God’s Plan For Grace

Text: Exodus 32:7-14

1) The Idolatry Of God’s People (vv7-8)

Don’t forget the “so called” wise conclusion that prompted the people’s desire for idolatry and Aaron’s efforts to blend the worship of God through the golden calf.

Meanwhile, God was actually giving the plans of a new sanctuary too Moses.

God hit the pause button and broke the news to Moses.

NOTE: Anytime God’s people loose confidence in God and shift to idolatry, it is safe to say, God was working out wonderful plans for their communion.

It is interesting to note: God could have stopped the people before they had gotten very far into their idolatry.

NOTE: When God allows the sin to be committed, it is simply due to the fact that He knows how to make it serviceable to the bringing about of his own glory.

A. They corrupted themselves

God was laying the blame squarely at the feet of each individual.

Idolatry is always the decision of the one caught in the act.

The depravity of humanity leaves us without surprise when it comes to this kind of conduct.

It is your depravity that is always offensive to God.

NOTE: We live in a world when people care more about what offends them instead of what offends God.

WHAT WRONG DID THEY DO???

As a nation, they turned away from God’s law.

They did what God told them NOT to do & did not DO what God said to do.

Broke God’s first two commandments (CHAPTER 20)

B. They corrupted quickly

It is amazing how DIFFERENTLY the people and God see TIME.

They were shocked at how long it was taking Moses.

God saw them as sinning quickly and often.

Moses had only been gone for a couple of weeks.

They soon forgot His works!!!

CONSIDER GOD’S PERSPECTIVE: There had been a renewed covenant to God and special treatment of mercy from God before their idolatry.

PERSONAL APPLICATION

You and I are tempted with the same kinds of sins.

Here is how some reason in their minds:

If I am not fully satisfied with God, I can turn to my own strategies to make like work on my own terms.

We invite false gods into our lives (pleasure, control, success, beauty)

In essence, we welcome a more user friendly god into our life (they did that with the god’s of Egypt)

You may not go worship some other object, but you might be tempted to turn the TRUE GOD into the kind of God you would like for Him to be.

Quote: “We want God to teach our minds but not to transform our hearts. We want him to give us a lift when we worship him on Sunday, but we don’t want him to govern all our words and actions the rest of the week. We want him to change others, but we don’t want him to change us. We want his love without his holiness and his mercy without his justice.”

Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (p. 985). Crossway Books.

2) God Decrees Judgement

A. God is just when decreeing judgement

I say this because people can get the idea that God is sometimes UNJUST or issuing INJUSTICE.

God issues either JUSTICE of MERCY........NEVER INJUSTICE

B. God gives them a different label

(7) “they people” & (v9) “stiffnecked”

Let’s break down who the stiffnecked people are:

Stiff-necked people always think they’re right and never admit they’re wrong.

They refuse to listen to good spiritual counsel.

They say, “I’m sorry; that’s just the way I am,” and then they expect everyone else to deal with it.

They ask for advice, but they don’t follow it.

They go ahead and do what they were planning to do anyway. And when they get into trouble, they are unwilling to be corrected.

“Yes,” they say, “but my situation is different,” and then they offer some kind of excuse.

When they go through suffering, they complain about it, but they never seem to learn anything from it. They never change. They never grow.

And the saddest thing of all is that they don’t even know it. Since they never bow in true submission to God, they don’t realize how stiff-necked they are.

Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (p. 986). Crossway Books.

God’s decree was dealing with destroying them in the most absolute sense!

God has every right to remove someone who commits sin against Him.

Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 2:5 “5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;”

C. Don’t be stiffnecked

Assume that you might be wrong; and when you are wrong, admit it.

If you ask for counsel from someone in spiritual authority, try to follow it.

Listen when people correct you, especially if what they’re saying makes you angry.

This is almost always a sign that there’s some truth to what they’re saying.

Learn from God through suffering.

Pursue spiritual transformation by spending time in prayer and the Word.

Wear the yoke of Christ with glad submission.

Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (p. 986). Crossway Books.

3) God’s Plan For Grace

A. God never changes His mind

This text is often used as a proof text to argue for open theism.

Define: God does not know the future but is working things out as he goes along.

At first glance it may seem that way.

1 Samuel 15:29 “29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.”

Here are some proofs of God’s settled mind on SHOWING GRACE:

(v7) “Go down” — If God was going to destroy them, why would God bother sending Moses down to them?

REMEMBER, God was using Moses as their mediator to save them through his intercession.

He was providing the opportunity for Moses to pray for their forgiveness.

(v7) “the people” — God was not shifting blame but rather helping Moses see how he identifies with them.

CATCH THIS: The people had quickly disowned the only one that could save them!

(v10) “let (or leave) me alone” — Giving the idea that Moses could step in between God’s just wrath and the people of sin.

God is graciously allowing room for intercession!

He allows Himself to be persuaded.

Illustration: By way of comparison, consider the way a frustrated parent might try to get a child to stop leaving belongings all over the house. “Go ahead and leave your toys on the floor,” the parent might say. “It’s okay—I’ll clean them up for you … as soon as I get the trash can.” Is the parent serious? Will the toys be thrown away? Well, no child is going to wait to find out, which is exactly the point! The parent is trying to get the child to take responsibility for the toys—as it were, to save them. God did the same thing with his prophet. He used the threat of judgment to rouse Moses to make intercession.

Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (p. 988). Crossway Books.

Psalm 106:23 “23 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, Had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, To turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.”

Quote: John Mackay, “that God is being forced to adopt a new course of conduct because of some flawed decision of the past or because of some unforeseen circumstance having arisen. It was the Lord himself who opened up the way for the threat against his people to be removed by the appropriate action of the covenant mediator.”

Ryken, P. G., & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Exodus: saved for God’s glory (p. 990). Crossway Books.

B. A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF GOD’S REDEMPTIVE PLAN THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

We like the Israelites were a people of great idolatry and rebellion toward God.

We needed someone to come down (like Moses) and turn God’s wrath from us.

As God was up on the high mountain and sent Moses down, SO was God high in the heavens and sent CHRIST DOWN.

John 3:16 “16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

As God gave room for intercession then, He gives room for intercession NOW.

All of what we have seen of God’s law being broken, God’s wrath being kindled and God’s judgement decreed was setting the stage for a soon coming redeemer who could fulfill all God’s HOLY LAW and halt God’s HOLY JUDGEMENT.

John 17:2 “2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.”

John 17:9 “9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.”

Let us as followers of Jesus pray for the salvation of sinners.

Pray for those you know who don’t know Jesus.

Pray for those who know Jesus but have fallen into sin.

Let us pray for the fatherly affection of God above to be placed upon them.