. However, God had warned them they were not to just go along with things that were wrong in Exodus 23:2. “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment.” God holds the individual accountable for his own actions. That the one in charge told them to, or that everyone else was doing it did not absolve them of responsibility.
They could not claim ignorance because in Exodus 24:7 they had agreed to these things. “And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.” They deserved the punishment they received.
“And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.” (Exodus 32:28-29)
Three thousand men were executed for their participation in the orgy. Consecration or sanctification means setting apart for a special use. Just as one separates his eating utensils and would insist they be cleansed after being used to change a baby’s diaper before eating off them, sin has to be removed before people can be acceptable to serve God. Stolen items can be returned or replaced, but sexual sin or murder cannot be undone or fixed.
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