Don’t Let God Alone ! 32:1-14
I. The Shame Of Impatience. V1
"And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down........"
Delay is something that we don’t like. We want it, and we want it now ! Actually we wanted it 10 minutes ago !
If patience is a virtue, then impatience must be a vice. Or it least it can be. In the case of the children of Israel, and the events which unfold it definitely was.
How many times has your impatience got you in trouble ? Have you ever made a wrong choice because of impatience ? Ever jumped into something in a moment of impatience.
Joke: The photographer for a national magazine was assigned to get photos of a great forest fire. Smoke at the scene was too thick to get any good shots, so he frantically called his home office to hire a plane.
"It will be waiting for you at the airport!", he was assured by his editor.
As soon as he got to the small rural airport, sure enough, a plane was warming up near the runway. He jumped in with his equipment and yelled, "Let’s go! Let’s go!" The pilot swung the plane into the wind and they were soon in the air.
"Fly over the north side of the fire," said the photographer, "and make three or four low level passes."
"Why?" asked the pilot.
"Because I’m going to take pictures! I’m a photographer, and photographers take pictures!" said the photographer with great exasperation and impatience.
After a long pause, the pilot said, "You mean you’re not the instructor?"
In Exodus 24, God calls Moses to Mt. Sinai to receive the laws to govern the people ! Having waited in Egypt for 430 years for deliverance, one would think that 40 days, and 40 nights of waiting would be a breeze for the people. However, the people soon became fidgety, and that led to frustration.
When is he coming down ? How much longer do we have to wait for him ? God created the heavens, and the earth is 6 days......why is it taking him so long to do this ?
Now as Moses, and Joshua went up on Mt. Sinai, Aaron, and Hur were left in charge. If anyone had any questions, or problems, they were to approach Aaron, and Hur !
II. The Surrender To Insurrection. Vs 1-6
Impatience soon gives rise to insurrection ! The people rebel against God, and rebel against his leaders.
They demand that Aaron make them gods.
Rather than taking a stand, and trying to reason with the people.........Aaron folds under the pressure !
Later on when Moses would confront Aaron he asks in Ch 32:21 ......"What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them ?"
Did they harass you, beat you, threaten to kill you ?
Aaron’s response........V22 ......."thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief."
Aaron is recalling what took place a few weeks earlier at Rephidim when the people were ready to stone Moses, and him because they were thirsty !
The word "mischief" means "bad or evil"
Here’s what Aaron’s problem was.......he didn’t want to have any problems, he wanted to stay away from conflict, and he wanted to make everyone happy !
It also didn’t help that he had a backbone like a jellyfish !
Pressure, and influence are truly powerful forces, but we are the children of God. We are to be the light of the world, and the salt of the earth ! We must have enough intestinal fortitude, gunction, and spiritual backbone to take a stand, and not compromise what is right !
III. The Sin Of Idolatry. Vs 3-6
It seems that without much convincing at all that Aaron gives in to their request.
He instructs them to give him their golden earrings. Having rec’d them, Aaron melts the gold, and molds it into a golden calf. He then boldly pronounces to the congregation that this is the god which brought them up out of the land of Egypt.
Why a golden calf ? It was the image of one of the Egyptian gods !
Oh what people will believe, and follow ! This was the image of one of the gods of those who held them in captivity for 430 years, yet they now freely embrace it as their own god !
Aaron has now made a idol so that the people that he has been entrusted with can worship, but he makes matters worse by building a altar to the idol, and declaring that tomorrow would be a feast to the LORD.
And sure enough on the next day, they rose up early, offered burnt offerings, and peace offerings, and had a big party.
If they had only waited................
At the very time that they are worshipping this idol, and partying, God has finished giving Moses the tablets of stone containing the 10 commandments.
Listen to the account as given in Deut. 9:11-12
"And it came to pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant. And the LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten image."
IV. The Sovereign Is Infuriated. Vs 9-10
"And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: 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."
One cannot blame God for being angry ! When God is angry, he deserves to be angry !
The people that he had chosen, had preserved, had delivered from Egypt, and had led were now at the bottom of the mount worshipping, and partying over a golden calf !
V. The Significance Of Intercession. Vs 10-14
Notice with me four words which God speaks to Moses in V10.
"therefore let me alone"
God says........leave me alone so that I can consume them ! Don’t pray for them.....don’t intercede on their behalf ! Give it a rest !
But thank God, Moses didn’t let God alone !
Rather V11 tells us that Moses besought the LORD. Besought is a interesting word. It can mean rubbed, worn, pained, grieved, travailed.
It must have been real tempting for Moses to leave God alone, and let him destroy these people. After all he had gone through, and all he put up with from them, and the journey is not over yet ! God would destroy them, and would make of Moses a great nation ! What a great opportunity !
Yet, Moses wouldn’t leave God alone ! He continues to intercede for the people reminding God that they were his people, and that he had delivered them from Egypt !
I believe that I am saved this morning, and in the ministry because I had some Godly grandparents, and others who wouldn’t leave God alone ! Many of you that are here can probably testify of the same thing. Someone, somewhere, wouldn’t let God alone !
This morning...........Don’t Let God Alone ! Don’t Let Go Of God ! Pray until you get through ! Grab hold of the horns of the altar, and don’t let go. Grab hold of the hem of his garment, and don’t let go !
