EXODUS LESSON 54

    We will begin this lesson in Exodus 32:1 "And when the people saw
that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered
themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods,
which shall go before us; for [as for] this Moses, the man that
brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of
him."

   We see, here, that while Moses was communing with God for 40 days
on Mount Sinai, the people became restless.  Perhaps, the presence of
God, which had led them from Egypt to where they were staying now, had
moved to the top of the mountain where He was communing with Moses.
Moses had not told them how long he would be gone, and they, probably,
thought that he had left for good.  These people soon forgot that God was
not something you made with your hands.  They should have
remembered God through Moses' discrediting the false gods of Egypt.
The true God had led them this far.  People have a tendency to soon
forget.  Soon they had worked themselves up to the point of going to
Aaron to make them a god.  They had worked themselves up to the state
of believing that Moses would not be back.  They want something they
can see to worship.  They wanted a leader they could worship, as well.

    Exodus 32:2 "And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden
earrings, which [are] in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of
your daughters, and bring [them] unto me."

    Perhaps, Aaron thought that they would not give up their gold.  I
really believe maybe Aaron had given up, too, on Moses returning.  At
any rate, Aaron should have known better than to be persuaded to do
such a thing.  In chapter 20 of Exodus, we saw that God spoke with the
people, and they were warned not to make gods of silver or gold.  They
heard God's voice, and saw the smoke, and were terribly frightened.  How
in the world they forgot that so quickly, I do not know.  Aaron had
been even closer than the people.  It seems so unthinkable that Aaron
would do this.

    Exodus 32:3 "And all the people brake off the golden earrings
which [were] in their ears, and brought [them] unto Aaron."

    If he thought giving up their valuable jewelry would stop them, he
was wrong.  It is so strange today that worship of other gods usually
costs the person greatly, but he still does it.  There is something
about giving up something that means a great deal to you that seems to
make people happier in their worship.  The one, true God gives us
salvation freely.  We may give our tithes and offerings and of
ourselves to His service, but salvation is a free gift .  We do not
work to get it, and we certainly can't buy it.  Notice, also, that
this was not just part of these people.  The Scripture says ALL.  They
were so eager to have something that they could see to worship, that they
were willing to give their jewelry, or anything else.

    Exodus 32:4 "And he received [them] at their hand, and fashioned
it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they
said, These [be] thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the
land of Egypt."

    Aaron, it seemed, was more interested in pleasing these people
than he was in heeding the instructions God had given all of them at
the foot of the mountain. It looks like being raised by Hebrew parents
would have taught him better, as well.  Moses' first mistake was
asking for a helper, when God first called him to bring the people
out of Egypt.  We see no mention of Hur, here.  Whether Aaron did all
the engraving himself or had help, we do not know.  Why he made a
calf, only God and Aaron know.  Any image of anything would have been
just as bad a sin.  God had explicitly told them not to do this very
thing.  Their fear was short lived.  Cows are being worshipped even
today in various parts of the world. If you will notice the places where
cows are worshipped, there is famine in the land.

    Exodus 32:5 "And when Aaron saw [it], he built an altar before it;
and Aaron made proclamation, and said, Tomorrow [is] a feast to the
LORD."

    Here,Aaron was really confused. He was proclaiming a feast to the
Lord, but at the very same time had made the golden calf (false god).
In many countries in the world today when Christianity springs forth
in a country where false gods have been worshipped, they have a
tendency to try to bring some of the old habits of worship with them.
This is not good. You cannot mix worship of other gods in. The true
God will not permit it. The world and the church cannot be mixed.  God
is a jealous God. This was a terrible mixture. It was almost as if they
were saying, I will worship both, and whichever one is right will get
me to heaven. Compromise is not part of God's plan. He will not be
compromised. This offering would not be acceptable to God.

    Exodus 32:6 "And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered
burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down
to eat and to drink, and rose up to play."

    We see, here, that they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings,thinking this would satisfy these gods.  It seems they were so anxious to worship, that they got up really early in the morning. After sacrifice,
there was always a feast and this was no exception. The difference in this feast and the holy feast was that this was followed by sex play. This play really meant an orgy. Many false religions appeal to the fleshly nature 
of man. In the Strong 's concordance this particular word used for play means make sport.

    Exodus 32:7  "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]:"

    God told Moses hurry up and get down to your people. We see, here, 
that God told Moses that these people were his responsibility.
He called them "thy people" to Moses. You can see quickly from this
that God was strongly angered by what they had done. "Corrupted"
means that they were ruined as far as God is concerned.

    Exodus 32:8 "They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I
commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped
it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These [be] thy gods, O
Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.."

    We see in verse eight, above, that God, Himself, had commanded them
not to make a graven image. These people made solemn pledges to God.
The minute Moses was gone for a while, they forgot everything they had
promised. These people were far too easily deceived into worshipping
anything they could see with their eyes. They were not grounded in the 
one true God.

    Exodus 32:9 "And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this
people, and, behold, it [is] a stiffnecked people:"

    Rebellion throughout the Bible was called witchcraft. This being
stiffnecked had to do with not wanting to be controlled. People who do
not like to be controlled are rebellious.

    Exodus 32:10 "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."

    God was so angered by these people and the terrible sin they
had committed that He was about to kill the whole three million of
them. God told Moses, I will destroy all of them and start again with
just you. Many people in the churches today would have you believe
that God does not punish, but this is not true. To have Satan attack
you is bad, but the worst thing I can think of is to cause God to pour
out His wrath upon you.

    Exodus 32:11 "And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD,
why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought
forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty
hand?"  Exodus 32:12 "Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say,
For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and
to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce
wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people."

    We see in this Moses as a type of Christ.  Jesus is constantly
pleading our case before God. We, like these people, do not deserve
the pardon of God. Jesus, as our advocate with the Father, is speaking
on our behalf even now in heaven. Moses told God that His anger was
about to cause Him to waste all the effort He had spent to save this
people. Moses even reminded God that the Egyptians would feel as if
their false gods had truly won. This repentance, here, was not like us
seeking repentance for the evil we have done. God was justified in His
wrath. God knew ahead of time that He would forgive them and give them
another chance. He showed by this that He could be angered, and He could
destroy everyone if He desired. He still listens to the prayers of His
people. Especially to Moses who had gone to all this trouble along
with God to get these people out of Egypt and established as a nation
who feared God. This evil against this people was justified, but God
found a place of forgiveness. Just as everyone of us deserves death,
but through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross have been
pardoned and given life eternal in Jesus.

    Exodus 32:13 "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants,
to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will
multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I
have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit [it]
for ever."

    Moses reminded God of the Abrahamic covenant. Of course, God could
turn rocks into people. He really doesn't need us. God promised
Abraham this seed would come from him. Abraham was faithful to God.
This was one reason right here that God didn't destroy them. God
fulfills all of His promises.

    Exodus 32:14 "And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought
to do unto his people."

    This really meant that God's heart softened, and He spared them.
He did not intend to kill them from the beginning. They did deserve
death, but God spared their lives, partially because of the faith of
their ancestors.
































                          Exodus 54 Questions


1.  Why did the people get restless?
2.  What request did they make to Aaron?
3.  What did they say about Moses?
4.  How many days was Moses communing with God?
5.  These people soon forgot that God was not something you ---------
    ------- ----- -------.
6.  What kind of a god did they want?
7.  Aaron told them to take off what and give to him?
8.  In chapter 20 of Exodus, God told these people what?
9.  What did Aaron do with the gold he received of the people?
10. What did the people say about this?
11. Aaron was more interested in pleasing the ---------than ---------.
12. In foreign countries where Christianity springs forth, some try to
    bring what with them?
13. What statement makes you know that the people were anxious to
    worship this false god?
14. What 2 types of offerings did they make?
15. After they ate and drank, what did they do?
16. Many false religions today appeal to the --------of man.
17. What did God call these people?
18. What did corrupted mean in verse seven?
19. What had Aaron made for them to worship?
20. What had these people forgotten?
21. What did God tell Moses was wrong with these people?
22. What was called witchcraft throughout the Bible?
23. God told Moses to let Him alone so He could do what?
24. Who would God make into a great nation if He destroyed the
    children of Israel?
25. Moses told God He had brought them out how?
26. What was Moses asking God to do?
27. What would the Egyptians believe, if God destroyed Israel here in the
    desert?
28. Who was Moses a type of in all this?
29. What three ancestors of these children of Israel did Moses remind
    God of?
30. What covenant had God made with them?
31. What did it really mean when it said God repented?