Exodus 32:7-14
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:7-8)
God was fully aware of what was happening in Israel’s camp. He knew that they had broken the covenant they had just made, and that they were crediting their deliverance from Israel to another god, the golden calf, rather than to the one who actually delivered them. It is pretty offensive to see one’s efforts disparaged and the credit deliberately assigned to someone who wasn’t even present by those who know the truth, and God was offended.
The original meaning of the word plagiary or plagiarism was to kidnap, to steal something from another. In modern English the meaning is to steal the credit for another’s work. It is considered a crime in modern law. The Greek word translated blasphemy incorporated the modern meanings of defamation, libel and plagariasm. By knowingly crediting someone else with what God had done, the Jews were blaspheming him. It is the same sin as that of the person who says, “God has never done anything for me.”
“And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.” (Exodus 32:9-10)
God was so angered by the rejection of everything he had done, crediting it all to some inanimate golden calf, that he told Moses to get out of the way so he could destroy them without hurting Moses. He promised to start over with Moses’ family.
Blasphemy is a serious sin, and Matthew 12:31-32 warns, “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.” Rejecting the Holy Spirit’s work, specifically in drawing us to Christ, will never be forgiven.
“And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.” (Exodus 32:11-13)
God had ample provocation and every right to destroy Israel for their sin and rejection. As Moses pointed out, however, destroying Israel would cause the Egyptians to believe God could not be trusted and would break his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by destroying their descendants.
God is the all knowing one, and is perfect and holy. While he knew what they were going to do, it is hard for God to understand human thinking. Moses was like other men and as a result he could understand how people could fall into sin due to their lack of understanding and sinful nature in a way God could not. He could understand how humans would perceive God’s actions in a way God would not. As a result, he interceded for the nation of Israel.
Because he is a just God, recognizes the difference in perception, and does not wish to judge unfairly, God has selected men to intercede for those who sin according to Hebrews 5:1-2. “For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.” It is what makes Christ’s being both human and God so critical as he can represent both perspectives fairly. Until Christ came, there was no one who could adequately understand both sides.
“And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.” (Exodus 32:14)
A common misconception today is that to repent means to be sorry. In fact, the Greek word means to change directions, to act differently. One can express sorrow repeatedly, but until he begins to change his actions, he has not repented. God changed what he was going to do, because Moses intervened. While we do not change God’s nature or standards, we may change his actions by our intervention on another’s behalf.
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:7-8)
God was fully aware of what was happening in Israel’s camp. He knew that they had broken the covenant they had just made, and that they were crediting their deliverance from Israel to another god, the golden calf, rather than to the one who actually delivered them. It is pretty offensive to see one’s efforts disparaged and the credit deliberately assigned to someone who wasn’t even present by those who know the truth, and God was offended.
The original meaning of the word plagiary or plagiarism was to kidnap, to steal something from another. In modern English the meaning is to steal the credit for another’s work. It is considered a crime in modern law. The Greek word translated blasphemy incorporated the modern meanings of defamation, libel and plagariasm. By knowingly crediting someone else with what God had done, the Jews were blaspheming him. It is the same sin as that of the person who says, “God has never done anything for me.”
“And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.” (Exodus 32:9-10)
God was so angered by the rejection of everything he had done, crediting it all to some inanimate golden calf, that he told Moses to get out of the way so he could destroy them without hurting Moses. He promised to start over with Moses’ family.
Blasphemy is a serious sin, and Matthew 12:31-32 warns, “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.” Rejecting the Holy Spirit’s work, specifically in drawing us to Christ, will never be forgiven.
“And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.” (Exodus 32:11-13)
God had ample provocation and every right to destroy Israel for their sin and rejection. As Moses pointed out, however, destroying Israel would cause the Egyptians to believe God could not be trusted and would break his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by destroying their descendants.
God is the all knowing one, and is perfect and holy. While he knew what they were going to do, it is hard for God to understand human thinking. Moses was like other men and as a result he could understand how people could fall into sin due to their lack of understanding and sinful nature in a way God could not. He could understand how humans would perceive God’s actions in a way God would not. As a result, he interceded for the nation of Israel.
Because he is a just God, recognizes the difference in perception, and does not wish to judge unfairly, God has selected men to intercede for those who sin according to Hebrews 5:1-2. “For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.” It is what makes Christ’s being both human and God so critical as he can represent both perspectives fairly. Until Christ came, there was no one who could adequately understand both sides.
“And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.” (Exodus 32:14)
A common misconception today is that to repent means to be sorry. In fact, the Greek word means to change directions, to act differently. One can express sorrow repeatedly, but until he begins to change his actions, he has not repented. God changed what he was going to do, because Moses intervened. While we do not change God’s nature or standards, we may change his actions by our intervention on another’s behalf.
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