Sermon Tone Analysis

1. Tip the Calf of Impatience

v. 1 Moses delayed...

Yet visible signs of the Lord’s Presence were all around

v. 15 Smoke & Cloud

v. 16 The Voice of the Lord

v. 17 Likeness of a Consuming Fire

BUT, he was on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights....(That’s a biblical euphemism for a long time)

Exodus Chapter 24

15 Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.

16 The glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud.

17 And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top.

18 Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

15 Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.

16 The glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud.

17 And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top.

18 Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

2. Tip the Calf of Arrogance

CSB Study Bible: Notes Chapter 7

The number forty played a significant role throughout the OT: Isaac and Esau were forty when they married (25:20; 26:34), Moses was on Mount Sinai forty days and nights receiving the law from God (Ex 24:18; 34:28; Dt 9:11, 18, 25), Israel spent forty years in the wilderness following their disobedience (Nm 32:13), the Philistines oppressed Israel for forty years (Jdg 13:1), and several judges and kings ruled over Israel for forty years (Othniel, Jdg 3:11; Deborah, Jdg 5:31; Gideon, Jdg 8:28; Eli, 1Sm 4:8; David, 2Sm 5:4; Solomon, 1Kg 11:42; Joash, 2Kg 12:1; Saul, Ac 13:21).

The number forty played a significant role throughout the OT:

Isaac and Esau were forty when they married (25:20; 26:34),

Moses was on Mount Sinai forty days and nights receiving the law from God (; ; , , ),

-Moses was on Mount Sinai forty days and nights receiving the law from God (; ; , , ), Israel spent forty years in the wilderness following their disobedience (), the Philistines oppressed Israel for forty years (), and several judges and kings ruled over Israel for forty years (Othniel, ; Deborah, ; Gideon, ; Eli, ; David, ; Solomon, 1Kg 11:42; Joash, 2Kg 12:1; Saul, ).

Israel spent forty years in the wilderness following their disobedience (),

the Philistines oppressed Israel for forty years (), and

several judges and kings ruled over Israel for forty years (Othniel, ; Deborah, ; Gideon, ; Eli, ; David, ; Solomon, 1Kg 11:42; Joash, 2Kg 12:1; Saul, ).

forty days and forty nights The number 40 appears frequently in the OT and is symbolic as a period of separation for the sake of spiritual purification and growth (see 34:28; Deut 9:9–18; 10:10; compare Matt 4).

It is often used in scenes relevant to the cleansing of sin or spiritual impurity (Gen 7:4, 12, 17; 8:6; 50:3; Num 13:25; 14:33; Josh 5:6; 1 Kgs 19:8; Ezek 4:6; 29:11–13; Psa 95:10).

forty days and forty nights The number 40 appears frequently in the OT and is symbolic as a period of separation for the sake of spiritual purification and growth (see 34:28; ; ; compare ).

It is often used in scenes relevant to the cleansing of sin or spiritual impurity (, , ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ).

2. Tip the Calf of Ungrateful Attitudes.

we have so much to be thankful for.

the manna and water were still being provided.

They had basic needs.

forty days and forty nights The number 40 appears frequently in the OT and is symbolic as a period of separation for the sake of spiritual purification and growth (see 34:28; ; ; compare ).

It is often used in scenes relevant to the cleansing of sin or spiritual impurity (, , ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ).

Pressured by the people

3. Tip the Calf of Cultural Pressure.

Aaron thrust into leadership suddenly

Pressured by the people, v. 1

Fearful and worried Leadership, mouthpiece but no backbone.

The New American Commentary: Exodus (1) Israel’s Idolatry with the Golden Young Bull (32:1–6)

but mostly a matter of something that continues to plague even Christian people today: an inability to see that the spiritual world is primary to and in control of the physical and visible world.

In order to help his people understand the truth, Yahweh insisted on being believed in rather than being seen.

It was so much easier to believe in something that could actually be seen.

but mostly a matter of something that continues to plague even Christian people today: an inability to see that the spiritual world is primary to and in control of the physical and visible world.

In order to help his people understand the truth, Yahweh insisted on being believed in rather than being seen.

It was so much easier to believe in something that could actually be seen.

4. Tip the Calf of Idolatry.

The New American Commentary: Exodus (1) Israel’s Idolatry with the Golden Young Bull (32:1–6)

Hebrew kōl is often used to connote “all sorts of” as well as “every last one of,” and there may have been many people, especially Levites (see below) who resisted the folly that Aaron and others had gotten into.

Hebrew kōl is often used to connote “all sorts of” as well as “every last one of,” and there may have been many people, especially Levites (see below) who resisted the folly that Aaron and others had gotten into.

In either case, there is little doubt that Israelites of all times believed that it was Yahweh, and no other god, who had delivered them from Egypt.

In other words, Yahweh was now being represented by an idol, the very sort of thing forbidden clearly by the second word/commandment.

The people didn’t believe that the Golden Calf had in fact brought them up from Egypt - they wanted to something to latch onto.

This calf is the representation, the physical manifestation of Yahweh God.

NO!

The first and second commandments were disobeyed here.

1.

No other gods - Polytheistic to MonoTheistic

2. No idols, either representing other gods OR Yahweh - God is Spirit and we are called to worship Him in Spirit.

By the way - hasn’t worship been good lately?

Want to know why? It’s the Holy Spirit of God.

David has planned very theologically sound music services, and we put a focus on the reading and explanation of God’s Word - the Spirit falls and uses those things to get us focused in Spirit and Truth.

Plan with excellence, but EXPECT The SPIRIT TO MOVE WHEN WE COME.

Oh sure, Some of the songs are new, but they are Scriptural - we are singing about Jesus, for Jesus, and to Jesus.

Worship isn’t supposed to be about US!! IT’s ABOUT HIM!!

You know we still struggle with idolatry - we do!

Okay, I do, I struggle with idolatry.

Have we elevated