The Life of Moses (Ex. 32)

Intro

Setting

-Israel is gathered before Mount Sinai (since ch. 19)

-God has descended on the mountain with fire and smoke, and caused the whole mountain to shake

-God speaks to Moses directly from the cloud in the presence of the people that they will believe in the authority of Moses (19:9)

-Moses ascends the mountain where the ceremonial and civil law and the decalogue are given

Chapter 32 essentially begins with… “meanwhile, down the mountain...”

1. A restless and impatient people (32:1)

Example: Washington and the continental army (pre-Delaware crossing)

enlistments were up, moral was down, and it looked like the 1776 campaign would end disastrously for the continental army

Washington’s men were restless and impatient—prepared to leave the army and return home

they had lost their confidence in their leader, and didn’t trust him to lead them to victory.

Washington’s bold stroke to launch a surprise attack across the Delaware was the brave, cunning, and desperate act of a leader about to lose control of his men.

In we find that the people of Israel have grown anxious and impatient—they are restless

Moses has been up on that Mountain for too long, they feel, and they are worried

Is being anxious and/or impatient a habit for Israel?

> though God showed them His sovereign power over the Egyptians in the plagues—Israel was terrified, restless, anxious and impatient at the sight of Pharaohs armies by the Red Sea

> though God had proved his faithful love to his people by rescuing them from Egypt, keeping them from the plagues and the destruction of the Red Sea, still they were restless, anxious, and impatient when food was not immediately apparent

> though God had revealed his majesty to them by his presence on the mountain, Israel is restless, anxious, and impatient due to the delay of Moses on the mountain.

Application 1. Anxiety, worry, and impatience with the plan and purpose of God are the fruits of a faithless heart.

These are surefire indicators that we have not trusted that he is able, that his way is better, or that his timing is perfect.

When our problems seem big and God appears small—we are not walking by faith

When we are impatient and restless—we are not walking by faith

Bonhoeffer quote---peace

Israel was not walking by faith, and it led them into grievous sin. We should take warning from their error.

Application 2. Exposure to the truth is no guarantee of faithfulness.

2. The Making of a God (32:1-6)

Devastating irony—as God is giving the commandments to Moses at the top of the mountain, including the command not to make graven images, the people at the bottom of the mountain are doing that very thing!

We note a few things

Man’s desire to control God

They want a caricature of god that they can make and manipulate, one that can be seen, and that they can carry like a good luck charm.

They seek to limit God in a way that they better understand and can control

This accounts as nothing less than unbelievable effrontery to the God of the universe—who made all things, the one who asks “to whom shall you liken me?” ()

Israel’s answer: we’ll liken you to cow.

God’s majesty and power cannot be contained or described by human efforts

Do we ever desire to make God in the fashion of our own design? Do we seek to tame God?

The tragic consequence of leadership failure

Aaron rolls over immediately

Rather then leading the people back to the one true God he leads them into idolatry—worse blasphemy for he says of the bull “Behold this is Yahweh”—death and destruction await

How quickly man turns his back on the light in favor of the darkness

The people of God are here failing their mission of radical distinctiveness

It has always been difficult for the people of God not to pattern themselves after the people of the world.

“prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.”

Do we ever fail in our commission to be a people of radical distinctiveness?

It has always been difficult for the people of God not to pattern themselves after the people of the world.

3. Moses the Mediator (32:7-14)

Both Moses and God use the term “your people”

God appears to be almost distancing himself from these stiff necked people

Moses seems to be reminding God that these are his covenant people.

God says that he is willing to destroy these people and start over

now, we know he won’t do that—God is faithful to his promises—but this is a test for Moses.

The offer is attractive— I’ll destroy this stiff necked, quarrelsome, grumbling people and start over with you, Moses.

Who really wants to lead this group of people?

Moses here acts as a mediator, one that prefigures Christ. His argument for God to deal mercifully with Israel has two thrusts

For the sake of your reputation before the pagan peoples.

For the sake of your promises to the patriarchs.

Do we need a mediator?

4. The Covenant of Death (32:15—35)

Over the course of this study, we’ve seen some of the ways in which Moses served as a OT type for Christ

But the final verses of this chapter point out some of the clear ways in which Jesus and the New Covenant are greater.

The law broken the instant it is given (Moses completes this with the symbolic throwing down the tablets)

Moses can only force the people to drink the cup of wrath and judgement on themselves—Christ drinks the cup of wrath on behalf of sinners.

The Old Covenant kills (3,000) the new covenant saves (3,000 saved at Pentecost)

Moses, while willing to offer himself as an atonement, cannot actually atone for the sin of the people. Jesus has atoned for the sin of the people.

We have a desperate need for Jesus Christ!

>the instantaneous results from the giving of the law are “this is never going to work” as a saving device

>the law not only condemned Israel, but it has also revealed every one of us to be wretched idolators.