The Bridge

Exodus 32:11-35.

Quick intro (Last week):

Moses on Sinai

Golden calf

We fall to idols when…

-We fail to trust in God

-We place our faith where it doesn’t belong

-When fear man more than God

-When we worship the provision and not the provider

-When we stray from obedience to the word of God

Last week I asked that you examine your life…Did you? What idols did you find?

WE ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN THESE ISRAELITES

Stiff-Necked= Stubborn and disobedient (at heart, God knows this is their heart)

This is where we left off last week…

Gods wrath burns hot…HE HATES IDOLATRY…He wants to Destroy this sinful people…

WHAT DO WE DO WHEN WE HAVE FALLEN TO IDOLATRY???

3 NEEDS THAT MUST BE MET WHEN WE FALL TO IDOLATRY…

When we have fallen to idolatry…

We Need a Mediator (11-14)

A gap (sin) between God and the people…

A holy God and a stiff necked, disobedient, idolatrous people…

We are separated by sin yet again…

We deserve wrath…Israel here no different than the Egyptians (idol worshippers, no fear of the true God)

BUT MOSES…who had no part in the sin (idolatry) intercedes…

Moses mediates…Mediators stand between 2 enemies…2 quarrelsome parties

Two words to focus on (REMEMBER and FOREVER)

The Lord RELENTS!!!

How does a man change Gods mind???

The Lord in His providence and sovereignty…uses this situation to give us prophecy…to show us our need for a mediator…

He allowed this to happen to show the need for a mediator to stand in the gap and intercede for a sinful idolatrous people…

They fell to idolatry…

The Israelites needed a mediator and God provided one…

When we have fallen to idolatry…

We Need Repentance (15-29)

See the idol as an idol…(19)

We are to never put any thing, any person, any relationship, above Him…

The word REPENTANCE =change of mind (see idolatry as a sin against God)

Destroy the idol…(20)

Remove it from your life!!!

See the idolater as an idolater…(21-24)

Aaron (not my fault!) denies and blame shifts and minimizes his sin (like a child)

One thing we must understand…when we fall to idolatry we don’t come out unscathed…

We need to know that the stove is hot ya’ll

“Who is on the Lords side?” this is a call to repentance…Aaron was a levite

This next bit of text is hard to hear. Moses gathers those who repented and and slew 3000 men who were not…

Later in v35 we see that the Lord also lays a plague upon Israel for their idolatry..

What we must see here…

There is consequences for idolatry

God disciplines His own…

Hebrews 12:6-10 (READ)

When we have fallen to idolatry…

We Need Atonement (30-35)

Moses seeks atonement…

The destruction of the idol isn’t enough…

Moses isn’t enough…(V32 Blot me out)

The people are still sinful…

Sin still needs dealt with!!!

BIG IDEA: WE NEED A SAVIOR!!!

Our sin must be paid for!!!

BUT DON’T WORRY!!!

God in His faithfulness sends a savior!!!

One who in Isaiah is called…IMMANUEL (God is with us)

Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

A promised child who will be born…

Isaiah 53:10-12 (READ)

God so loved the world that He gave His only son…to stand in the gap…to pay the price for a stiffed necked people…

This is why we celebrate…Christmas is about the birth of a savior we desperately needed!!!

The image of Christmas isn’t a tree…ITS A BRIDGE!!!

A Bridge that we walked over…that took us from sin to righteousness…that holds us up on the bloodied/scourged back and pierced hands…

That stood in the void and mediated for us…that led us to repentance…He destroyed sin and death…that atoned for us!!! FOREVER!!!