The Fall and Restoration of Aaron

The Fall and Restoration of Aaron Exodus 32:11-29 Getting Up to Speed 1. Less than 40 days after entering an official covenant with Yahweh, the Israelites demand a change. 2. The nation demands “gods who shall go before us” (v.1). 3. Aaron obliges – he takes the gold that God had taken from the Egyptians, makes a golden bull, identifies the bull as Yahweh, and proclaims a feast to Yahweh, which turns into a sordid affair. 4. God’s anger burns – He tells Moses, “Let me alone … that I may consume them.” Moses Intercedes (32:11-14) 1. Moses intercedes immediately – God’s “leave me alone” indicates that Moses was already interceding. 2. Moses’s “entreated” the favor of the LORD (NASB) 3. Moses’s intercession takes 3 points: • • • Argument #1: What would your wrath accomplish, given that you so recently delivered your people? Your achievements would be lost under this great judgment. Argument #2: Why give our enemies occasion to accuse you? They’ll say your intent was destruction from the start. Argument #3: You made promises to the patriarchs to bless and to multiply. How is national destruction consistent with those promises? Moses Intervention (32:15-24) 1. Moses smashes the tablets (15-19). • • • Moses specifies the uniqueness of these tablets – “the work of God, the very writing of God”, lit, the writing of the writing of God. “Sound of singing” implies a loud and boisterous outpouring of a mixture of sounds. Smashing: intense verb, deliberate and symbolic. 2. Moses smashes the idol (20) • • Burning, grinding, spreading – all acts of total eradication Likely dispersed the burned gold powder into the water supply and prevented recovery. Moses Intervention (32:15-24) 3. Moses confronts Aaron (21-24). • • God had not implicated Aaron specifically, so Moses gives Aaron the benefit of the doubt. Aaron’s response is not encouraging as he ranged from blame-shifting to bald-faced lying. Aaron’s Restoration (32:25-29) 1. Despite Moses’s return and intervention, some of the Israelites were in a frenzy (25). 2. The “gate” was the visible seat of authority for local governments – we would say “City Hall” or “the Capital.” 3. Literally, “Who to Yahweh, to me!” 4. “All the Levites” gathered and executed those who refused to exercise self-control, approximately 0.5% of Israel’s population (1 in every 200) 5. See Exodus 40:12-13 Reflections 1. God does not want yesterday’s failures to keep you from forgiveness and service today. 2. God does not want tomorrow’s failures to keep you from forgiveness and service today (see Numbers 12:1).