LESSON 37
THE LORD FORSAKEN AND HIS LAW BROKEN
By E. L. Bynum, Pastor
Memory Verse: Ex. 32:26 (N.W. 33:14)————Lesson: Ex. 32:1-35
I. THE AWFUL SIN OF IDOLATRY. v. 1-14
A. The People Call For The Golden Calf. v. 1-6
1. The absence of Moses. v. 1
a. This absence was entirely the will of God.
b. Their view of Moses was incorrect, as they seemed to be looking to him rather than Jehovah.
c. Moses is here a type of Christ. “Moses typified Christ, who went above (Acts 1:9) telling the people to tarry. In His absence, some forget his promised return (John 14:3; Acts 1:11) and make themselves gods (2 Tim. 3:1-4; 4:3-4; Matt. 24:12) denying His return (II Pet. 3:3-4; Matt. 24:48, 49). Jesus will come unexpectedly (Matt. 25:13) punishing evil doers (II Thess. 2:7-8) who are naked (Rev. 6:16-17) and gathering the true to Himself (1 Thess. 4:13-18).” Keith L. Brooks
2. They asked Aaron to make them gods to go before them. v. l . How unthinkable in view of the miracles they had seen and God’s protective care over them.
3. Aaron’s approval of their plan. v. 3-4. Aaron failed for he should have condemned the plan. Many leaders go wrong here, they simply follow rather than lead. Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. (cf. 1 Pet. 5:2)
4. Aaron’s action in making the golden calf. v. 4 Eccl. 7:29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions. Psa. 106:39 Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.
5. Aaron’s attempt to combine calf worship with Jehovah worship. v . 5 Gal 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. See also 1 Cor 5:6.
6. Their apostate worship. v. 6. It included feasting and playing which is one of the “hallmarks” of false religion and the corruption of Christianity. Of the word “play” in v. 6, Wilson’s “Old Testament Word Studies” says, “to laugh, to play, or sport, with singing, leaping, dancing.” This certainly sounds like much of the modern church activities.
B. The Lord Calls For Judgment. v. 7-10
1. The Lord warns Moses of their sin. v. 7
2. The Lord clearly identifies this as idolatry. v. 8. While many commentators claim that Israel only broke the second Commandment, the evidence reveals that they also broke the first. They had worshiped other gods in Egypt and now they have returned to that worship. Josh. 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
3. God knows and sees all. v. 9 Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Yet God knows what is in the heart of man. Mark 4:22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
4. God’s two-fold offer. v. 10.
a. To destroy Israel.
b. To make a great nation of Moses.
C. Moses Calls Upon God For Mercy. v. 11-14
Moses is here a type of our advocate 1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:. Moses’ intercession for Israel seems to be based on the following points:
1. They were God’s people whom He had delivered. v. 11
2. The Egyptians would rejoice over Israel’s destruction. v. 12
3. The Lord’s promises and His covenant would be unfulfilled. v. 13. In v. 14 it is said that the Lord repented. This does not mean that God changed His mind or purpose, but that he heard and answered the prayer of the mediator who was a type of Christ. James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. The Bible speaks of God resting, but this does not mean that He was tired. Isa 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. Human language and human understanding is incapable of describing the actions of God.
II . THE AWFUL JUDGMENT UPON IDOLATRY. v. 15-35
A. The Law Broken By Sin. v. 15-20
1. The marvelous work of God in the hand of Moses. v. 15-16 (Christ came down from heaven, not with the law in His hand, but in His heart.)
2. The malignant result of sin in the camp. v. 17,18 Paul warns Timothy of the same vanity. 2 Tim 2:16,17 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
3. The maddening action of Moses. v. 19. It appears that Moses was never rebuked for this act of righteous indignation, because it was in the will of God. The man of God today is to be indignant toward sin. Titus 2:15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. (See vs. 11-15.)
4. The mixed drink of Israel. v. 20; Deut. 9:21 And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped it, and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust: and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount.
a. The melting and grinding of the calf would show contempt for idols. Exo 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
b. The mingling of the gold dust with the water would speak of cleansing through the word. Remember the miraculous source of this water. Ex. 17:6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. The church must be cleansed by the Word of God. Eph 5:26,27 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. The primary need of the Lord’s church today is the preaching of the word, not the pacifying of the world. 2 Tim 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
B. The Law Breaker Interrogated. v. 21-24
1. Aaron must give an account to Moses. v. 21 Exo 4:16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.
2. Aaron makes the people responsible. v. 22-23
3. Aaron manufactures an inexcusable story. v. 24 (cf.v.4)
C. The Leaders Of The Law Breakers Perish. v. 25-28
1. The guilt of the people and Aaron established. v. 25
2. The people who are on the Lord’s side identified. v. 26
3. Those killed were either the ringleaders or those who continued in their sin. v. 27-28 Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
D. The Law Breakers Saved Through Intercession. v. 29-35
1 . Moses calls for consecration. v. 29-30
2. Moses calls upon God to forgive them. v. 31-32. Such compassion is only matched by Paul in Rom. 9:1-3 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:, and 10:1-3 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. Such love is only surpassed by our Lord. Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
3. God calls upon Moses to do his job. v. 33-34
4. God calls in judgment upon Israel. v. 35; Gal. 6:7-8 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
—by E. L. Bynum & W. W. Mosley
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Where was Moses and what was he doing while the golden calf was built?
2. How did Aaron fail God and Moses at this time?
3. Where did Aaron obtain the gold for making the calf?
4. What did Israel do around the golden calf?
5. Which of the ten commandments did they break?
6. What two things did God offer to do after they sinned?
7. What three things did Moses base his plea for Israel’s forgiveness on?
8. How can we explain the scriptures which speak of God repenting?
9. What did Moses do with the law when he saw what Israel was doing?
10. How did Aaron explain the appearance of the golden calf?
11. How did Moses punish Israel?
12. What were the Levites required to do?
13. Explain Moses heroic intercession for Israel.
14. What did God do to the rest of Israel?