Challenges on the Mountaintop: Moses and the Calf

One challenge that awaits us on the mountain top is this idea that the longer we’re there the better things will be. When you get to heaven, ask Moses if this is true.

Way back in Exodus 30, Moses was called of God to come up into the mountain and to be with Him. And there he was, for forty days. In the mountain, with God, just Moses, Joshua, and God. Can you imagine the bliss these men must have experienced?

It was here that he recieved the law of God and the plans for the tabernacle. It was here he recieved instruction for how Israel was to meet God, what was required, and how to worship Him properly.

If I had been in Moses’ place, I would never wanted to leave, but, when we turn to Exodus 32 we see a glimpse of what life would be like if the people of God were allowed to stay on the mountain top forever. Read with me...

Notice first their:

Impatience v. 1

Their idolatry vv.1b-6a;

Their immorality vv. 6b; 25

We may desire to remain on the mountain, but there is work to be done in the valley.

Moses found out that there is more to being on a mountain top with God than just the blessing associated with it, there is also a challenge. The same is true for you today. Look at the challenges faced by Moses, first, the...

Challenge to Remember v. 7-14

Up on the mountain, there is danger of forgetting! At first glance in this passage it appears that God and Moses are remembering things a bit differently…

God says to Moses…remember YOUR people…7-10

God reminds Moses of his people, Israel 7-10

Those people that Moses led out of Egypt

Those people he stood before Pharoah for

Those people he represented

If Moses would have stayed on that mountain, what would have become of those people?

I’ll tell you what God said...

Exodus 32:10 KJV 1900

Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

Church, God is not a liar!

If Moses would have stayed on that mountain, God would have wiped out His people

We read further in Moses’ response how the rest of the world would have reacted to the news of what God had done

Just let me point out, that God left the decision up to Moses as to what would happen to those people!

Every now and then church, we need to be reminded about our people

Let me remind you that this “Stiff necked” group of people were not heathen or pagans, they were God’s People!

They knew what God had done

They knew what He was capable of

Why then did they turn away? If you remember...

They were impatient v. 1

They were immature

Now I want you hear me right now: Our churches are full of impatient and immature Christians

While we may desire to be on the mountaintop, we have a responsibility to God’s people

We need to reminded about the need of the unsaved as well!

Our loved ones

Our neighbors

Our friends

Even the strangers down t he street

Church it is perfectly fine to desire to be in God’s presence on the mountaintop, but do not forget the danger of forgetting. The first challenge Moses faced was the challenge to remember, the second was the...

Challenge to Return 7a; 15-28

There is a danger in wanting to stay on that mountaintop.

It’s a place of peace, a place of joy, a place of fellowship with God, a place of rest,

But if we stayed on the mountaintop we would never accomplish anything for God in the valley.

If Moses would have stayed on that Mountaintop the children of Israel would have continued in their sin, they would have moved on from that place and become missionaries of idolatry and wickedness.

Moses had to come down from that mountain!

I’m glad today that He did!

I’m glad today that when he came down he did not come alone! Read verses 15-16

When he came down from the mountain, he came with the Word of God!

There is a danger to those in the valley!

The Israelites needed to be confronted with their sin

They were wrong and the only way to show them was to show them the Word of God!

That is what the Word of God does

It is a search light that shines on our sinfulness

It is a sword that cuts us to the core

It is a hammer that breaks us to pieces

It is a mirror that shows the reflection of God

It is a wash basin whereby we may be cleansed

Church we cannot turn our backs on the lost today

It is our responsibility to take the Word of God to them!

As much as you may desire to be in God’s presence, church you need to come down from that mountain!

There are challenges on the mountaintops. There is the challenge to remember when we tend to forget, the challenge to return, when all we want is to stay, and lastly, there is the...

Challenge to Pray 11-14;29-35

When you’re up on that mountain and you feel the presence of God, or in Moses’ case, he was actually in the presence of God, do you know what your focus becomes? If you’re not careful it will be on yourself.

I can’t help but wonder if that was what God was trying to get Moses to see in Exodus 32.7

Exodus 32:7 (KJV 1900)

And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:

He was reminding Moses that he had some responsibility to them. This chapter in Exodus contains some of the best teaching on prayer in all of Scripture. Moses wasn’t afraid to pray.

I’m afraid that we’re afraid to pray today…

The boldness of Moses vv. 11-14

He stood up to the Lord

Now that Moses has remembered his people and his calling we see him stand up to the LORD

J Vernon McGee says of Moses’ boldness that in this passage he “talked back to God”!

When we think of talking back we associate it with disrespect

But not in this case!

Moses demonstrated his boldness by saying to God, in essence, “God, I think you made a mistake”!

He said, “These are not my people…they’re your people God.”

“It was not me that brought them out of Egypt, but you”!

Would to God we had this boldness today!

When was the last time you seriously prayed?

When was the last time you talked to God and poured out your heart to Him?

Do you realize in this passage that God was talking to Moses about completely destroying the people of Israel? Two lessons to learn here:

God does not make empty threats!

Prayer changes things!

One final point about prayer in this chapter, we see the boldness of Moses and then we see...

The burden of Moses vv. 29-35

Moses comes down the mountain and judgment follows

Mark it down: there are always consequences for sin

For the children of Israel, about 3000 men were killed…sin is serious business

Moses goes back up the mountain v. 30 and prays once more in God’s presence

Notice the reason for his return v. 30…they’d sinned and needed atonement

Notice the confession of Moses v. 31

Notice the heart of Moses for his people v. 32

He was willing to die for them

He so loved these people, even after all their murmuring and sinfulness, Moses loved them, and was willing to die in their place

Church, when was the last time you felt the burden of God for lost people?

When was the last time you sensed the urgency of the hour

When was the last time you fell on your face before God Almighty and called out the name of every lost person you know?

When was the last time you called on God revive your church, your home, your family?

Church, we need to pray like there’s no tomorrow!

Conclusion: I love those mountaintop experiences with God. I love when after a trial or tragedy God brings me to a place of peace, but church, there’s a reason we can’t stay there. If we stayed:

We’d forget about the needs around us - Church, we need to remember!

We’d never want to return - Church, there is a need for us to come down from the mountain! Just look around you!

We’d lose our focus and only think of ourselves - there is a world of people out here who are dying and going to hell, and what are we doing about it?

As Todd and Linda make there way, I want to invite you to bow your head with me for prayer...

With every head bowed and every eye closed today, Church, I wonder today, maybe it’s been a while since you’ve been on the mountaintop, but still you’ve lost sight of the need. God is calling you to remember today, to return today, and to pick up the burden to pray today.

Maybe today God is calling you to salvation, calling you to come to Him for forgiveness of sin. As we stand today and sing, I invite you to come forward and do business with God.