The video version is available at: https://youtu.be/gjry5yHpZwk
Reading
– Exodus chapter 33
By
Dan and Brenda Cathcart
Following
the completion of the Tabernacle and the establishment of the priesthood under
Aaron the high priest, Moses, once again returns to the top of Mount Sinai to
receive instructions from God. But the people encamped at the base of the
mountain grew impatient when, in their estimate, Moses was delayed in returning
to them. This is the time in the account of the Exodus where we see the
incident of the Golden Calf; a story that most of us are very familiar with. Having
committed this egregious sin, what would become of this barely formed nation
that God had declared was His nation? Would they still be His people? Would God
still dwell among them? And would He still take them to the Promised land? Will
the result of the people’s sin have far-reaching effects on their relationship
with God?
In
Moses’ prolonged absence, and under pressure from the people, Aaron took it
upon himself to create an idol and declare that it was the god who brought them
out of Egypt!
Exodus 32:4-5 NKJV 4 And he received
the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made
a molded calf. Then they said, "This is your god, O Israel, that brought
you out of the land of Egypt!" 5 So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar
before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow is a feast to
the LORD."
There
at the base of the still smoking and shaking mountain, while Moses was in God’s
presence, and at the very the place where God declared that He would once more
dwell with man, and the people had declared that they would obey all the LORD
had commanded, Aaron led the people in rebellion against God in a similar
manner to Adam.
In
the beginning, Adam was the chosen priest of God. Adam, along with Eve, the
woman God provided for Adam, gave into the enticements of the serpent to do
what God had specifically instructed them not to do. Adam then turned and
blamed someone else; he blamed Eve and ultimately blamed God for his own
actions. As a result, Adam and Eve were exiled from the garden and from God’s
presence.
Genesis 3:23-24 NKJV 23 therefore the
LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he
was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of
the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the
way to the tree of life.
Aaron
was also God’s chosen priest. He gave into the pleas of the people to do what
God had instructed them not to do. Aaron then blamed the people, Moses, and
ultimately God.
Exodus 32:21-24 NKJV 21 And Moses said
to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a
sin upon them?" 22 So Aaron said, "Do not let the anger of my lord
become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 "For they
said to me, 'Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man
who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of
him.' 24 "And I said to them, 'Whoever has any gold, let them break it
off.' So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came
out."
God
was ready to abandon them all and turn to Moses to build a great nation.
Exodus 32:9-10 NKJV 9 And the LORD
said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked
people! 10 "Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot
against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation."
I
suppose that if Moses wasn’t the humble man and servant of God that he was, he
may have accepted God’s offer. God was ready to annihilate the nation of Israel
and start over with Moses and his descendants. However, Moses didn’t agree to
God’s offer. Instead, Moses interceded for the children of Israel on the basis
of God’s reputation and promise.
Exodus 32:11-13 NKJV 11 Then Moses
pleaded with the LORD his God, and said: "LORD, why does Your wrath burn
hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with
great power and with a mighty hand? 12 "Why should the Egyptians speak,
and say, 'He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and
to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and
relent from this harm to Your people. 13 "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and
Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, 'I
will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I
have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it
forever.'"
Moses’
intercession was not based on the merit of the people; they had zero merit
before God at this point! Moses’ arguments were based on God’s promise to
Abraham.
God
responded to Moses’ plea and relented from immediate judgment of the people and
sent Moses down from the mountain to deal with them. There was still going to
be consequences for their sin of building and worshiping the idol! When Moses
went down from the mountain, he carried the tablets that God had made and
engraved with the testimony of the covenant. When Moses saw the behavior of the
people for himself, his anger was as fierce as God’s anger.
Exodus 32:19 NKJV 19 So it was, as
soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses'
anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at
the foot of the mountain.
Moses
broke the testimony of the covenant at the threshold of God’s dwelling place on
the mountain! He called for those on the side of the LORD to come to his side
and join in putting to death those who had worshiped idols. The sons of Levi
rallied to Moses’ side.
Exodus 32:27-29 NKJV 27 And he said to
them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'Let every man put his sword on
his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and
let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his
neighbor.'" 28 So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And
about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 29 Then Moses said,
"Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, that He may bestow on you a
blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother."
Those
who participated in cleansing the camp from sin, namely the Levites, were now
consecrated to God. This is the same term God used when He told Moses to
consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve God. The Hebrew phrase for consecrate in
this verse is “maw-lay yad-kam,” from numbers 4390 and 3027 in Strong’s
Concordance literally meaning “to fill your hand.” The Levites are to fill
their hands with service to the LORD so He could bless them.
The
fate of national Israel was not yet determined, however. Repentance on the part
of the remaining people had to take place, and Moses would go up to God on
Mount Sinai to make atonement for them.
Exodus 32:31-32 NKJV 31 Then Moses
returned to the LORD and said, "Oh, these people have committed a great
sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! 32 "Yet now, if You will
forgive their sin-but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have
written."
Moses
went before God and made an astonishing offer. Moses offered to take the place
of entire nation of Israel in the judgment that God was going to hand out on
them. If God could not forgive the sin of the nation, then Moses asked that God
blot him out of His book of the righteous. Moses is offering to give up his
standing among the righteous for the nation of Israel. Moses had refused God’s
offer to make him a great nation; now the tables are turned, and God refused
Moses’ offer to be written out of the book for the sake of his people.
God
declared that each person would be accountable for their own actions.
Exodus 32:33-34 NKJV 33 And the LORD
said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My
book. 34 "Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have
spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day
when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their
sin."
Although
God had relented from immediate judgment, atonement had not yet been made for
the children of Israel. God told Moses to take the people and go to the
Promised Land and God would send His angel to lead the way, but God Himself would
not go with them.
Exodus 33:1-3 NKJV 1 Then the LORD
said to Moses, "Depart and go up from here, you and the people whom you
have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, saying, 'To your descendants I will give it.' 2 "And I
will send My Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite and the
Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 3
"Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your
midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people."
Like
Adam, they were being exiled from God’s dwelling place! When Moses told the
people that God would not go with them, the people mourned. However, instead of
gathering up the people and departing Mount Sinai, Moses took his tent, pitched
it outside the camp and called it the tent of meeting. Now instead of God
dwelling in the midst of them, they could only observe the place of God’s
presence from a distance. This was a vivid demonstration of what they had given
up when they worshiped the idol they had built.
Exodus 33:7-9 NAS95 7 Now Moses used
to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp,
and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the LORD would go
out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp. 8 And it came about,
whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand,
each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the
tent. 9 Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and
stand at the entrance of the tent; and the LORD would speak with Moses.
Moses
told God that he wasn’t going to leave Mount Sinai until God told him who He
would send with him to lead the people.
Exodus 33:12-13 NKJV 12 Then Moses
said to the LORD, "See, You say to me, 'Bring up this people.' But You
have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, 'I know you
by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.' 13 "Now therefore, I
pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may
know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation
is Your people."
Moses
was insistent that the nation of Israel was God’s nation, not Moses’ nation.
The word “consider” is the Hebrew word “ra-ah,” number 7200 meaning to see,
provide, or see to it. Moses is asking God to see to it that they are His
people.
The
conversation with God continued with God’s response that His presence would go
with Moses.
Exodus 33:14 NKJV 14 And He said,
"My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
An
interesting note here is something that we don’t see it in the English
translation. The Hebrew, the word translated as “you” is in the singular form.
God is telling Moses that He would go with Moses and give Moses rest. This
implies that God would not go with the children of Israel as a whole. This
understanding of the singular form of “you,” makes sense of Moses’ response in
the following verses. Moses found this arrangement unacceptable and too much
like the offer to do away with Israel altogether and make a nation from Moses.
Exodus 33:15-16 NKJV 15 Then he said
to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from
here. 16 "For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found
grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your
people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth."
Moses
declared that there was no point in him leading the children of Israel to the
Promised Land if God didn’t go with them! The whole point of God taking the
children of Israel to the Promised Land was so that they would be recognized as
different from the other nations. Moses found grace with God and, by extension
through Moses’ intervention on their behalf, grace was also extended to the
children of Israel. It appears that God agreed with Moses’ argument and stated
that He would do what Moses asked and go with the children of Israel on their
journey to the Promised Land.
Exodus 33:17-18 NKJV 17 So the LORD
said to Moses, "I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you
have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name." 18 And he said,
"Please, show me Your glory."
God
granted Moses’ request to see God’s glory. God would show Moses His goodness
and glory and declare His name to Moses.
Exodus 33:19-20 NKJV 19 Then He said,
"I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name
of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I
will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." 20 But He said,
"You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live."
Moses
then spent another forty days on the mountain making atonement for the sins of
the children of Israel. When He returned once again to the people, he had a new
set of stone tablets of the testimony with him, and he was ready to build the
dwelling place of God. At this time, however, God’s dwelling place was outside
the camp in the Tent of Meeting. Those who wanted to seek the LORD had to leave
the camp to do so. But atonement must be made so that God’s dwelling place
could be in the camp.
At
the very beginning of this Torah portion, between the instructions regarding
the Incense Altar and the Bronze Laver, God gave instructions for a census and
what is described a ransom for their soul.
Exodus 30:11-12 NKJV 11 Then the LORD
spoke to Moses, saying: 12 "When you take the census of the children of
Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the
LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you
number them.
This
census involved everyone from twenty years of age and older. Each were to give
a half shekel offering to the LORD and, unlike the free will offering for the
Tabernacle, this offering of the half shekel was mandatory. We see that the
purpose of this offering was to make atonement for their souls.
Exodus 30:16 NKJV 16 "And you
shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it
for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the
children of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves."
Through
their repentance and subsequent obedience to the LORD, the children of Israel
received grace through Moses. Grace is frequently described as “unmerited
favor.” In Hebrew, it is the word “chanan,” number 2603 meaning to bend or
stoop in kindness to an inferior. The one who extends kindness to an inferior
is not obligated to extend that kindness, so we get the idea of “unmerited
favor.” Even though atonement was made for and by the children of Israel, God
extended grace to His people. Grace was extended, but not without cost.
When
Moses was on the mountain making atonement for the children of Israel, God
spoke to Moses that He was renewing the covenant.
Exodus 34:10 NKJV 10 And He said:
"Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such
as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people
among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD. For it is an awesome thing
that I will do with you.
The
children of Israel were still God’s people. God later repeats His instructions
to Moses about the dwelling place they were to build for Him and about the
garments for Aaron and his sons to minister as priests before Him. God’s grace
was extended to Israel through the intercession of Moses. God would go up to
the Promised Land with Israel and make His dwelling place among them.
When
Moses came down the mountain with the testimony of the covenant with him, the
intention was to establish the kingdom of God on the earth in the midst of the
people. For us today, when Yeshua returns, this mission will be accomplished.
Yeshua will bring the testimony of the covenant with him, He will establish His
kingdom in the Promised Land at Jerusalem, and will dwell among His people.
Study
Questions:
2.
What are the arguments that Moses uses to
convince God not to destroy Israel?
3.
How did God’s reactions to the sin of the
Golden Calf reveal both His judgment and His grace?
General
Portion Questions
4.
Moses broke the first set of tablets
containing the testimony of the covenant when he cast them down at the foot of
the mountain. (Exodus 32:19) What is the significance of this being at the
threshold of God’s dwelling place?
5.
What was the purpose in building the
Golden Calf? Who did they seek to serve by it? If their heart was in the right
place, why were they punished? What does this teach us about faith and our
relationship to God’s commandments?
6.
What other insights did you gain from this teaching? What indicators are there in
this Torah Portion that point to Messiah Yeshua?
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2023 Moed Ministries International. All rights reserved.
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