Chapter 79 of 1163

EXODUS 32

Unbelief. Despite all that God had said and done, and all that Israel had promised to do (19:8), the nation did not know how to live by faith. Moses had been gone forty days (Deut. 9:11ff.), and the people had become impatient. They still had the fire and cloud to assure them of God’s presence, but that was not enough. They wanted another visible representation of Jehovah to encourage them. It was unbelief: “Whoever believes will not act hastily” (Isa. 28:16).

Compromise. Aaron was supposed to be the spiritual leader in the absence of Moses, but instead he gave in and let the people have their way. When confronted with his sin, Aaron blamed the people, Moses, and the furnace (vv. 22–24), but he did not blame himself.

Intercession. Had Moses been a selfish man, he could have become the founder of a new nation, but he loved the people and prayed for their forgiveness. (See Luke 23:34; Rom. 9:1–3.) He reminded God of His covenant and of the glory He would lose if the nation were destroyed. When you pray, remind God of His promises and seek to magnify His glory.

Discipline. We all should heed the psalmist’s wise words: “You who love the Lord, hate evil” (Ps. 97:10). God in His grace forgives the sinner, but in His government, He must punish the sin. This judgment may seem cruel to us, but the people had been warned against idolatry and had willfully disobeyed God. God had to teach them early not to act like the heathen nations around them. Israel had to remain a separated people, or God could not work out His great purposes through them.

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