O LORD, FORGIVE OUR WICKEDNESS!

Exodus 32:1-34:28

Key Verse 34:9

"O Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes," he said, "then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance."

The Lord God used Moses to form a kingdom of priests and a holy nation out of a slave nation. Moses led about two million people as slaves. In the United States, we have over 275 million people, which is about forty-five times more than the Israelites of Moses' day. As we pray for America to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, we dedicate today's bible study as a prayer for this blessed prayer topic. Let us study the passage in three parts:

I. Come, make us gods! (32:1-6)

Look at Exodus 32:1. “When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, ‘Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up the Lord's Ten Commandments.’” The second commandment says, "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything..." (20:4). When they heard this command, they all said, “We will do everything the Lord has said. We will obey” (24:7). The Lord was pleased with their answer. Then the Lord was ready to issue instructions regarding the tabernacle; this was sort of like a studio apartment where the Lord God wanted to begin married life together with the Israelites. For this purpose the Lord God asked Moses to come up to the mountain. Moses went up. And he stayed with the Lord forty days and forty nights. 

In the meantime people were waiting for Moses to come down. They waited, and waited. One week passed by, two weeks passed by, three weeks passed by, and even four weeks passed. But no Moses! If Moses had a cell phone, then perhaps the Israelites could have called him. Unfortunately, they did not have cell phones in those days. So they had no way to know when Moses would come back. Then some rebels began to grumble, "We don't know what happened to this guy, Moses. Maybe a mountain lion came and ate him." Then they gathered around Aaron and said, "Come, make us gods who will go before us."   

What did Aaron say to them? Look at v. 2. "Aaron answered them, ‘Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.’" Until I came to the United States, I used to think that earrings were only for women. However, when I came to the United States, I even saw brothers wearing earrings. Soon I also recognized that they not only wore earrings, but also wore nose rings. And some brothers even wore tongue rings. All this was really shocking. But when we read the Bible we understand that this is not a new practice. In fact, it has a long tradition, dating back at least as far as to the day of Moses, more than 10 centuries before Christ! Look at v. 2 again. “Aaron answered them, ‘Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing...’” Where did they pick up this practice? They picked it up from Egypt. And I don't know why Aaron came up with the idea of making a golden calf out of "earrings." Anyway, it was Aaron's idea. 

What happened next? We see the result recorded in vs. 3-6. Look at v. 3. "So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. Then Aaron took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool." Aaron was a great artist. We don't know how long it may have taken Aaron to come up with such an idol. Maybe it only took him a day or two. Anyway, when the product came out, people took a look at it and loved it. So what did they say? Look at v. 4. "Then they said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’" Wow! Not too long ago, the Lord God had revealed himself from the mountain in a thunderous voice. And they all said, "Yes. We will obey you." But what they were now saying was totally inconsistent with what they had previously said to the Lord. Hence, what they did is really shocking.  

But on hearing what they said, Aaron went one step further. Look at v. 5. "When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, ‘Tomorrow there will be a festival to the LORD.’ A festival? Wow! That’s a great idea!" But when you think about it, what Aaron said was very interesting: "A festival to the Lord!" Aaron was very smooth! He was like butter. The Lord is the Lord, and an idol is an idol. But in front of an idol, they are going to stage a festival to the Lord! What a great idea to mix these two together?! This was a custom-made religion! But people really liked this idea. So what happened? 

Look at v. 6, "So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry." They were so excited that they even woke up at 4:00 a.m. in the morning to prepare for the festival.  This took a lot of work. Then the party began. Notice the progression (or digression, if you will): “Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” In other words, they became party animals. 

This makes us stop and think. This historical event reminds us of one sobering truth: it’s one thing to get out of Egypt, but it’s quite another to get Egypt out of oneself. It has been said, "It took forty days for the Israelites to get out of Egypt, but it took 40 years for them to get Egypt out of themselves." 

But here is one more thing for us to think about. Getting Egypt (which represents the slave mentality) out of oneself is not enough. The purpose of the Exodus is to establish a spiritual relationship with the Lord. The Lord wants to dwell among the Israelites. This is the purpose of the Exodus. The Lord God wants to build an intimate relationship and fellowship with his children. 

But what’s in the way to building this intimate fellowship is the impediment called "idol worship." 

The real question then becomes, "Well, what is wrong with an idol? After all it is just a toy!" But the Bible is not ambiguous about this question. It gives us clear reasons why idol worship is wrong. One of the best places for us to go for an answer to the question of why idol worship is wrong is Psalms 115:8, which reads, "Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them." Here "them" means all kinds of idols. And by “idols” we mean loving anyone or anything more than the Lord God who sent Jesus. Categorically, an idol refers to what has been shaped by man rather than what has been created by the Creator God who caused everything and everyone come into being. We are not supposed to trust idols. “For if we do we will be like them.” What does it mean to be like them? When reading psalm 115, we are very surprised by a certain discovery, that is, that we will be dysfunctional if we trust in idols. In other words we will not be able to function as fully as we are supposed to function as the crown of all creation. As I have mentioned a number of times in the past, seven things will go wrong: we cannot speak, see, hear, smell, feel, walk, or sound as we are supposed to! 

The Israelites' failure here teaches us the importance of constantly reminding ourselves of God’s purpose in saving us from the power of sin and death, that is, in order so that we may have joyous fellowship with the Lord. Our enemies keep deceiving us into believing that life in the Lord is burdensome. But this is not true. In fact the exact opposite is true. The life that has an intimate fellowship with the Lord is the only way for us to be free from bondage to the power of sin and death; it is the only way for us to live as true human beings. 

Again, the Israelites' failure here is a powerful reminder of how easy it is for us to forget this truth. This sobering event thus reminds us of the command, "Christians! Think!" Speaking of the same need, the Apostle Paul says in Romans 12:2, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." Say to one another: "Be transformed." Say then to your neighbor: "By the renewing of your mind!" The word "renew" has different meanings: recondition, renovate, restore, revitalize. One way to renew our minds daily is to meditate on the word of God and write Bible testimonies based on the word of God through such things as daily bread passages.

II. O Lord, forgive! (32:7-34:9)

While the crowd of people down the mountain were going crazy, the Lord God recognized what was going on down the mountain. But Moses did not know what was going on. 

So what did the Lord God say to Moses? Look at vs. 7-10. "Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” I have seen these people,’ the LORD said to Moses, ‘and they are a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation.’" 

This revelation came to Moses as a test. The Lord was testing whether or not Moses would be a true shepherd for the slave nation of Israel. The point of the test is found in the last sentence: "Then I will make you into a great nation." 

How did Moses do on the test? Vs. 11-14 say that he passed the test with flying colors. He got an A+. He came up with two arguments: the first one was based on God's keen interest in protecting the integrity of his name and the second was based on God’s faithfulness in keeping his promise. So he argued that the Lord should not destroy Israel because otherwise the Egyptians would call God a great butcher of his own children. Then he reminded the Lord of the promise he had given to Abraham, as the expression "I will make you into a great nation" is first found in Genesis 12:2. And this was one of the very first promises the Lord God gave to Abraham. Moses remembered this and argued that the Lord must be consistent in what he says. Indeed, Moses' prayer hit the nail on the head. The Lord God was pleased with his prayer. And the Lord quickly relented. 

Upon further meditation it is not difficult to see that the Lord already knew what Moses would say. And this is why he even bothered to share with Moses what was going on down the mountain. From this we learn that the Lord God calls and trains his servant to function as a sort of "underling" shepherd. Thus far the Lord God had trained Moses to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Then through Moses he was training Israel, a slave nation, so they would grow as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

Exodus 32:15-34:9 describe the events that show us how the Lord trained Moses and the sheep put under his care to become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

How did the Lord train them? We can summarize the Lord's training in two ways:

First, spiritual order (32:15-30)

At the Lord’s request, Moses stopped having a Bible conference with the Lord, and came down the mountain. At that time Joshua served Moses as sort of an intern shepherd. So, along with Joshua, Moses came down. As they drew near the foot of the mountain, a lot of noise was heard. At first Moses and Joshua did not know what kind of noise it was. But soon Moses realized what was going on. Then, in holy anger, he broke the two stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written. Then Moses put them through two events. First he made them drink a special soda called "Golden Calf Soda." He ground the golden calf, turned it into powder, mixed it in drink, and let them drink it. The second event was to ask those who stood on God's side to come out and put to death those who went nuts in a wild orgy. 

When we think about it, it is not difficult to see why Moses did what he did. Personally, it is my belief that Moses put them through these two events to teach them one thing: spiritual order. The correct spiritual order is God first, man second, and material things (like money or possessions) third. 

The two events are related to one another in that the first event teaches the Israelites to overcome materialism, putting others above material things, and the second event teaches them to overcome humanism (in the sense of a man putting man above God), knowing what it is to practically put the Lord God above all men. 

Gold is a material thing. Material things are material things.  But man is man. Man is not supposed to serve material things. Rather material things are supposed to serve man. One practical way to demonstrate this truth is to buy a special soda with money, let it serve our stomachs, let it come out of our bodies, and then let it flush down the toilet. 

At first glance it sounds cruel for someone to order another to murder his fellow human beings. We are told, "Do not murder." But why did Moses command the Levities to "murder"? We find the answer to this question in an expression like, "Whoever is for the Lord come to me" (Exo 32:26). Say, "Whoever is for the Lord come to me." Then in Exodus 32:27, Moses listed three kinds of people as objects to kill: "brother, friend, and neighbor." Brother represents siblings. Friend refers to your "buddies" like your "girlfriend" or "boyfriend" or just your "friend." And neighbor is the category of people who are close to you, but not as close to you as either siblings or friends are. Nevertheless, they are somewhat close to you. But all of them are human beings. They are your fellow human beings. No matter how close or how far from you they are, they are still human beings. And the Bible says that we must love our neighbor as ourselves. But what if they go against what the Lord commanded us to do? What if they put themselves above the Lord? And what if it is not "they" but "you"? Good questions. 

But we find the answer to this question from what Jesus said: "Deny yourself!" Mark 8:34 then says, "Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’" For this reason, when the Apostle Paul came to the gentile world with the gospel, he constantly taught us that if anyone is a Christian, he must first put his old person to death and then must live his life for Christ, so that it would no longer be him but Christ who lives his life. 

Again, humanism in the sense of a man putting men above God is one of the least recognized yet most formidable enemies. And when we study the Bible this is not just what Jesus or some of the apostles like the Apostle Paul teach, but what the Bible teaches from first to last. For example, King Solomon says in Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Yesterday's daily bread also spoke about the same thing in Psalms 56:4, "In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" God is living. But man is mortal. So we must remember the spiritual order, that is, under all circumstances, we must put God's word above our own ideas. Then, peace and joy will roll to us like a river.

Second, intercessory prayer (32:31-34:9)

The next thing the Lord God taught was intercessory prayer. In 32:31-34:9, we see Moses taking action in seven different categories, all of which serve as good examples of intercessory prayer:

(1) “But now, please forgive their sin, but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written” (32:32). This prayer is really heart moving. And it shocked my conscience, for I did not really pray for others as Moses did. His prayer demonstrates the kind of love we must have for our sheep, for to Moses, his life was no longer his own alone, but for his sheep; in other words, Moses considered his life stuck to that of his sheep! 

(2) "Moses used to take a tent and pitch it ... calling it 'the tent of meeting'" (33:7). Here the "tent of meeting" is different from the tabernacle. It was a tent which Moses set up as an emergency measure, so that during times of crisis, communication and conversation between the parties involved in the "broken" relationship could "continue." 

(3) “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face” (33:11). Here "face to face" is a reference to "intimate" conversation. When a relationship goes sour, what is necessary is direct talk, so that there should be no misunderstanding between any member(s). Do you have any problems with your relationship with others? Then, instead of talking to someone close to that person, by all means go to that person and talk to him or her "directly" (but of course after talking to the Lord first). 

(4) “[T]each me your ways so I may know you” (33:13). This is another thing which the Lord God desired to accomplish, and indeed did accomplish, in the community of the chosen people Israel (but first in the life of Moses). “Teach me your ways.” In trying to mend the relationship between the Lord and the slave nation Israel, Moses recognized that he himself did not know the Lord, especially "his [the Lord’s] ways." Here the word "ways" means "the way in which the Lord runs the universe." So Moses offered this prayer topic. Ultimately, the Lord’s ways are summed up in Jesus, for when Jesus came he said, "I am the Way." If you are confused about how to maintain a good relationship with others, then think about what Jesus might do in a situation like the one you are in. And if you are still confused, please ask the Lord to show you his way!

(5) “Now show me your glory” (33:18). Here "glory" is different from "ways." Glory has to do with the Lord's person. It refers to the characteristics of the Lord. Eventually the Lord honored Moses’ prayer request and revealed to him his attributes (Exo 34:6,7). This revelation of the Lord's nature, especially his merciful nature, convinced (I should say) Moses of the possibility of fully repairing the broken relationship between the holy God and the unholy nation Israel. 

(6) “O Lord … let the Lord go with us” (34:9a). This prayer is the ultimate goal Moses had in mind. Figuratively speaking, it is like the patty bun of a hamburger. And it is the Lord who is the source of life. All other blessings are peripheral in nature. So following Moses' wisdom, we must always ask the Lord to be with us, for he is willing to be with us, as much as we are willing to be with the Lord.

(7) “Although this is a stick-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance” (34:9b). This prayer is the conclusion of the matter. And in this prayer two things catch our attention: “our sin” and “inheritance.” Thus far Moses talked about "their sin," but now he talks about "our sin," thereby including his own sin. This is what we need to do in approaching the Lord. When our relationship with anyone is broken, we should not exclude ourselves. Rather, we must remember that we are all fallen sinners and that we all make mistakes. The only difference then is whether one is a forgiven sinner or an un-forgiven sinner. So we must pray just as Moses prayed, "Forgive us our sins!" Next, the word "inheritance" looks toward the future. And our relationship with the Lord is eternal. And Moses prayed that the Lord God would continue to bless them as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation!

III. How awesome is the work I will do for you! (34:10-28)

The Lord was very pleased with Moses' intercessory prayer. Then in 34:10-28, we see the Lord fully changing his mind. He reissued the marriage certificate (the two stone tablets) which Moses had broken. And the relationship was mended and thus restored. Thanks to Moses' intercessory prayer, the journey into the Promised Land continued unhindered as before. 

But Moses is a foreshadow of the perfect mediator to come, that is, Jesus Christ. And we thank God for sending Jesus who prays for us, even now. So thanks to Jesus' prayer, we can continue to have the hope to live as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. May the Lord richly bless us to live by faith in the Lord and to live as members of the kingdom of priests and holy nation. Likewise, in the spirit of Moses, may the Lord bless us to continue to pray that this nation would soon become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. And the Lord will continue to do awesome works for us, so awesome that all peoples on earth will say, "How awesome is your God!"

 

One word: O Lord, forgive our wickedness!