Exodus & Call (part 2)
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WHERE ARE WE IN THE NARRATIVE?
Creation & Fall Genesis 1-11
Humans are made to live in the presence of God and in relationship with one another and with all of creation.
The Family of Faith Genesis 12-50
Get outside! Look up! (A visual aid of stars in the night sky… a reminder of the promise made to a childless couple)
Abraham & Sarah (12-25) (NO KIDS)
Isaac (21-35)
Jacob & Esau (25-36)
Joseph (37-50)
“a new king who did not know Joseph” + a growing people (promise being fulfilled!)
400 years of oppression & slavery
Israel’s Exodus & Call
Moses
The Book of Exodus:
chapters 1-18: God rescues Abraham’s descendants from Egyptian bondage
A Pharoah who did not know Joseph
Moses’ birth story
Burning Bush (& return to Egypt)
Plagues
Passover & Exodus
Wilderness Wandering
chapters 19-24 God gives Israel the Law
“This is how you can live in my presence and in relationship to one another and with creation.”
The Ten Commandments
Case Law
chapters 25-40 God instructs Israel to build the Tabernacle
God’s idea & initiative (provides the idea, the plans, the materials and the craftsmen!)
“From start to finish, a God-given structure.”
(A way to live in God’s presence!)
The Shape of Proper Worship part 1 (chapters 25-31)
Threat to Proper Worship (chapter 32-34)
The Shape of Proper Worship part 2 (chapters 35-40)
Detailed description of the construction…
a tent - “the form of God’s house conforms to that of the people”
How to Read Exodus Chapter Nine: God Instructs Israel to Build the Tabernacle (Exodus 25–40)
Moses received more than the law while on Mount Sinai. God also gave him the plans for a structure in which he would make his presence known to his people. Yahweh was not a god like those of the surrounding nations. The nations constructed images of their gods (see above) and thought that their gods were actually resident in those objects. The law prohibited the construction of such images (Ex 20:4–6); nonetheless, Yahweh directed the construction of a sanctuary to which the people could come and experience his palpable presence. This structure is known as the tabernacle.
Our reading today picks up in between the giving of the Ten Commandments and the instruction about the Tabernacle. How the people are to live in the presence of God.
We are reading from Exodus chapter 32. Would you stand to prepare your hearts to listen to God’s Word?
1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
2 Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” 6 So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.
7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’
9 “I have seen these people,” the Lord said to Moses, “and they are a stiff-necked people. 10 Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.”
11 But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’ ” 14 Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
one: This is the word of the Lord.
all: Thanks be to God.
Moses takes too long.
The people FORGET God.
Exodus 32:1 (NIV)
1 When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
Wait! Didn’t God bring the people out of Egypt?
In fact, wasn’t that the story that the Passover meal was to tell, to anticipate?
3 Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast.
Aaron … well. What was Aaron thinking, anyway?
The people ask him to make them gods… because Moses has been gone too long.
Wait! What? They didn’t worship Moses, did they?
What happens when leaders take too long?
Aaron tries to correct/redirect:
5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.”
Doesn’t work.
God tattles to Moses. “YOUR people who YOU brought out of Egypt”
7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt.
God: “Forget these people. I know we’ve made some progress in the whole promise to make Abraham a great nation, but I can do it again. Let’s scrap this and start again with you, Moses.”
Moses reminds God… wait. These are YOUR people. The children YOU promised Abraham. Do we need to go outside and look up at the stars?
11 But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. “Lord,” he said, “why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?
13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.’ ”
And God relents.
So we are left with a problem… as readers.
Is God holy and sovereign, not able to abide human sin? Or is God compassionate and faithful in divine solidarity with God’s people?
holy sovereignty or compassionate solidarity?
Is God holy? Yes. Does purity matter? Yes, of course. But does our impurity make it impossible for God to be with us?
NO.
Brad Jersak is helpful here:
“Holiness is an attribute of God’s nature, meaning that holiness is an adjective of God’s love. There is no but between the love and the holiness of God. The holiness of God does not negate the love of God but rather, is defined by that love.” Brad Jersak
Is God compassionate and has God promised to be WITH the humans He made and chose in order to bless the whole world?
Yes. Both. All.
What do we learn about God from this interaction with Moses?
God chooses compassionate solidarity (because that is what God is like)
God listens to Moses - maybe our prayers do matter?
And what do we learn about God from the wider “scope” of Exodus?
God goes to great lengths to rescue Abraham’s descendants from Egyptian bondage (ch 1-18)
God gives Israel the law (ch 19-24) - This is how we can live together and how things will work best in relationship with one another and all of creation
God instructs Israel to make the Tabernacle - here’s how we will “dwell” together - I will pitch my tent among your tents
This is one of those beautiful examples where we see the God revealed in Jesus consistent with the OT revelation… God chooses faithfulness, even when the people are unfaithful. God chooses solidarity over purity. God’s holiness is not compromised by God’s compassion. They live in perfect harmony.
And, of course, ultimately we would see God continue to express that compassionate solidarity when Jesus would come… and pitched his tent among us… John 1:14
John 1:14 (NIV)
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
John 1:14 (FNV)
14 Creator’s Word became a flesh-and-blood human being and pitched his sacred tent among us, living as one of us.
Jesus reveals the same thing we see here in Exodus…
a God who is love and whose holiness is a facet of that love.
a God who continues to keep a covenant even when those who received the promise can’t live up to their end of things.
a God who will give the Commandments to them, not because they will be able to keep them, but because they describe how things work best.
a God who will Tabernacle among the people, pouring out love and blessing on them, even though they will forget God over and over again. Trust will wane.
And so, this morning, if you’re feeling like you’re not so good at trusting God. Or if your trust quickly falters.
God loves you. And God isn’t done with you.
If you’re a leader who fears you’ve taken too long and people are going rogue…
God loves you. And God isn’t done with you. Or your people.
If you’ve responded to some weird twists of faith like Aaron and not stopped things before they got out of hand…
God loves you. And God isn’t done with you.
If you are worried that God will decide that it’s too hard to work with you. Or with us. Or with us the big C church because we have our own golden calves… hundred of them.
God loves you. And God isn’t done with you. God loves us. And God isn’t done with us.
If you feel you need to “take God outside” and remind him of the stars in the sky - you’re in good company with Moses.
God loves you. And I’m pretty sure Moses could bear witness to a God who isn’t done with you. And who doesn’t give up.
This is a moment when the whole story is threatened. But this will not be the last time the Israelites will mess things up. Turns out “not messing up” isn’t what’s required. It’s coming back to the God whose love never endures forever.
So, take a moment. Come back.
To the God who loves you. And who isn’t done with you.
[pause]
Thanks be to God.