exodus 32

When the Israelites disobeyed God at Mt. Sinai and tried making their own gods and rules , the results were deadly. The willingness of Moses to plead with God for mercy, even to the point of taking God's punishment on himself (Exodus 32:31) serves as a picture of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who gave His life as atonement for the sins of all. We learn of God’s faithfulness to us in spite of our unfaithfulness to Him as we look at the continuation of the Exodus story. Exodus 32 is a study of what happens when people break away from the Word of God.

One of the reasons our country is in the mess it’s in is because of the idols we have in our lives. Money, cars, houses, spouses.... the list goes on and on. Today pastor Lloyd brings us the conclusion of a message about the idolatry problems experienced by the people of Israel - and the trouble they got into because of it.

Today on Bridging the Gap Pastor Lloyd Pulley looks back to Exodus thirty two. Think Idolatry is a problem unique to the year 2023? Oh, no, it’s been around for as long as man has been around. Moses didn’t even make it down the mountain with the ten commandments before the people started worshipping a false idol.

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 Exodus 32 seems to point toward Jehovah as the Golden Calf. If so, we can look at the Children of Israel as not being willing to rise up Sinai to "see the face of God" like Moses. Rather, they bring God down to their level and mold Him into their own image with their own hands.

We can see their golden earrings as the philosophies of men or the current ideologies of the world. Much of Christianity, including many members of the Church, has already melted the gold and softened God/Jesus to be a Teddy Bear Jesus. But once hardened, He will become a bold and brash political Messiah. This is what happens when we "Critique" God (break Him down). He is softened and then infused with a new purpose.

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Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand…And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.20 He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it. 21 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” 22 And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf.”25 And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’” 28 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell. 29 And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day.”30 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” 33 But the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.34 But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.”35 Then the Lord sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made.33 The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt… Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”4 When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. 

1.    Does it seem to you like a serious thing to go back on your word or promise to God?
2.    What do you need forgiveness for?  Be specific.  Write it down on paper if you don’t want to share with the group.
3.     Do you think forgiveness is something people in our culture are looking for?  If not, what are they looking for?  Is it related to forgiveness?
4.     Do you see a connection in your life between awareness of God’s forgiveness and experience of his presence? 
5.     Is experiencing God’s presence an incentive to you in daily or hourly decisions?
6.    Have you ever found it hard to forgive?  Why?
7.    How does God taking on flesh and dying enable him to forgive us when he couldn’t before?

Moses comes down from the mountain and is angry with the people for making the golden calf, so he breaks the two stone tablets. The Levites consecrate themselves and execute the offenders. Moses intercedes a second time for Israel.

Join Pastor Daryl as he journeys through the entire Bible.
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Join Pastor Daryl as he journeys through the entire Bible.
Read or subscribe to his devotional at simplythebible.blog.
Visit the church website.

If you enjoy Simply the Bible, please give us a rating and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. That helps us a lot!

The people and Aaron make a golden calf. The LORD says that He will consume them, but Moses intercedes. Then he goes down carrying the two stone tablets.

Join Pastor Daryl as he journeys through the entire Bible.
Next episode
Read or subscribe to his daily devotional at simplythebible.blog.
Visit the church website.

Join Pastor Daryl as he journeys through the entire Bible.
Read or subscribe to his devotional at simplythebible.blog.
Visit the church website.

If you enjoy Simply the Bible, please give us a rating and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. That helps us a lot!