Exodus 32-34
“While the cat’s away…” we like to say with a smile on our face. But neither God nor Moses nor Joshua was smiling that day. All the smiling and giggling and singing and shouting; all the dancing and revelry; all of it was at the bottom of the mountain.
To the people’s defense, Moses and Joshua had been gone a long time. And nowhere does it say that they were warned how long it would be. But their fear and impatience led to idolatry, and Aaron was right in the middle of it!
Even before Moses heads down the mountain, God tells him what’s going on. God says that He is ready to wipe them out and start over again with Moses. Moses’ intercessory prayer is recorded in Exodus 32:11-13; and what a mighty prayer it is. He dares to ask God, “Why?” He dares to question God, “What would the Egyptians think?” He dares to plead with God to relent and remember God’s past promises. And God listens!
This does not lessen how upset Moses is when he reaches the reveling rebels. The consequences of their sins seem almost too much to bear. But the worst consequence of all comes in Exodus 33:3. God threatens not to go with Moses and the people up to the Promised Land. In essence, Moses says, “Lord, if you’re not going, I’m not going.”b And God softens to such dedication, setting the scene for one of the most awe-inspiring, heart-stopping moments in Scripture.
Moses asks to see God.
“Just my backside,” God replies, and places Moses in the “cleft of the rock,” (the one we sing about when we sing Great Is Thy Faithfulness). From there, Moses, holding his newly-chiseled tablets, sees and hears so very much. Read it again and weep with joy (Exodus 34:5f)
Until tomorrow,
Pastor Gary
No comments:
Post a Comment