Exodus Chapter 32

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Exodus, chapter thirty two. When the people realized Moses was
taking a long time to return from his trek up
the mountain, they got together and approached erin. We have
no idea what happened to this fellow Moses who brought
us out of the land of Egypt. He left you
in charge, So get up and make us gods who
will lead us from here. Aaron said, I want you

(00:22):
to bring me the gold earrings your wives, sons, and
daughters are wearing. So everyone took out their gold earrings
and handed them over to Aaron. He collected the gold
they brought and used a tool to fashion an idol
in the shape of a calf. When the people saw
the calf Aaron made, they were elated. The people said, Israel,
these are your gods, the ones who led you out

(00:43):
of the land of Egypt. When Aaron saw how the
people responded, he built an altar in front of the
golden calf. Aaron said, we are going to have a
feast to the eternal tomorrow. Everyone woke up before dawn
the next day and presented burt offerings and peace offerings
on the altar. When if food was ready, they sat
down to eat and drink, and then rose up to

(01:03):
dance and play. Meanwhile on the mountain, the Eternal One
spoke to Moses, go back down the mountain immediately, because
your people whom you led out of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.
They have quickly abandoned the way of life I require
of them. They have fashioned a calf out of gold,
bowed down to it, and offered it sacrifices. They are

(01:24):
even crediting my work to that detestable idol, saying, Israel,
these are your gods, the ones who brought you out
of the land of Egypt. I know these people, and
they are unbelievably stubborn. Leave me alone so that my
anger can flare up and destroy them. Then I will
start over and continue my plans without them, and make
a great nation out of you. Moses begging the Eternal One,

(01:48):
why are you so angry? Why does your anger flare
up against the people you led out of Egypt with
so much power and a strong hand. Do you really
want the Egyptians to say you deceived them and led
them into the mountains in order to kill them and
to wipe their memory from the earth. I beg you
to curb your anger and change your mind. Don't harm
your people. Remember the sacred promise you made to your servants, Abraham,

(02:11):
Isaac and Israel. You swore, I will make your descendants
as many as the stars in the sky, and I
will give them all of this land as I promised.
It will be their everlasting inheritance. So the Eternal relented
and decided not to destroy the people as he had
threatened to do. Moses left God's presence and went back

(02:32):
down the mountain. In his hands, he carried the two
stone tablets of witness, inscribed on both sides, front and back.
The tablets were God's handiwork, and the writing on the
tablets was written by God himself. As they neared the camp,
Joshua heard all the commotion and the people shouting. It
sounds like a battle going on down at the camp.

(02:52):
It is not the sound of victory, and it's not
the sound of defeat. But I do hear singing and celebration,
Moses said to Joshua. As soon as as Moses arrived
at the camp, he saw the calf and the revelry
around it. His anger flared, and he hurled down the
stone tablets and they shattered at the foot of the mountain.
He took down the calf they had made and burned it.

(03:12):
He grounded down to a powder, scattered it over the water,
and then he forced the Israelites to drink it. Moses
said to Aaron, how could you lead these people into
such a heinous sin? What did they do to you?
Control your anger? My master? Aaron said, you know these people,
you know how evil they can be. They told me,
we have no idea what happened to this fellow Moses

(03:34):
who brought us out of the land of Egypt. He
left you in charge, So get up and make us
some gods to lead us from here. So I told them,
if you are wearing any gold, take it off. So
they gave me all their gold, and I just tossed
it into the fire, and out came this calf. When
Moses saw that the people had lost all control because
Aaron had let them get their way, and he realized

(03:55):
their wild behavior had become a mockery in the sight
of their enemies, he stood at the camp's entry and
shouted to them, if you are on the side of
the eternal one, stand over here with me. All of
the Levites gathered around him, then Moses said, this is
the message of the Eternal One, Israel's true God. Every
one of you, strap on your sword and move throughout

(04:16):
the entire camp. Kill your brother, friend, and neighbor. The
Levites did exactly as Moses told them to do, and
about three thousand men were killed that day. Moses said,
dedicate your lives to the Eternal today, for every one
of you has moved against sons and brothers. Because of
your devotion to God, you have earned his blessing today.

(04:38):
On the very next day, Moses addressed the people, you
are guilty of a great sin. Now I'm going back
to the Eternal One, and I hope to make atonement
for your wickedness. Moses then went back up the mountain
to the eternal These people are guilty of a great
sin against you. They fashioned gods out of the gold
for themselves. If you will only forgive their sin. But

(05:01):
if you do not, then erase me from the book
you have written. Eternal One said, I will erase from
my book the name of everyone who has sinned against me.
It's time to go and leave this mountain. Lead the
people to the place I told you. Look. My messenger
will guide you there. When the time comes, I will
punish them for what they have done. Then, the Eternal
One sent a plague on all the people, because they

(05:24):
had bowed down and sacrificed to the calf Aaron had
made