God's Unwavering Justice - Exodus 32:15-35

Call to Worship

Psalm 111 (NKJV)

Psalm 111

Praise to God for His Faithfulness and Justice

1 Praise the Lord!

I will praise the Lord with my whole heart,

In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.

2 The works of the Lord are great,

Studied by all who have pleasure in them.

3 His work is honorable and glorious,

And His righteousness endures forever.

4 He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.

5 He has given food to those who fear Him;

He will ever be mindful of His covenant.

6 He has declared to His people the power of His works,

In giving them the heritage of the nations.

7 The works of His hands are verity and justice;

All His precepts are sure.

8 They stand fast forever and ever,

And are done in truth and uprightness.

9 He has sent redemption to His people;

He has commanded His covenant forever:

Holy and awesome is His name.

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.

His praise endures forever.

Text:

Exodus 32:15–35 (NKJV)

15 And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written. 16 Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.

17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.”

18 But he said:

“It is not the noise of the shout of victory,

Nor the noise of the cry of defeat,

But the sound of singing I hear.”

19 So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses’ anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 Then he took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it. 21 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?”

22 So Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.”

25 Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’ ” 28 So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 29 Then Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.”

30 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. So now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! 32 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”

33 And the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. 34 Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.”

35 So the Lord plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made.

Introduction:

Bernard Lawrence Madoff (/ˈmeɪdɔːf/ MAY-doff;[1] April 29, 1938 – April 14, 2021) was an American financier and convicted fraudster who ran the world's largest Ponzi scheme

The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) trustee estimated actual losses to investors of $18 billion.[20] On June 29, 2009, Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison, the maximum sentence allowed – virtually assuring that he would die in prison. He died at the Federal Medical Center, Butner, in North Carolina, on April 14, 2021.

At the firm, he employed his brother Peter Madoff as senior managing director and chief compliance officer, Peter's daughter Shana Madoff as the firm's rules and compliance officer and attorney, and his now deceased sons Mark and Andrew. Peter was sentenced to 10 years in prison,[10] and Mark died by suicide by hanging exactly two years after his father's arrest.[11][12][13] Andrew died of lymphoma on September 3, 2014.

The judge who sentenced him regarded him as “Absolutely pure evil.”

Have you ever thought to yourself — how could someone do such a horrible thing?

The truth is that we are capable of any sinful act because our hearts are desperately wicked.

So how does God deal with sin.

Background:

Moses’ responses

Moses’ first response, upon hearing what Israel has done, is to plead with Yahweh to spare the lives of Israel;

his second response, upon seeing what Israel is doing, is outraged anger;

his third response is to assess the situation at hand, probing for the reasons for it;

his fourth response is to bring Israel under control by the slaughter of a large number of them, apparently their leaders in the matter of the calf;

his fifth response is to plead with Yahweh for mercy for Israel, even at the cost of the loss of his own special relationship with Yahweh.

The range of this response includes survival, anger, reason, an end to the sinning, and merciful forgiveness. Yahweh’s first response is anger, his second response pity. Though he does not follow through with his threat to destroy Israel, he also does not forgive them their sin. In fact, his anger does not pass. Moses changes from section to section of the narrative of Exod 32:7–35, but Yahweh does not, really. And we are brought up to Exod 33 with all questions, one small hint in the command to Moses and the promise of the messenger (v 34), but no answers.

Proposition: God must deal with His sin according to His justice.

Interrogative: How does God deal with sin?

1)By confronting sin with God’s law (15-21), by distinguishing the repentant from the unrepentant (22-29), and by requiring a necessary punishment (30-35)

I. By confronting sin with God’s law (32:15-21)

A. Moses heads down with the tablets (15-16)

Exodus 32:15–16 (NKJV)

15 And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written. 16 Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.

1. The law is permanent

The tablets were not divided among the commandments, but each tablet contained all ten, so that one tablet represented the suzerain’s copy and one the vassal’s, in accordance with standard ancient Near Eastern document preservation practices.46

46 See also comments on 24:12; 31:18. The “document clause” part of the covenant structure was fulfilled thereby (cf. “Excursus: The Exodus-Leviticus Covenant” prior to 20:1).

2. The law is valuable

46 These two tablets were the most valuable material thing on earth at that time, as the reader is now informed clearly, so that later when Moses breaks them, the reader can appreciate the severity of the sin that would have caused him to do something so destructive to something so precious.

46 See also comments on 24:12; 31:18. The “document clause” part of the covenant structure was fulfilled thereby (cf. “Excursus: The Exodus-Leviticus Covenant” prior to 20:1).

3. The law is complete

Moreover, and presumably even more important, the tablets had no space left for additions

B. Moses confers with Joshua (17-18)

Exodus 32:17–18 (NKJV)

17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.”

18 But he said:

“It is not the noise of the shout of victory,

Nor the noise of the cry of defeat,

But the sound of singing I hear.”

1, Not war: Sounds of victory

2. Singing: Not musical, a total loss of self control - noisemaking

Application:

Proverbs 25:28 (NKJV)

28 Whoever has no rule over his own spirit

Is like a city broken down, without walls.

2 Timothy 3:3 (NKJV)

3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,

Exodus 32:19–21 (NKJV)

19 So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses’ anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 Then he took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it. 21 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?”

The deliberate rebuke: These valuable tablets were broken just like God’s law was broken by the people.

a. Another example - breaking of a staff

Zechariah 11:10 (NKJV)

10 And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples.

b. At the foot of the mountain (where they were first instructed)

Deuteronomy 4:11–14 (NKJV)

11 “Then you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness. 12 And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice. 13 So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. 14 And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might observe them in the land which you cross over to possess.

2. The symbolic destruction of the idol

a. burned in the fire (made mainly of wood and overlaid with gold)

b. Grind into powder (presumably with a mortar and pestle delegated to the people)

c. Placed the powder into the water supply

d. Symbolically made them drink it. (not lined up, but that it would simply work through them eventually)

Deuteronomy 9:19–21 (NKJV)

19 For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with which the Lord was angry with you, to destroy you. But the Lord listened to me at that time also. 20 And the Lord was very angry with Aaron and would have destroyed him; so I prayed for Aaron also at the same time. 21 Then I took your sin, the calf which you had made, and burned it with fire and crushed it and ground it very small, until it was as fine as dust; and I threw its dust into the brook that descended from the mountain.

then threw the powder into the drinking water supply (the flow of water at the base of Mount Horeb known as Massah and Meribah; cf. 17:6–7; Deut 9:21).

Thus Josiah did a similar sort of thing with the Asherah idol he removed from the Jerusalem temple (“He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the Lord to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the common people,” 2 Kgs 23:6) and with the high place idol and altar from Bethel (2 Kgs 23:15; cf. 2 Chr 34:4),

2 Kings 23:5–6 (NKJV)

5 Then he removed the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem, and those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven. 6 And he brought out the wooden image from the house of the Lord, to the Brook Kidron outside Jerusalem, burned it at the Brook Kidron and ground it to ashes, and threw its ashes on the graves of the common people.

Application:

You and I must view our sin as the braking of something very valuable for an end that is utterly worthless and destructive.

Transition: Once sin is truly confronted with the law, God calls for repentance.

II. By Distinguishing the Repentant from the Unrepentant (32:22-29)

A. An example of cowardice toward the law and sin: Moses confronts Aaron (22-24)

Exodus 32:22–24 (NKJV)

22 So Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.”

1. Aaron blames the evil intentions of the people.

I’m a product of my environment

Society is the problem

2. Aaron blames the demands of the people (fear of man)

Proverbs 29:25 (NKJV)

25 The fear of man brings a snare,

But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.

3. Aaron makes untenable clam “the calf just came out some how!”

Application: Aaron is the epitome of what “anti -repentance” But this is exactly how we justify and rationalize our own sin.

B. An example of a call to repentance: Moses divided the people (25-26)

Exodus 32:25–26 (NKJV)

25 Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.

The description of the people: They were unrestrained/Out of control

a. This is what fake “freedom” looks like

b. They took on the shame of their enemies - They were as bad or worse than the rest of the world!

2. The Culpability for being unrestrained: Aaron had not restrained.

3. The Invitation to Repent: Whoever is on the Lord’s side — come to me

a. Aaron was the head of the Levites

b. The Levites repented which indicates some of them were involved

After his interview with Aaron, Moses saw that the people were “out of control” because Aaron had allowed them to go out of control, and indeed that Aaron had thereby left them vulnerable to the slander of their enemies, a theme taken up with repeated dismay in the laments of the Psalter (see, for example, Pss 4, 5, 7, 22, 25, 26, 31, 35, 39, 41, 52, 55, 59, 64, 69, 70).

4. A call to action

27 And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’ ” 28 So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 29 Then Moses said, “Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.”

The Command: Kill everyone

The Obedience: the Sons of Levi did

Application:

We are often like Aaron, inclined to shift the blame of our sin to others.

2. Many get caught up in unrestrained sin in the name of freedom.

Romans 1:21–32 (NKJV)

21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

3. Repentance requires a choice that results in reversed action.

Luke 13:2–5 (NKJV)

2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

Transition: So the Israelites are in trouble and Moses’ realizes that the greatest trouble is not the physical consequences it is the eternal consequences.

III. By Requiring a Necessary Payment (32:30-35)

A. Moses’s offer (30-32)

Exodus 32:30–32 (NKJV)

30 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. So now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” 31 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! 32 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”

Moses plan - 30

a. The next day: The slaughter of 3000 was over

b. The Problem: You have committed a great sin

c. The Proposal: Perhaps I can make atonement

- To cover over, to pacify, to propitiate - satisfy

2. Moses Request

Confession: These people have commited a great sin and have made for themselves a god of gold

Exodus 20:23–25 (NKJV)

23 You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves. 24 An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you. 25 And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it.

b. If you will forgive their sin

“by no means clear the guilty” - Exodus 34:7

c. If not - Offer to lose his own eternal life for the people’s sake

Book of Life

Psalm 69:28 (NKJV)

28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,

And not be written with the righteous.

Isaiah 4:3 (NKJV)

3 And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 13:9 (NKJV)

9 “My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord God.

Philippians 4:3 (NKJV)

3 And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.

Revelation 3:5 (NKJV)

5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Moses heart — Paul’s

Romans 9:1–4 (NKJV)

Israel’s Rejection of Christ

9 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises;

Exodus 32:33–34 (NKJV)

33 And the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. 34 Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.”

The Decree: Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot him out of my book

2. The Command:

a. Lead them to the place of which I have spoken to you

b. Behold My angel shall go before you

c. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin

C. Judgement delivered (25)

Exodus 32:35 (NKJV)

35 So the Lord plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made.

This begs for someone greater than Moses:

Hebrews 3:1–6 (NKJV)

The Son Was Faithful

3 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, 2 who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. 3 For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. 4 For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. 5 And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, 6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

Romans 5 (NKJV)

Christ in Our Place

6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Death in Adam, Life in Christ

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. 17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This last Adam became a life giving spirit

1 Corinthians 15:45–49 (NKJV)

45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

Concluding Applications:

We must confront sin with the unmovable law of God.

We must repent when God extends to us the opportunity.

We must understand that God cannot overlook sin.

We must realize the uniqueness and the necessity of Christ.