On the Lord’s Side

Exodus 32:21-35

-The reality of idolatry demands a response

Back in 2021, Suzanne and I were on vacation in Hawaii. Honestly, it was a horrible trip in a lot of ways. The cherry on top was driving around a corner to flashing lights and an officer waving me over to a parking lot. They were giving out tickets for cell phone usage and I’d been spotted. For the one and only time in my life, I attempted to dispute the ticket. I had plenty of excuses: ignorance of the Law, distraction from a call, financial hardship, and a promise that I would be unlikely to return to Hawaii! In the end, none of my excuses mattered. I was guilty

I. Face the Facts vv. 21-24

In our passage, Moses comes down from the mountain and the first person he meets is Aaron

A conversation takes place and Moses does two things at the same time:

He acknowledges that this is out of character for Aaron, something from the people must have provoked it

He confronts the reality: Aaron’s actions have led the people to deep sin

We can learn a lot from Aaron’s response, of what not to do when confronted in our sin:

Aaron diminishes the sin: “Calm down, this is no big deal”

Aaron deflects: “You know how these people are. It’s really their fault”

Aaron denies: “It just sort of happened; I had nothing to do with it”

If we are ever going to move forward from a pattern of sinful behavior to a righteous way of living, we have to own the responsibility for our sin:

Our sin is grievous in the sight of the Lord

Our sin happens as a result of our free choices

Our sin is never accidental

Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is. If there are rats in a cellar, you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats; it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way, the suddenness of the provocation does not make me ill-tempered; it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am. 

C.S. Lewis.!

II. Make a Decision vv. 25-29

Moses is not dissuaded by Aaron’s argument here, however

He knows the truth of the situation: It is Aaron’s leadership or lack thereof that is in question here. He is responsible for the people

He understands the consequences: The people have broken out. They have cast off the restraint of God’s Law and are now acting in shameful ways

Moses makes a stand in the middle of this and calls the people to make a choice!

Choose faithfulness- the Lord has a side and you are either for Him or against Him. They must choose to be loyal to the Lord

Choose action- they must move, physically separating themselves from the crowd and uniting with Moses

Choose holiness- they must be prepared to oppose those who have led them to this place:

Here we have a bit of action that we can only understand through inferrence

Throughout the chapter, there is a sense that a group of malcontents were at the forefront of promoting idolatry

They are the ones who went to Aaron in the first place

They are the ones who declared to the nation: “These are your gods who led you out of Egypt”

Now, they are the ones who are going to face the harshest judgment

In what sense do we “take up the sword” in our day and age?

Don’t be afraid to call an idol an idol

Deal ruthlessly with the idols in our own lives

Dive into the lives of others so that they understand the idols of the culture that are destroying the lives of others

Ephesians 6:12

[12] For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (ESV)

Living in this way has consequences:

There is a cost; it will place you at odds with the prevailing culture

There is a blessing; the Lord recognizes you as His own!

Michael Jordan is one of the most beloved sports figures of the modern era.  He achieved success on levels few of us will ever know.  Celebrated as one of the best basketball players of all time, he had fame, acclaim, celebrity, and wealth.  These are hardly the ingredients the result in a needy personality.  Yet Jordan yearned for emotional support that he couldn’t find from his coaches, his teammates, or his fans.  It was his father’s approval and support for which he longed.  Chicago Tribune sports writer Bob Greene recounts from an interview with Jordan, prior to the death of his father, James, that he would strobe the stands before each game in search of his dad’s reassuring face.  “When he’s there,” Jordan said, “I know I have at least one fan."

III. Seek God’s Forgiveness vv. 30-35

Finally, we see Moses intercede on behalf of the Israelites. His actions give us a picture of the pursuit of God’s grace

First, we need to acknowledge sin vv. 30-31

When Moses mediates between Israel and the Lord, he is honest about the situation

He confronts the Israelites with their great sin and makes no excuses about the sin to the Lord; He owns it

So frequently, we miss this. We promise to “do better” without acknowledging the matter of sin between us and the Lord!

Second, we need to recognize the Lord’s authority vv. 33-35

The Lord speaks very clearly to Moses on this

He will condemn those who have sinned against Him (seemingly the leaders of this effort). His condemnation is always righteous v. 33

He will bring them into the Promised Land and lead them by His angel at the hands of Moses. He is gracious with His forgiveness v. 34

He will bring consequences, even to His rescued people. He is wise in His discipline v. 35

God has the right to judge and forgive. He owes us nothing. We receive forgiveness and reconciliation to God as an act of mercy on His part

Are you ready to find forgiveness?

Third, we need to look for atonement v. 32

Because the people are guilty, there is no reason to expect or presume that God will forgive; this is a heinous action that is a betrayal of God in every sense

Moses uses a very important word to describe what he intends to do: “make atonement” for their sin

Being sorrowful over sin will not change anything; there is a price that has to be paid

Moses stands in that gap and offers himself:

If you will, forgive their sin

If not, blot me out of the book: Take me for them!

The Lord does not accept Moses’s proposition, but He does give us a picture of someone who will make atonement for our sin, Jesus!

At one time at the City Temple in London, there was in the congregation a restaurateur named Emil Mettler, who was a close friend of Albert Schweitzer and a kind of agent for Schweitzer in Britain. Mettler would never allow a Christian worker to pay for a meal in his restaurant but once he did happen to open his cash register in the presence of a Secretary of the London Missionary Society. The Secretary was astonished to see among the bills and coins a six-inch nail. What was it doing there? Mettler explained, “I keep this nail with my money to remind me of the price that Christ paid for my salvation and of what I owe Him in return.” 

-Are you ready to face the truth about your idolatry?

-Are you ready to make a choice?

-Are you ready to seek forgiveness?