What Happens when Israel Sin’s
Sin is found Out
Moses Intercedes and Disciplines
Atonement Required
Exodus 32, DBF Sunday Sermon, 4/6/03
I remember the confusion in my life prior to accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
I also remember the things I did to be in right standing with God, thinking the things I did would cover my inadequacies.
There are so many things around us that can cause us to take our eyes off of Jesus. Where I think that Alaska surely is a place that shows fully the awesome hand of God, I know others can be lost in the hiking, camping, fishing and hunting lifestyles to the point that they would never bend a knee or bow before anything…much less my King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s.
I tell people that God has put on my heart this theme “Pardue com an tit chock” which means “Lost like a little Blackbird”.
Because before I humbled myself fully and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I was lost and going in so many different directions…Just like the little blackbirds…and I didn’t even know it. I did not recognize my sinful estate until God’s word under the unction of the Holy Spirit brought conviction into my life.
Have you ever been there? Are you still there?
Today we will walk with Israel in one of these situations…they were lost and didn’t even know it…at least they can say they did not have the Holy Spirit continually present in their lives…what if any is our excuse. Moses intercedes on the behalf of his brothers and sisters…are you doing so in your life?
Sin is found Out
Exodus 32:1-10 (KJV)
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. [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. [3] And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. [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. [5] And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord. [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.
[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: [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. [9] And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: [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.
And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down…Oh how quickly we digress from that which we have promised to God.
This same nation had said just a short time earlier…just 40 or so days prior that they would obey the word of God…and here they go backsliding sinners that they are.
Well, many of us are in the same situation. We have an easy enough time saying we will follow what God commands of us then we go out and try to do it on our own. If we try to succeed on our own, sinfulness will be found in us.
Our only chance of walking in the manner to which we are called to walk, a manner that will bring glory and honor to God is to walk in HIS word. Apart from Christ in our hearts we would continually turn as Israel does here apart from Moses to sin.
You see the nation of Israel had been in Egypt for 400 years, one of the God’s they had seen and heard so much about over the past 400 years was Amon-Re, the Sun God, who was a bull.
Apostasy can take many forms and has taken many forms in pulling us away from the true worship of God. Apostasy blinds one from seeing that they have fully rejected God, putting in HIS rightful place others.
Mohammad, Buddha, Hari Krishna, Mormonism, Jehovah Witness are all forms of Apostasy that Satan has used to replace the true worship of God.
What have you turned to when the things you seek are delayed? I pray that you thank God for HIS precious delays and for the blessing that will come your way as a result instead of turning to the next thing you hear of to worship.
Worship God alone in Spirit and in truth.
The people gathered themselves together—They came in a tumultuous and seditious manner, insisting on having an object of religious worship made for them, as they intended under its direction to return to Egypt.
Do you notice the big groups today from different sinful areas of life telling the world what they think to be right?
Political Correctness…Don’t buy it, big groups and loud voices don’t make it right. My bible tells me that narrow is the path of Salvation and wide the path to Destruction…many more will go the way of the world than the way of righteousness appointed by God. Choose God.
And Aaron said unto them, Break…And you leaders, teachers, preachers in God’s church must ever be conscious that you have a great responsibility given from God in the ministration of HIS word and church. Take this as a serious responsibility to God’s people, even when they would choose as a group to go in another direction than that given by God, stand up firm in God’s word and do not be swayed.
I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people…Of course we all like to see ourselves as the obedient servants of Christ with never a problem in our walk and life. Don’t believe it for we are all together a stiff-necked people.
We get so set in our ways that when things don’t go the way we have decided they must…then we tend to get upset and sin.
Of course we probably aren’t talking about you, but a lot of us have problems with this. Until we mend our will to HIS will this will continue to cause a lot of us to be stiff necked.
As a Juvenile Probation Officer, I see a lot of stiff-necked youth and parents during the intake process and court process…when there is a charge facing them. Amazing when the charges are adjusted how polite and amenable they are…yet just minutes before when facing consequences for mistakes in their lives they were so stiff-necked, unyielding in their innocence.
Are you being stiff-necked towards God’s word in your life?
If so then completely yield yourselves to God’s will and word to be able to have “true” peace in this world.
Moses Intercedes and Disciplines
Exodus 32:11-29 (KJV)
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? [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. [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. [14] And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.
[15] And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. [16] And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. [17] And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. [18] And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.
[19] And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. [20] And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it. [21] And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? [22] And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. [23] For they said unto me, 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. [24] And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.
[25] And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) [26] Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. [27] And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. [28] And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. [29] For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.
Israel sinned and God was ready to consume them for the evil that they had done. You and I are surrounded by people that just can’t seem to get their walks right. What should we do?
We should do as Moses… And Moses besought the Lord his God…Moses goes to God and sought out HIS “good and perfect” will.
God was righteously angry and had every right to be. This people who had sworn to follow HIS commandments did a doozy and started with a big failure against the first Commandment. Big Mistake.
Moses understood this, and was starting to understand the love and care that God had for HIS people and HIS nation. God had delivered this people, whining and crying and pointing fingers from Egyptian Slavery, had brought them across dry land to their present encampment destroying armies along the way.
God would surely keep HIS word to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the promise that God alone could bring about.
Are you secure in your knowledge of God and HIS characteristics today?
And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount…It is so very good that God is God. Here we see Moses who has just interceded on the part of Israel come down to lose his anger. If Moses could have slammed Israel he would have, instead he smashes the word given and written by God, the only good thing in the camp.
Do not lean on your own understanding on things? We have such a limited font of knowledge, only God knows all things, rely on HIS guidance.
When we sin, which the bible tells us…all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, there is a consequence for sin. Whether we accept Jesus Christ and the payment HE alone is able to make or we will die just as surely as the 3000 died this day.
The world tells you “If it feels good, do it.” If it feels good and is sinful, you need to think about that, because we will all stand before God…Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess…during the final judgment and those whose names are not written in the Lambs “Book of Life” will be condemned just as the three thousand were this day.
This should cause us to be serious in our walk and also to carry a burden because Jesus died for all men, He gave us the “Great Commission requirement to all men”. Take this seriously and get the Gospel message out.
Atonement Required
Exodus 32:30-35 (KJV)
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. [31] And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. [32] Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. [33] And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. [34] Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. [35] And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
So Moses goes up to…peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin…be a mediator between God and Israel.
We know that God’s word tells us that Jesus Christ is the real mediator between God and man, but we are also admonished to lift up one another in prayer continually.
God’s word tells us that the righteous prayers of HIS saints availeth much. Will people around you feel that you availed them much. Just as Moses went to intercede on the part of the nation of Israel, we need to be on our knees lifting up those who are around us in this lost and dying world. How else will they see Jesus?
And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book…We also have a requirement to let people around us know that in this life there is not a “Door #3” choice. There will only be a choice between eternal life in the glory of God and eternal damnation for those who sin against God and an eternity in Hell and Fire. We must let people know that these are the only options, God loves them and wants them to choose eternal life…but choose they must.
Have you like Israel been backsliding and doing things that you know is against the life to which God has called you?
Are you making daily intercession for the people of God around you and the people who will be the people of God in the future?
Are you letting people know that Jesus Christ has already atoned for our sins and calls us to a “New Life” in HIM?
If you know that you have been chasing bulls instead of following after God, you can turn right now, God loves you and wants you as part of HIS family.
Are you ready today to wait in the expectation of God’s work in and through you? God calls us all to doing His good and perfect will.
One thing that is necessary however is that one must know God to know HIS will. If you have not called upon the name of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior we invite you to do so today.
It’s easy—
A. admit to God that you are a sinner, God word tells us that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”.
B. believe that Jesus is God’s only son that came down from heaven and took on the form of man for our salvation
C. C. commit your life to the Lord above and ask him to fill you up with HIS love. If you would like to do this today we ask you to come forward at this time.
If you need prayers or would like to pray with someone we would ask you to come forward or to let us know how we can pray for you and your loved ones.
Remember, wherever you find yourself today, God has a perfect plan for your life if you will only seek HIM first.
Closing Prayer.
