Today we delve into a story that is a dark moment for Israel. It’s a moment that creates conflict. Like all good conflicts, we get to understand more about God and His people through the process.

God has revealed himself in dramatic and powerful ways. He has shown his dominance over the false gods of surrounding nations. Now Moses is up the mountain, receiving the Law from God.

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 out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.'

-Exodus 32:1

When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, 'Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.' 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.

-Exodus 32:5-6

God has delivered them the Law and they were frightened by the display of His power, and yet, boom they disregard it all.

This word revelry has sexual overtones. They are going back to the old ways of pagan worship

The calf could have been a physical idol to celebrate the invisible God, it could have been an attempt at a pedestal. But either way it is direct disobedience to the Law spoken to them, and the revelry is way out of line

We are quick to sin.

God is directing his people as he reforms them (the wilderness is worth it)

He is introducing himself, and making them HIS PEOPLE.

But at the first hurdle, they go for the QUICK EASY OPTION.

They are willing to sacrifice their future for the pleasure of the present

What are you doing now, that could dismantle the good plans God has for you?

There is another player in the wilderness. God is working to reveal himself to us at a deeper level. Satan is always lying to us, offering a cheap solution that will destroy us.

Israel was not GHOSTED. They just didn’t like God’s way of doing things!

God has given us everything we need. The Holy Spirit is in us, working out our salvation. We live by faith. He will connect with us emotionally when it’s best for us. No excuses.

This conflict starts a very difficult conversation between GOD and MOSES.

Theology is the study of God. We correctly look at the whole of scripture and synthesize the revelation of God into attributes. But there are some moments in scripture where God’s revelation is uncomfortable and hard to pin down.

God here relates to Moses on a human level.

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.'

-Exodus 32:7-8

For the first time God calls them your people (God disowns his people)

'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.'

-Exodus 32:9-10

God offers Moses a whole new plan. You will be the new Abraham. I’ll start again!

Wait! Can God do that?

But Moses has been spending time with God, getting to know God, and becoming like GOD!

At the first encounter (the burning bush), he was concerned with himself, but now he is a mediator, concerned about GOD and His PEOPLE.

A Good Mediator

But Moses sought the favor of the Lord his God. 'Lord,' he said, 'why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?'

-Exodus 32:11

Moses reminds God of his promise and argues that God’s name will be tarnished if he chooses to wipe out his own people

Then the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.

-Exodus 32:14

Wait! Can God do that? (It was only a threat, but it really seemed like an option. Was God testing Moses?) Let’s hold that thought.

Moses heads down the mountain, sees what’s actually happening and then loses it!

Smashes the stone tablets

And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.

-Exodus 32:20

This is the ultimate way to show you that an IDOL is not a God.

Let’s see how powerful your IDOL is in 12 hours time.

Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!

-Exodus 32:24

Do you ever make lame excuses for your sin? (yeah me too)

Moses sends the Levites through the camp and 3000 people are killed. (seemingly the unrepentant ones, we don’t know)

But it isn’t over yet!!! God cannot abide by sin

MOSES steps up again. He sees how bad the situation is and decides to go back up to God and try and atone for their sin.

(This foreshadows JESUS) - We see the pattern REBELLION, Mediation, RESTORATION here.

So Moses went back to the Lord and said, 'Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.'

-Exodus 32:31-32

This is not salvation (Lamb’s Book of Life). This just means to die physically

But still ... Moses, what a great leader. He sees the level of sin, now he understands why God was so angry. He offers himself as a sacrifice!!

GOD says no, it’s not that easy, you aren’t qualified.

The Lord replied to Moses, 'Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book.'

-Exodus 32:33

Moses is learning more about God.

He sees his holiness and his willingness to engage

He sees a God who was willing to hold back his anger, and show compassion, but still has to ultimately punish sin!!!

GOD now says. You lead them, I’ll fulfil my promise, but I’m not coming with you, because my anger may boil over and I may kill them on the way!!

Now Moses pleads again. If your presence won’t go with us, just don’t send us!!

NOW MOSES ASKS THE ULTIMATE WILDERNESS QUESTION:

If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.

-Exodus 33:13

God uses the wilderness to REFORM US.

His REFORMING PROCESS is actually us getting to know HIM!!!

The treasure of God’s KINGDOM is worth every wilderness!!!!!

God now agrees to rejoin his people. To reinstate his covenant with them.

REBELLION, MEDIATION, RESTORATION

God now says he will go with them. . . . MOSES says SHOW ME YOUR GLORY (every other covenant conversation has come with a sign)

NOW WE GET GOD revealing himself at a deeper level. The wilderness is where we go deep with GOD. God is letting Moses, and us, in.

Have you ever had a sacred moment, when someone shares their story with you? A piece of themselves, you now share something sacred.

Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, 'The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.'

-Exodus 34:5-7

Moses interacted with God, and God revealed himself at a whole new level.

When Moses came down to the people his face shone with radiance of God’s glory. It was a scary thing. So he would put a veil over his face.

Moses presents the LAW to the people, new tablets, and a whole new level of relationship with GOD. He was a good mediator!

A Great Mediator

Remember that God rejected Moses’ attempt to atone for sin. He wasn’t qualified. The Passover lamb had to be perfect, spotless.

Moses was a good mediator, Jesus was a great one. Moses pleaded with God, God heeded his prayer but punishment remained.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

-2 Corinthians 5:21

There are some things that we can take from this wilderness event.

We have a God who is Holy, and compassionate.

We have a God who listens to prayer (and though we can’t understand it) He is High and Exalted, and yet near and approachable. Indeed, he wants to be approached!!!

You aren’t being GHOSTED in the wilderness!!

Your wilderness isn’t nearly as bad as theirs because you have the great mediator.

Comparing the giving of the Law on the mountain and Pentecost:

On Mt Sinai, God’s presence was accompanied by fire and smoke and the sound of thunder. During Pentecost, God’s presence was accompanied by the sound of wind and tongues of fire and the gift of different languages. When God gave the Law to Moses on Mt Sinai, the people worshipped a golden calf, and 3,000 were killed. When God gave His Spirit at Pentecost, the people worshipped and 3,000 were saved.

Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

-2 Corinthians 3:7-18

We are in the wilderness, but we have the Spirit.

We have a God who listens and reacts to us. He stays in the conversation looking for opportunities to offer compassion and remain faithful.

And when you get the SPIRIT you are the CHURCH, the new MOSES, THE NEW MEDIATOR

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

-2 Corinthians 5:20