Burunche’s Blog

Exodus 33:1 – 6 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of the land of Egypt, and go to the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ And I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people; otherwise, I might destroy you on the way.” When the people heard these bad tidings, they went into mourning, and no one put on any of his jewelry. For the LORD had said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. If I should go with you for a single moment, I would destroy you. Now take off your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.’” So the Israelites stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb onward.”

GOD IS STILL ANGRY!!! Until the incident of the Golden Calf, God refers to the Israelites as His people, but ever since the Golden Calf disaster, God refers to the Israelites as Moses’ people whom Moses brought up out of the land of Egypt.

“But,” you say, “I thought that ‘To err is human, to forgive, divine.’” Sorry! That phrase is not from the Bible, but from a poem by Alexander Pope, who in turn was quoting an ancient Latin proverb. While Moses has been so horrified by the Golden Calf incident that he actually has been willing to forfeit his place in eternity to save the Israelites, the Israelites as a group have not exhibited any remorse whatsoever.

God keeps His promises. God has promised the land of Canaan to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants; however, God is making an important change. Up until now, God Himself has accompanied the Israelites, manifesting as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. But now God tells the Israelites that He will no longer accompany them, but will send an angel ahead of them. The pillars of cloud and fire may still be there, but God is withdrawing Himself.

Is God abandoning the Israelites? No. But there is an important principle at work here: There is no neutrality in the spirit world. You are either serving God or you are serving Satan, even if you are serving Satan by refusing to actively serve God. Your very inactivity constitutes a choice, a wrong one! God is not being vicious or arbitrary but is stating a spiritual fact. “You are a stiff-necked people. If I should go with you for a single moment, I would destroy you.” God is holy; His very Nature is that of holiness. Just as light and darkness cannot exist in the same place at the same time, so holiness and rebellion also cannot exist in the same place simultaneously. When the Israelites pushed Aaron to create the Golden Calf, they were forcibly rejecting God at the same time. Later on, in Jeremiah 2:13, God complains about the Jews, ““My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

What is the significance of the jewelry? As the Israelites were leaving Egypt, they stripped the Egyptians of all their finery. Some of this jewelry wound up being used for the Golden Calf and was later reduced to ashes and sprinkled in drinking water. But evidently, there was still a lot of jewelry left. God intended that some of this gold be used for constructing the Tabernacle; however, the Israelites chose to make an idol instead. One interesting sidelight is that the term used in Hebrew for the Israelites stripping themselves of their jewelry is the same term that was used earlier for the Israelites despoiling the Egyptians. Sadly, the only reason that the Israelites put away their jewelry was because God ordered them to do so, and not because they were remorseful for their enormous sin. Truly, these people ARE stiff – necked!

APPLICATION: Holiness and rebellion never mix! Jesus told His disciples that nobody could serve two masters, for he would love the one and hate the other. This is still true. Christians believe that when we choose to follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, it is Jesus who makes us holy and not we ourselves. When we choose to follow Jesus, we are choosing to live in the light. When we turn away from Jesus, we are choosing to live in darkness.

Had the Israelites themselves truly repented and had they stripped off their own jewelry without any prompting from God, they would have been inviting God back into their lives, and God would have returned. But tragically, the Israelites did no such thing and continued to rebel sporadically. Eventually, their rebellion caused them to be carried off to Babylon and Assyria; it was there that many Jews finally repented and began serving the God they had refused when they were in their own land.

PRAYER: Father God, help us! We are NOT holy and unless you clean us up, we will never be holy. Lord, come be with us and stay with us. Help us to follow your leading for our whole lives. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 32:30 – 35 “The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. Now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made gods of gold for themselves. Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin… But if not, please blot me out of the book that You have written.”

The LORD replied to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book. Now go, lead the people to the place I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will punish them for their sin.” And the LORD sent a plague on the people because of what they had done with the calf that Aaron had made.”

Despite the fact that the elders of Israel had already been warned by God against idolatry, they had failed to restrain their people. All those judging thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens had sat in their tents watching as the situation deteriorated. Crumbling to popular demand, Aaron had constructed a golden idol of a calf and an orgy had broken out when people began offering sacrifices to this idol. With no signs of the orgy abating, Moses had become so infuriated that he had smashed the original tablets containing the Ten Commandments on the ground and had ordered the Levites to kill those leading the orgy.

Three thousand people died on the spot while everybody else abruptly came to their senses. But Moses realizes that slaughtering the ring leaders of idolatrous worship is not enough. Obviously, the rest of the Israelites are just as guilty because they stood by and allowed this horrible event to take place. Perhaps things would have gotten far worse had Moses and the Levites not intervened. Even now, there are probably those who are hiding Egyptian idols in their tents, just waiting for an opportunity to sneak off quietly and conduct their own worship services. No, Moses has no illusions about his people!

“Now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” Evan now, Moses realizes that the Israelites have not really repented. God has abandoned the threat of annihilating the Israelites completely; however, Moses realizes that this sin still requires atonement, payment. And Moses is by no means certain that his efforts will be sufficient.

When Moses goes to God, he makes an amazing request: “So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made gods of gold for themselves. Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin… But if not, please blot me out of the book that You have written.” Moses is literally offering himself as a sacrifice on behalf of these rebellious and disobedient people. Moses begs God to erase him from God’s designs for the Israelites if God refuses to forgive them.

“Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot out of My book.“Now go, lead the people to the place I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will punish them for their sin.”

God already knows those responsible for this enormous sin, as well as those who had no hand in the matter. But what about “I will blot out of My book”? It would seem that here God is referring to His Book of Life. Why is God being so harsh? Is God being unjust? No. God by His very Nature is Justice itself; however, God has given people free will to choose to follow Him or to reject Him. Those involved in the Golden Calf incident have freely chosen to reject God. That rejection leaves God no choice. “

APPLICATION: C.S. Lewis tells us, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it.” Those who demanded that their leaders create idols knew exactly what they were doing! These people had gone along with Moses as long as they derived benefit from the situation. Deliverance from Egypt? Great! Water and food in the wilderness! Fantastic! Worship the One True God and being obedient? “Say what? You have GOT to be kidding! We should have complete freedom of worship to do whatever we want to!”

Choices always have consequences, and these people aggressively and persistently made wrong choices and paid for them in the end.

What about the leaders who abdicated their authority and sat watching without saying anything? John Stuart Mill delivered an 1867 inaugural address at the University of St. Andrews and stated: “Let not any one pacify his conscience by the delusion that he can do no harm if he takes no part, and forms no opinion. Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing. He is not a good man who, without a protest, allows wrong to be committed in his name, and with the means which he helps to supply, because he will not trouble himself to use his mind on the subject.” Abraham Joshua Heschel once said, “Some are guilty, but all are responsible.”

Today we are all facing important choices. Biblical standards of morality are under fire, and those who hold to them are facing a fire storm of criticism. But God is still on the throne and He is watching us to see how we will choose. Will we “look on and do nothing, allowing wrong to be committed in our names, because we will not trouble ourselves to use our minds on the subject?” And in the end, will we say to God, “Thy will be done,” or will God say to us, “Thy will be done”?

PRAYER: Father God, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives! Let Your perfect Will be done in our lives and none other! Help us to stand strong in the face of adversity and refuse to bow to popular opinion when that opinion would cause us to reject You and Your Word. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 32: v. 21 – 24 “What did this people do to you,” Moses asked Aaron, “that you have led them into so great a sin?” “Do not be enraged, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know that the people are intent on evil. They told me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!’ So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, let him take it off,’ and they gave it to me. And when I cast it into the fire, out came this calf!”

Prager tells us: “The expression “great sin” is a legal term found in ancient Near Eastern marriage documents: “It always refers to adultery, suggesting here that the worship of the Golden Calf is an act of gross infidelity.

Aaron realizes that he has failed miserably. In an effort to deflect Moses’ wrath, Aaron calls him “my lord,” despite the fact that Aaron is the older brother. Then Aaron goes on to try to blame the Israelites, as if that argument will protect him. But Aaron has been in a leadership position for a long time, even if he has acted as Moses’ second in command. Aaron just hasn’t been strong enough to stand up under the pressure.

v.23 “They told me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!’”

Aaron’s next argument is that the calf was intended to be a substitute for Moses, to precede the Israelites as they travel, and not a substitute for God. (But the Israelites already have God’s pillar of cloud by day and His pillar of fire by night to lead and protect them. What do they need with any idol?) Aaron also appears to be making a veiled criticism of Moses for not having come down off the mountain sooner; however, this argument also is ridiculous. As the high priest, Aaron could have assembled the elders and even the judges and informed them that God was in control and that Moses would come down when God had completed all His instructions. Instead, Aaron sat in the camp, perhaps even feeling sorry for himself, because he didn’t want all this pressure in the first place.

By now, Moses is probably hitting his own forehead in frustration! All this time, Aaron has been with Moses as God has done miracles. Aaron and his sons and the seventy elders went up on the mountain and ate divine food, spending time with God. Aaron knows that Moses left him in charge, but now the excuses Aaron is bringing are equivalent to those of a teenager who invites a few friends over in the absence of his parents, only for the friends to bring in alcohol and tear up the house. The most incredible part of the excuses is the description of the creation of the golden calf. To hear Aaron tell it, he just threw the gold into the fire and the calf came out all by itself! This is a far cry from Aaron taking an engraving tool and MOLDING the calf!

What could possibly have caused Aaron to say such a thing? One possible explanation is that Aaron might have been in a demonically – influenced trance, under the control of territorial spirits. At that point, although Aaron’s hands were doing the work, his mind was under Satanic control. Several years ago, when I was at a summer camp with a Native American theme, we were divided into groups. There were totem poles throughout the camp, and each group was supposed to produce a new head for their totem pole. Having been entranced by Native Americans for years, I knew what such a carving should look like. Nobody else in my group was interested. One night I went to the crafts barn and turned out a credible – looking totem figure in a short time. I remember feeling as if I was under someone else’s influence. (I wasn’t a Christian at the time.) This might be what happened to Aaron.

v. 25 – 29 “Moses saw that the people were out of control, for Aaron had let them run wild and become a laughingstock to their enemies. So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me. And all the Levites gathered around him. He told them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each of you men is to fasten his sword to his side, go back and forth through the camp from gate to gate, and slay his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.’” The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people fell dead. Afterward, Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for service to the LORD, since each man went against his son and his brother; so He has bestowed a blessing on you this day.”

It’s a mistake to think that the Israelites were all alone in that wilderness. There were other nomadic tribes and shepherds, plus traveling caravans, and roaming bands of brigands. The people were making so much noise with their orgies that Joshua thought the camp was being attacked, so the noise probably carried for miles. This situation needed to be brought under control quickly, both so that the Israelites would not look foolish and also so that they would not be attacked while they were busy drinking and having indiscriminate sex.

Moses puts out a call for those who are committed to the Lord. All of the Levites join Moses, at which point, Moses orders them to go through the camp and to slay those who are out of control, even if they are near relatives or friends. Presumably, the Levites are supposed to single out the leading offenders. Three thousand people are killed that day.

APPLICATION: Reading this account, particularly the slaughter of the idol worshipers, we are shocked that God would allow or approve such an action. But consider this: there were 600,000 men who left Egypt, plus women and children. By now, some of the women have given birth so there are probably nearly two million or more people in the camp. The number of people killed represents 0.15% of the people in the camp. This suggests that even though there was a great deal of noise, perhaps the vast majority of the Israelites were not actively involved in the worst parts of the idol worship, but that it was only a small but highly vocal group.

The saddest part of this situation was that there was probably no other means by which this orgy could have been effectively brought to a swift end. Arguments would have been worthless. The longer the situation was allowed to go on, the worse things could have become. Nobody wants to be disciplined, but without discipline, the Israelites would be doomed. This is the only time God issued such an order; but in this particular situation, it was necessary.

Galatians 5:19 – 23 says, “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

The Israelites who exhibited the acts of the flesh had given themselves over to demons and paid for it with their lives. Each of us has a choice: will we serve God or Satan? Whichever choice we make, our lives will exhibit the fruit of that choice.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to realize that You are serious about our worship of You! Thank You that when we allow Your Holy Spirit to fill us and to guide us, we will bear the fruits of the Spirit in our lives. Help us to grow closer to you each day. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 32: 15 – 18 “Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting, he said to Moses, “The sound of war is in the camp.” But Moses replied: “It is neither the cry of victory nor the cry of defeat; I hear the sound of singing!”

One of the things we generally forget about this story is the fact that Joshua accompanied Moses part – way up Mount Sinai and then remained there all the time Moses met with God. (Exodus 24:13) Aaron and his sons and seventy elders met with God on the mountain and then went back down; unfortunately, the memory of this glorious meeting didn’t even last a few weeks.

God has already warned Moses of what is happening at the camp, but Moses is probably hoping that God was exaggerating somehow. As Moses is going down the mountain, he is probably thinking, “Surely things can’t be as bad as God said!” Actually, things are worse.

V. 19 – 20 “As Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, he burned with anger and threw the tablets out of his hands, shattering them at the base of the mountain. Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink it.”

It is significant that the same Hebrew words were used to describe both God’s reaction to the Golden Calf and Moses’s reaction. Moses reacted exactly as God did. (Prager) Despite God’s warning, now that Moses is actually seeing the orgies and the perversions, he is both astounded and furious! Filled with righteous indignation, Moses hurls the stone tablets written by God on the ground, smashing them to pieces. Presumably, this action might have created enough noise to penetrate the singing and shouting of the orgy. (Did God add a little thunder and lightning for effect? Who knows!)

Some commentators feel that it was Moses’ righteous anger that helped deflect God’s wrath. Moses may also have broken the tablets to demonstrate to the people how severely they had sinned. The Ten Commandments were given before the elders and the priests met God on the mountain, so these leaders should have been aware of those Commandments. Obviously, these leaders enjoyed their mountaintop experience but failed to communicate God’s ordinances.

Moses reduces the calf to ashes and then forces the people to drink water containing those ashes as a punishment for their sins and also as an indication that their so – called god is worthless! What good is a god that can be reduced to ashes and then ingested?

APPLICATION: Where were the seventy elders, the priests, and the other leaders of Israel while all this was going on? Remember that Moses has already organized the Israelites into groups with leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, who can solve problems so that only the very most pressing issues come to Moses. This system of leadership had been working well for weeks; what happened?

It has been said that if you want to be popular, sell ice cream! Anybody who has assumed a leadership position knows that there are always problems. One of the saddest parts of this story of the Golden Calf is the obvious failure of the leaders of Israel. At the very time when these leaders should have been encouraging their people to remain calm and to wait for Moses, they failed in their duties. Who knows? Perhaps these leaders were jealous of Moses. Perhaps weeks of sorting out problems had given these men an inflated idea of their own importance so that when Moses remained on the mountain alone with God, they became offended and began to grumble. Perhaps some of these men were bitter because they weren’t included in the group of seventy elders who joined Moses and Aaron and the priests on the mountain. Was there a problem because these leaders did not receive a thorough enough grounding in their duties? All we know is that when leadership was required, these men failed.

Sometimes those of us called to leadership positions fervently wish that God had called somebody else! There is nothing easy about being a leader, even when you know that God has called you to such a work. As soon as you exert authority, someone will be there to challenge you or even to undermine you. But a group without a leader is only a mob and not an organization. May God help all who are called to leadership to realize that if God calls you, He will also empower you and inspire you.

PRAYER: Father God, today we lift up all who are in leadership positions of any kind. Help these men and women to realize that you are with them and that you will give them the strength and the grace to carry out their roles as you want them to. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 32: 7 – 8 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”

Down in the camp, the party is really warming up; meanwhile, up on the mountain, God informs Moses that Moses has a major problem. Until now, God has referred to the Israelites as His people, but now God tells Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.” At this point, God wants nothing to do with the Israelites and is making a point of it to Moses. By demanding that Aaron make an idol, the Israelites have broken covenant with God therefore, they are no longer His people, but only belong to Moses. Prager says, “Here, however, God ascribes the Exodus to Moses; He communicates a disappointment so profound He no longer wishes to take credit for it.”

Prager continues, “The phrase that is translated here as “your people….have corrupted themselves” literally means “they have destroyed [everything, or themselves.]…the people are now destroying the Torah’s fundamental idea that God is not in nature. Instead of worshiping God, Who is above and outside the natural world, they are worshiping a calf, which is, of course, part of the natural world: By putting God back into nature, the people have violated and nullified the fundamental distinctive idea of the religion of Israel.”

Yesterday we raised the question: How can any group of people be so foolish? God has delivered them miraculously several times. God is continuing to feed them miraculously. God continues to provide water for this huge number of people. Even now, God is still present with the Israelites as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, something that is really hard to ignore. But a faith that depends only on the miraculous is not actually faith at all. And the second the miracles delay, belief is gone! [But I STILL wonder how they can ignore that huge cloud!!!]

v. 9 – 10 “The LORD also said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and they are indeed a stiff-necked people. Now leave Me alone, so that My anger may burn against them and consume them. Then I will make you into a great nation.” Is God serious? Surely God knew what these people were like before they left Egypt. But God is looking for obedience, and the Israelites are being flagrantly disobedient. Is God testing Moses? Possibly. God already knows what Moses is going to say; however, God wants Moses to respond so that he (Moses) realizes how much he really trusts God.

v. 11 -14 “But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God, saying, “O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians declare, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce anger and relent from doing harm to Your people. Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, to whom You swore by Your very self when You declared, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised, and it shall be their inheritance forever.’” So the LORD relented from the calamity He had threatened to bring on His people.”

God doesn’t need assurance, but Moses does. Not only does Moses beg God to be merciful to the ungrateful Israelites, but he also reminds God of His promises.

APPLICATION: God always multi – tasks and there are always layers upon layers of purpose behind any Scripture. These verses tell a horrible story: Despite the fact that the pillar of cloud indicating God’s presence is still clearly visible right next to the camp, the Israelites have replicated an Egyptian idol and are now having a drunken orgy as a perverted form of worship. Barely two months after being miraculously delivered from one of the most powerful armies of the time, these people have turned their backs on the God who delivered them and are now playing with demons instead.

These verses are anything but a simple history lesson! God has made sure that this account has been preserved for all time in the Torah so that everyone who reads it will see the horror of turning away from the One True Living God to idols made by hands.

God wants everyone who reads these verses to remember that He is a promise – keeping God. God probably made the promises to Abraham documented in Genesis 15 nearly 600 years before the Exodus took place. Later, in Numbers 23:19 God says, “God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” When God cut covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15, God meant every word that He said. Even today, God has continued to bless all those who fear Him and who serve Him.

Recent political events have underscored the fact that governments can fail us and that the promises made by leaders carry little weight. But God’s Word remains true and He remains unchangeable forever. Let us put our trust in our unfailing, almighty, all – powerful, all – knowing, all – merciful, and all – loving Heavenly Father!

PRAYER: Father God, help us not to be like the Israelites! You have preserved our lives and have given us Your grace to reach this day. Help us to constantly be grateful and to look to You as our Source of supply! In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 31: 18 When the LORD had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.”

Moses is really excited! God has just given him the entire plans for the Tabernacle and has also given him tablets of stone on which God Himself has written the Ten Commandments. How fantastic is this! Moses can scarcely wait to get back and share the wonders of God’s instructions with the Israelites! BUT meanwhile, back at the camp, things are going very, very wrong.

Exodus 32:1 – 6 “Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!” So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”

When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before the calf and proclaimed: “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.”So the next day they arose, offered burnt offerings, and presented peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to indulge in revelry.”

While Moses is a hero of faith, Aaron is far weaker and more easily manipulated. Remember that the Israelites have barely come out of Egypt, where they probably worshiped the Egyptian gods along with vaguely remembering the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But 400 years is a long time to be without a reminder of the One True Living God.

As long as Moses was around, people were complaining about his leadership. But once Moses was up on the mountain, these same people began to complain because they no longer had a visible leader. In Egypt, the Pharaoh was regarded as divine, so it’s possible that the Israelites also regarded Moses as divine; after all, look at all the miracles that Moses performed.

Aaron isn’t sure what to do. Things are turning ugly and Moses has yet to return. Perhaps when Aaron asks the Israelites to strip off all their gold jewelry, he is hoping that they will balk at this request and give more time for Moses to come down off the mountain. This jewelry is the same jewelry the Egyptians thrust upon the Israelites as they were leaving Egypt, jewelry God probably has intended to be used for constructing the Tabernacle.

Why a golden calf? In Egyptian mythology, the bull, Apis, was sacred to the god Ptah and was a symbol of strength and virility. Bulls were associated with the worship of Hathor as indicated in the picture above. Other cultures also worshiped golden calves and this symbol would continue to be a major problem throughout the history of the Northern Kingdom.

Unfortunately, Aaron is stuck. Having requested that the Israelites give up their gold jewelry, he is probably horrified when everybody immediately strips off their gold and gives it to him! These people feel so threatened that they will do anything for more security. Perhaps Aaron tries to excuse what he is doing by silently cutting a deal with God, “See, Lord, I am making this calf as a symbol of Your power.” But God has already commanded the Israelites not to make molded images of anything on earth, and this is exactly what Aaron is about to do. Aaron deliberately takes engraving tools, fashions the calf, and then proclaims a feast day. It’s not surprising but very tragic when the “feast to the Lord” turns into a drunken orgy.

APPLICATION: HOW MUCH WOULD YOU GIVE UP FOR SECURITY? HOW FAR WOULD YOU TRUST GOD? It’s tempting when we read this story to feel morally superior to Aaron and the Israelites. How can any group of people be so foolish? God has delivered them miraculously several times. God is continuing to feed them miraculously. God continues to provide water for this huge number of people. Even now, God is still present with the Israelites as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, something that is really hard to ignore.

But logic has no place in this situation. As far as the Israelites are concerned, they want a god “with skin on.” If Moses isn’t available, they want a big impressive symbol…. and perhaps there are a number of people who have been frustrated because they haven’t had the chance to have the kind of orgiastic worship that they might have enjoyed in Egypt.

The most tragic part of the entire story is that God has every intention of blessing the Israelites beyond any other people on earth. God has chosen the Israelites to be a holy people and to demonstrate His praise and His glory. And just as Moses is coming down with tablets of stone on which God Himself has written, the Israelites lose patience and go in for an orgy.

The question for us is this: Are we settling for something far less than the glory of God in our lives? Are we willing to give up everything precious in our lives to buy security, even though we are actually creating an idol that is worthless? And on what do we base our sense of security? Are we trusting in God or are we trusting in leaders who cannot actually help us? May God help us to examine our hearts and lives so that we will fully put our trust in the One True Living God and refuse to worship idols!

PRAYER: Father God, forgive us for trusting in anybody or anything other than You! Please help us to give up our idols and to trust You and You alone! In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 31:12 – 17 “And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must keep My Sabbaths, for this will be a sign between Me and you for the generations to come, so that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. Keep the Sabbath, for it is holy to you. Whoever profanes it must surely be put to death. Anyone who does work on that day must be cut off from his people. For six days work may be done, but the seventh day must be a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must surely be put to death.

The Israelites must keep the Sabbath, celebrating it as a lasting covenant for the generations to come. It is a sign between Me and the Israelites forever; for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, but on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’”

At first, this command seems redundant as well as frightening. Hasn’t God already spoken about the Sabbath several times? Yes, He has, but this order is a special one. God has given instructions on how to build the Tabernacle, and the artisans are about to start. But God wants to make sure that in the rush to complete the Tabernacle, the Israelites continue to observe the Sabbath. And God is so serious about this commandment that failure to fulfill it requires the death penalty for transgressors!

Dennis Prager says, “The Torah considers the sanctification of time (the Sabbath ) more important than the sanctification of place (the Tabernacle). In addition, the Sabbath, being time – bound rather than place – bound, can be observed anywhere, while the priestly service can only be performed in the Tabernacle. By privileging the Sabbath over the Tabernacle, the Torah thus laid the foundations for a faith not dependent on a place, one that is timeless and universal.

Benno Jacob offers two additional reasons that keeping the Sabbath was more important than building the Tabernacle. First, the Sabbath represents a higher degree of holiness.: It was created by God Himself at the beginning of time, whereas the Tabernacle was made by human hands (albeit at God’s direction) at a particular historical moment. The Sabbath is the first thing God ever designates as holy. Second, the entire edifice of Judaism collapses without the Sabbath, because the observance of this day is an affirmation of Judaism’s fundamental message that God created the world. The Tabernacle, in contrast, can be (and has been) replaced by other forms of worship…. ” Prager goes on to affirm that “only the Jewish Sabbath commemorates creation.”

Prager tells us that “First, the Shabbat is the only ritual observance in the Ten Commandments. That alone assures it a uniquely important status among Torah rituals. Second, what is described here is not a mere violation of the Sabbath, but one rising to the level of “profaning” this holy day. What might that be: The Sabbath is the primary means of expressing the most fundamental of all Torah teachings, namely that God created the world. Therefore, the Israelites who violated the Sabbath in public undermined the most fundamental teaching of the Torah. An Israelite who openly and flagrantly desecrated the Shabbat was intentionally leading others to deny God created the world at the very time Moses was attempting to inculcate the basis of ethical monotheism in the Israelite people. It was the element of publicity added to the Sabbath violation that took it to the level of profane. If a Jew violated the Sabbath in private, he would not be punished, as he could not be considered to have undermined this fundamental teaching. (Dennis Prager The Rational Bible: Exodus)

APPLICATION: There is a TV show called “Air Crash Investigation.” This program describes actual airplane accidents and the results of the investigations into the causes of these accidents. A recent episode described three disasters that could have been avoided, had those maintaining the planes taken the time to do thorough maintenance with high quality materials. But in each case, maintenance crews felt that meeting a time deadline was more important than ensuring that everything had been repaired completely and was working properly. One investigation revealed an international conspiracy to re-sell used and possibly worn – out parts; this practice had led to the tragic loss of hundreds of lives.

Here in Ghana, there are tro-tro slogans that reads “God’s Time is the Best” and “No Hurry in Life.” Sabbaths are important for our physical and mental well – being. While the Jewish Sabbath commemorates the Creation, Christians also celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection in addition. Forcing a disconnect between the Old Testament and the New is pointless and ridiculous, since it is God who has been the Author of both and God is not divided into little pieces.

When I was the only pediatric surgery resident at a busy children’s hospital, I sometimes worked 120 hours a week. But what made it bearable was that I had negotiated so that one night a week I would be off – duty completely. The rest of the brutal work week was tolerable as long as I knew that I would get a complete rest on a regular basis. Later on, when I became the only doctor for a small hospital in the midst of a tribal conflict, taking time off was much more of a challenge. It was tough to leave, even to buy drugs, when I knew that my patients could not go anywhere else. But I soon learned that I had two choices: either I rested, or I would get sick. Resting took less time than recovering from an illness.

How can you honor God’s Sabbath in your own life? Do you need to avoid shopping? Do you need to make time for worship? Do you need to make sure that your rest period does not get eaten away by work commitments? Even “good” activities can sap your energy, leaving you feeling exhausted as you face a new week.

PRAYER: Father God, help all who read this devotional to realize how necessary Sabbaths are in their lives! Help them to be quiet and to seek Your Face and Your Will for their lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 31:1 – 11 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of craftsmanship, to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut gemstones for settings, and to carve wood, so that he may be a master of every craft. Moreover, I have selected Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, as his assistant.

I have also given skill to all the craftsmen, that they may fashion all that I have commanded you: the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat upon it, and all the other furnishings of the tent— the table with its utensils, the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand— as well as the woven garments, both the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons to serve as priests, in addition to the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them according to all that I have commanded you.”

“As handy as a pocket in a shirt!” That’s how one guy described my late Grandpa. When my Grandpa was young, the family owned a car agency in a small town and he learned to repair vehicles by tinkering on their cars. When he went into the army in World War 1, Grandpa never made it to Europe because his commanding officer realized that he could repair any vehicle they had and kept shuffling his orders to the bottom of the pile. Later in life, Grandpa restored antique furniture and caned new bottoms for cane and rush – bottom chairs. If you had a repair emergency, you needed my Grandpa.

God has just given Moses an enormous order: construct a portable worship place using all kinds of precious materials. Remember, the Israelites are out in the wilderness and there’s no room for do – overs if somebody doesn’t get it right the first time. And God has already selected the master craftsman who will oversee the entire job; in fact, God is the One who has given this man consummate skill. How? God says, “And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of craftsmanship, to design artistic works in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut gemstones for settings, and to carve wood, so that he may be a master of every craft.”

The name “Bezalel” means “in the shadow or protection of God.” All Bezalel’s life, God has been preparing him for this key role, for he is the one that is going to make the Tabernacle come to life. Just look at the list of skills that Bezalel possesses:

1. He is an expert in working with gold, silver, bronze, and gemstones.

2. He is a master at wood carving.

3. He is a master at weaving.

Not only does Bezalel possess all these skills himself, but he also must be able to supervise others. God has given Bezalel an assistant, Oholiab.

The name Oholiab means Father’s Tent and is suggestive of light (or enlightenment) coming from the meeting in this tent. This is remarkable because the meaning of the name of Oholiab’s colleague Bezalel is “In The Shadow Of God.” (https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Oholiab.html) So Bezalel and Oholiab together have names meaning that they are working in the shadow of God, preparing God the Father’s tent, or tabernacle.

APPLICATION: The late Jim Croce wrote a song entitled “I Got a Name.” The message of the song was that the singer was important as an individual and that he had dreams that would keep him going. Sadly, Croce died tragically in a plane crash at the age of thirty, perhaps with some of those dreams unfulfilled. But Bezalel and Oholiab were more blessed. As the story unfolds, everything these two do in creating the tabernacle is perfect, and God gives His personal seal of approval when the tabernacle is completed by filling it with His Holy Spirit.

As societies become increasingly complex, many of us feel that we are gradually being reduced to nothing more than a series of numbers – social security, driver’s license, passport, and other ID cards. At the same time, facial recognition has become both a tool and a hot topic, with those who are concerned fearing that their facial features may be stored for nefarious purposes.

There are many lessons we can take away from these scriptures, but the first and most important one is this: GOD KNOWS YOU! GOD KNOWS YOUR TALENTS, YOUR INNERMOST THOUGHTS, YOUR HOPES AND DESIRES! When you were first conceived, God already was planning a wonderful life for you and giving you talents, some of which you may not even have discovered as yet.

“But,” you say, “my life is anything but wonderful! I just lost my job! My kids are a mess! My marriage is falling apart! Where is God in all of this?” God is still there. But Jesus warned us that Satan was also real and that Satan would try to steal, kill, and destroy. The good news is that Jesus came so that we could have life abundantly. (John 10:10)

To paraphrase Jim Croce, you got a name! God knows you! God loves you! God is waiting to hear from you and to meet you! Pray to Him! He longs to show you how much more you can be! You cannot fix your life, but God can!

PRAYER: Father God, please comfort all who read this devotional, so that they will realize how much You love them individually! Help them to come to you in prayer and learn the skills you have given them and the marvelous plans you have for their lives. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

JUNE 20, 2021 MERCY 112: WHAT’S SO SPECIAL ABOUT INCENSE?

Exodus 30:34 – 38 “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense—in equal measures, and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. Grind some of it into fine powder and place it in front of the Testimony (the Ark of the Covenant containing the stone tablets) in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. You are never to use this formula to make incense for yourselves; you shall regard it as sacred to the LORD. Anyone who makes something like it to enjoy its fragrance shall be cut off from his people.”

Once more, God is giving Moses instructions; this time Moses is receiving the recipe for the sacred incense that is to be used only in the tabernacle and only before the Ark of the Covenant. As with the sacred anointing oil, God is so serious about the composition of this incense that He orders that anybody who takes this recipe and mixes it for himself or herself will become an outcast. To be cast away from one’s family and one’s tribe in that day was to be doomed to wander the earth as a stranger, vulnerable to attack from anybody.

APPLICATION: IS ANYTHING REALLY SACRED ANYMORE? The term “sacred” means to be set apart, to be holy, completely dedicated to God. There are those in popular culture who wish to tear down barriers that have demarcated the sacred from the ordinary for years…. as long as those barriers belong to somebody else! But inside each of us, there are places and things that we still consider sacred, untouchable, inviolable. If someone threatens the parts of our lives that we hold as sacred, we are ready to fight for their protection!

I read obituaries from my home area in America, and it is both fascinating and sad to see the careers, the hobbies, and other things mentioned in these obituaries that define the dead after they are gone. Many families mention the dedication of their loved one to particular sports teams or to special interest groups. For many, dedication to these things approaches the level of a religion. In one recent write up, the deceased was described as having been an enthusiastic flea market participant for fifty years. (Since most of these markets take place on weekends, it is safe to say that such a person might have worshiped in the flea market experience.)There are obituaries honoring a loved one who obviously cared deeply for his or her family. But the memoriams that stand out the most are the ones honoring those whose lives were dedicated to God and to sharing the love of God with others. Here, I am not referring to those who were church members or who sang in the choir, but to those whose faith was so real that others mention it as a defining characteristic after a person had died.

What’s the common thread among all these different interests? Love, community, and fellowship come to mind. Sports fans flock together and share colorful team jerseys, videos, and memories of their team’s sporting events. Those involved in other clubs or in the flea market probably feel that they are gaining a sense of community and acceptance in those activities. Those dedicated to their families certainly have left a legacy of love behind, and hopefully have encouraged others to be equally supportive of their families. But there’s something special about those whose faith was such an integral part of them that it was the first thing people thought to mention.

There is an old devotional that speaks of a container that held the essential oil of roses. Even though this container got broken, the oil had penetrated so far into the container that the pieces still held the scent of roses. God commanded Moses to compound a special incense so that whenever the Israelites smelled that scent, they would realize that the priests were ministering to the Lord on their behalf. The scent of this incense was sacred and was not to be copied to be used for any lesser purpose.

What things do you hold sacred? What beliefs, what friendships, what values do you feel are worth defending? If someone were to write your obituary today, how would they describe you? There’s an old saying that goes, “Only one life – will soon be past. Only what’s done for God will last.” The sacred incense left a perfume that was immediately identifiable as the scent of holiness, and it lingered throughout the Tabernacle. What is the scent of your life?

PRAYER: Father God, help! We are overwhelmed by trivia and the stress of daily living. Many times we feel as if we are drowning with nobody to hep us. But You are our Heavenly Father and You can lead us and guide us and give us lasting peace. Help us to spend so much time with You that Your holiness saturates our very lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 30: 22 – 33 “Once again, The LORD said to Moses, “Take the finest spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh,(approximately 12.6 pounds or 5.7 kilograms of myrrh), half as much (250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, (approximately 6.3 pounds or 2.9 kilograms of cinnamon), 250 shekels of fragrant cane, (approximately 6.3 pounds or 2.9 kilograms of cane), 24500 shekels of cassiah (approximately 12.6 pounds or 5.7 kilograms of cassia), —all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil. (A hin is approximately 0.97 gallons or 3.67 liters of olive oil.) Prepare from these a holy anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be a holy anointing oil.

Use this oil to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony, the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. You are to consecrate them so that they will be most holy. Whatever touches them will be holy. Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them to serve Me as priests.

And you are to tell the Israelites, ‘This will be My sacred anointing oil for the generations to come. It must not be used to anoint an ordinary man, and you must not make anything like it with the same formula. It is holy, and it must be holy to you. Anyone who mixes perfume like it or puts it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”

Anointing oil – the recipe is fairly straight forward, and body oils and lotions of various kinds were already well known to the Israelites. But this oil is to be special and to be used only as God has directed. Although this is the first use of this oil, it will continue to be used to anoint prophets, priests, and kings, as well as to consecrate subsequent temples. (The term “messiah” literally means “the anointed one.”) This oil was to have a very distinctive odor, one that would be intimately identified with holiness and consecration to the Lord. Once this oil had touched an object in the tabernacle, anyone touching that same object would also be considered as holy. With a pentratingly sweet odor, this oil would mark anyone who came into contact with it. But this oil came with a warning: it was to be used ONLY for holy purposes. Anybody compounding this oil for any other use or misuing it would become an outcast, a person without a tribe, cut off from friends, family, and most sources of support. Considering the fact that the Israelites were still in the wilderness, that threat might spell a lingering death for any transgressors.

What is the “sweet cane” referred to in the recipe? There are several explanations. The Hebrew word, qaneh, indicates a fragrant plant with an upright aspect. … The first is a widespread plant of wetlands in the northern hemispheres of both the Old and New Worlds, Acorus calamus L. (Araceae). The rhizome has a peculiar sweet, lingering aroma suitable as a “carrier” in a perfume. Other suggestions include a plant imported from India. Some have even suggested that a form of cannabis might have been used.

APPLICATION: The composition of the anointing oil ensured that it would have a unique flavor that peple would instantly identify with holiness and holy things. The use of anointing oil also symbolizes the power of God’s Holy Spirit as He poured it out on those who believed.

Christians today speak of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Even without the application of sacred oil, God still marks people for holiness. Those who were blessed to encounter the late Mother Teresa came away impressed by two things: her simplicity and her holiness. One late pastor friend of ours carried the scent of holiness with him wherever he went. Pastor Stan had served in the military and was a skilled craftsman. Stan loved to hunt and fish and was great company wherever he was. But the biggest thing you noticed if you were with Stan was the quiet holiness that was a part of his character, holiness gained from years of prayer, reading the Bible, and being quiet before the Lord.

God doesn’t play favorites; any one of us can gain the scent of holiness if we wish. The key to personal holiness is spending time with God, being quiet before Him, reading His Word and meditating on it.

“But,” you say, “I don’t believe in your God.” No problem. Try doing the things I have just suggested and see what happens. What do you have to lose?

PRAYER: Father God, help all those who read this to have such a desire for holiness that they will long to know You. Thank You that You don’t play favorites and that anybody can become holy, because it’s up to You and not to them, as long as they will listen to You. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.