Sermon Tone Analysis

After the March Out of Egypt

God was at work for his people:

Pillar of Cloud, Pillar of Fire; Quail and water and manna.

A pursuing pharaoh, and and opened sea.

The destruction of Pharaoh’s army.

A God Who Spoke in Thunder

As the people were gathered around the Mountain of God, they heard the roar of God’s voice as he spoke the 10 commandments

And so the Ten Commandments were given within the hearing of God.

But these were said to...

A People Who Didn’t Want to Hear

They were only used to hearing from priests; Not directly from the gods of Egypt.

So when the God of Creation spoke, they were simply unprepared:

Moses Was Asked To Become A Priest

Because the people were afraid of God’s voice:

Moses Heard More Laws from God

For the next 10 chapters, Moses is receiving God's laws for the people.

>>>Including one that the people were going to keep on breaking.

But the first time they broke it was when as Moses was in the process of hearing other important laws of God, after God had invited the elders of Israel to get kind of a quick vision of God in Chapter 24.

Now these laws are all given so that God’s people will have a special identity among all the people of the earth.

God Tells Moses to Come Up the Mountain

God then told Moses:

So Moses took Joshua up the mountain with him, and told the elders to wait until Moses comes back.

He gave them simple instructions, and let them know that they weren’t going to be left all alone:

Then God covered the mountain again with his presence.

And it was awesome.

The point of my message this morning is not so much the interaction of God and Moses concerning the Law,

>>>but we need to start with. . .

Moses On the Mountain of God

So that we have the immediate context of Wrestling With Unruly People.

God at first was quiet when Moses entered the cloud.

In fact for most of the week—until the 7th day when he called Moses from the cloud.

Exodus 24:17

That was fine for Moses, but he had no witnesses, and the Israelites didn’t really know what was up when. . .

Moses Entered In to God’s Presence

The people got really antsy at Moses entering the cloud and fire of the presence of God on the mountain.

It was a good time for Moses, as God laid out the instructions for the tabernacle, the ark, the furnishings, priests robes, the ephod, wash basin, altar, incense, sacrifices, and the setting of the utensils in the tabernacle and so much more.

>>>All these things God put in place so that the people could practice the majesty of God in their times of worship.

God’s Gifts of His Spirit and Talents

As we get to Exodus 31, God tells Moses that he knows whom he should ask to do the crafting of all the things for the tabernacle.

God Commands the Sabbath

The Sabbath Is a Sign of God’s Covenant

God’s Commands are Written in Stone

—Since the Israelites could not endure the voice of the Holy One of Heaven.

This is not the last time there will be tablets of stone for God’s commands.

But this is a unique and irreplaceable testimony of God’s law given this time on the Mountain, as we read. . .

The Israelites Become Unruly

You remember I said that the Israelites would become particularly prone to breaking one of God’s most basic rules for setting them apart from all other people?

Well, stay tuned, we are about to discover the depth of their disease of selfish sin.

After arriving at Sinai, to the mountain of God, in exactly 3 months, their Prophet-Priest-Protector Moses had left them for the fiery Mountain of God for a month and a half.

I guess it could be that one of the reasons we decide how to make up our own standards about what we should believe about God is because we are an impatient creation, living in 10-minute segments of stories instead of patiently waiting to get the whole story.

>>>So we come to the incredible story of . . .

Israel’s Demand for Idols

in Exodus 32.

It begins with their antsy impatience, mixed with fear because of their fear of man instead of their fear of God.

>>>>So they accosted Aaron with their demands:

Now, I might have expected Aaron to have a better backbone and stand up to the people, because he had been alongside Moses through all the conversations with the Elders of Israel and with Pharaoh, and seen first-hand the mighty miracles that God was working to force Pharaoh to let the people go.

>>>But now, it seems that

Aaron Quickly Caves In

to the pressures of the people, kind of proving that he was not supposed to be the leader of the people, just Moses’ stand-in while he was gone.

Aaron Crafts the Golden Calf

As he took the gold

Which was in direct defiance of the Second Commandment spoken in the People’s hearing:

and this was the first law repeated to Moses when the people backed off:

And yet Aaron did exactly what God had commanded them not to do:

So Aaron made the calf from all the gold that was brought to him, and was the craftsman who formed it into calf with and engraving tool.

Then the leaders of Israel spoke to the people this amazing blasphemy: Behold your gods who brought you out of Egypt!

So, instead of standing up and defending Yahweh God who had spoken to him with Moses, Aaron got right into the spirit of what was happening:

Whose People Are These?

God’s Complaint Against Moses’ People

And this caused God to disown them out of hand:

God is incensed at this behavior.

After all he had done for them, they still go their own ways and follow the ways of the world instead of following the ways of God

So, incredibly, God blames Moses.

“Did you see what your people have done?”

This is almost like living in a family where the children find out how to pit one parent against the other:

>>>Do you know what your son did? and so. . .

God Is Ready To Destroy Israel

Moses Turns the People’s Predicament Back to God

God had said to Moses, “your people your brought from Egypt”

Now Moses says to God:

“These are YOUR people you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a strong hand.”

It’s like Moses is saying, “Wait a minute now: you’re the one with the power and strength to get us out of Egypt: These are YOUR people so

Moses Intercedes for Israel

God Relents

Wrestling With These Unruly People

Moses’ Rage For God’s Sake

The People’s Gold Is Made to Disappear

Moses Confronts His Older Brother:

Aaron’s Foolish Answer:

Wait—wait a minute—What did Aaron say?

“When I threw it into the fire, out came this calf”

As if the gold had its own life.

God Is Ready to Leave Israel

Face to Face with God

Moses Pleads for Israel

God Will Continue With Israel