Today's reading is taken from Exodus 32:1-34:35
While Moses is on the mountain recieving the Ten Commandments for the Lord the people go to Aaron saying he has been gone so long (40 days and 40 nights) so make them a god they can worship. Aaron agrees asking them to bring all their gold and he makes them a golden calf.
I was so SHOCKED. Aaron, who has seen the miracles first hand, who has been made a priest, has gone against God so quickly and done what the people have wanted him to do.
Moses comes down and then intercedes on their behalf in verse 11, he reminds God of WHO He is, what He has promised and God relents.
In verse 24 Aaron lies to Moses about the golden calf. Again, I can't believe it. Does he think that Moses won't know or that God doesn't know? He's not thinking clearly it seems. Something I don't get is that Moses orders the Levites to kill around 3,000 people and God seems ok with that as He wanted to destroy them all anyway, but Aaron it appears gets off scott free. Why wasn't he struck down with the plague or killed by the Levites?
I love in 33:11 that the Lord spoke to Moses face to face. Although I am confused as to why he later says to Moses that he can't see His face...
Those are just some random thoughts I had. Nothing profound really, more ponderings :)
What did you gain from today's reading?
Tomorrow's readings are Exodus 35-36. Click here to read online.
7 comments:
It just goes to show how easily we can decide to take things into our own hands! I'm so guilty of that myself. I've seen God work great miracles and I know He will do ALL things in HIS timeing, but I get impatient, or just don't think about it, and take matters into my own hands. It's something that needs constant prayer!
A few quick things...
I too was shocked that after only 40 days and nights the people could have forgotten all the incredible things they'd seen and been a part of. And yet, how quickly we move on. When something isn't right in front of us or our focus or priority, it gets pushed to the side so quickly and easily by everything else. We may not make a golden calf of our jewelry, but we may serve "idols" without really realizing it until it's progressed further than we would have thought possible.
As for why Aaron wasn't killed - Moses and Aaron were also Levites, and the entire tribe had been selected by God to be his priests with Aaron as the high priest (or whatever the correct terminology is). I would assume that had something to do with the reason Aaron wasn't killed. Nothing may have happened to him right then, but I think there were consequences for his actions later, if memory serves.
I was amused by Exodus 33:5 where God says "...I will decide what to do with you." I've heard those words from my parents and used them on a couple of occasions with my children. It sounded funny to me.
With respect to God speaking to Moses face to face - he may have done so as the pillar of cloud that the people could see at the entrance to the tent, although that's not waht "face to face" sounds like. God can take any form he wishes. He may have taken another form to speak with Moses without killing him by showing his own face. This is just speculation on my part.
A quick update on my sister, Rebekah - she's been in the hospital for almost a week now on bed rest. A woman from their church was arranging child care for them for the past week and her in-laws are coming today for a week. She may be able to go home this weekend, although she'll still be on bedrest. Baby seems to be doing well so far.
There's just nothing that can be done at this point but pray and wait on God. Thank you so much for your prayers!
Feb 11 - Ex 34:29-35 speaks about the radiant face of Moses. If you are able, I would suggest also reading 2 Cor 2:7-18. This speaks about how the “Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory” (v.8) but “will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?” (v.9) While Moses had a radiant face after he met with God, how much more don’t we have the presence of God in our lives? Vv14-18 speak about the veil covering Moses face, and how the Israelites have a veil covering their hearts. “Only in Christ is it taken away.” (v.14) We are filled with the Spirit, have His freedom, and reflect the Lord’s glory and we are transformed into His likeness. (from vv 17-18)
I think this is amazing. Reading the Exodus passage and then the 2 Corinthians passage back to back made the 2 Cor passage so much more powerful to me. God wants to reveal Himself through us even more than He did through Moses. We don’t need to put a veil over ourselves, but can let God’s glory shine forth from us.
Praying scripture is something I’m just learning, but here is my prayer I wrote in my journal this morning based on 2 Cor 3:17-19.
Father God, may your Spirit fill me and give complete freedom. As I reflect Your glory, continue to transform me into Your likeness with ever-increasing glory. Amen.
There are several commentaries on bible.org about these passages.
This one is about the security of the saints and I found it very interesting!
This one discusses how, why and the significance of Israel's idolatrous sin.
This one discusses the consequences to their sin. Nicole, this deals with the question you raised. Here is a quote...
Moses stood at the gate of the camp and called for every Israelite to make a choice: “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me!” (v. 26). We are told that the entire tribe of Levi, the tribe of Moses and Aaron (Exod. 2:1), gathered to Moses. This does not necessarily mean that no one else joined Moses, only that all of the Levites did pledge their allegiance to the God of Israel.81 Many did not join Moses, however, revealing their rebellion against Yahweh. They really had turned to another “god” and rejected God.
The Levites are then instructed to strap on swords and go about the camp in a systematic fashion (from gate to gate, v. 27), killing anyone they met, including they be friend or relative. This action seems exceedingly harsh at first glance, but this is not the case, as can be seen from the following factors:
(1) The order for the Levites to kill their fellow Israelites was a command of God, not just of Moses. The command to kill was preceded by, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel” (v. 27).
(2) What God commanded the Levites to do to the apostate Israelites is precisely what He commanded the Israelites to do to the Canaanites. The idolatrous worship of the Israelites was Canaanite-like and thus requiring the same remedy:
“When the LORD your God shall bring you into the land where you are entering to possess it, and shall clear away many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you, and when the LORD your God shall deliver them before you, and you shall defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them” (Deut. 7:1-2; cf. Num. 31:17).
(3) The same severity was called for in dealing with those Israelites who followed foreign gods and attempted to draw others after them in their apostasy:
“If your brother, your mother’s son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your friend who is as your own soul, entice you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods’ (whom neither you nor your fathers have known, of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end), you shall not yield to him or listen to him; and your eye shall not pity him, nor shall you spare or conceal him. But you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people” (Deut. 13:6-9).
We must remember that those who are to be killed are those who have rejected the God of Israel, choosing to serve a foreign god instead. Worse than this, they have also rejected the rebuke of Moses and have refused to turn from their “god” to the one true God. Those who died were those who refused to pledge their allegiance to Yahweh.
(4) The slaying of 3,000 Israelites was necessary to bring them under control, thus sparing the entire nation of greater judgment. Had this not happened, a great disaster may have been required. The killing of the few may have spared the lives of the remainder. Thus, the killing of the Israelites was necessary, and, in the long run, for the benefit of the nation. Sometimes kindness is cruel and “cruelty” is kind.
This commentary discusses Exodus 33:1-11.
This one discusses Exodus 33:12-17.
This one discusses Exodus 33:18-34:9.
<a href="http://bible.org/seriespage/new-beginning-exodus-3410-35>This last one</a> deals with the remainder of today's passage.
Oops, that last link should be this one (dealing with the remainder of today's passage)
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