The events in Exodus 32 describe the Israelites’ construction and worship of a golden calf.
God informed Moses of their actions, stating, “I will wipe out these people and make a new nation from you.” Moses, however, interceded with God, pleading for mercy on behalf of the people.
Following this, Moses descended the mountain to witness the situation firsthand.
Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain, carrying the two tablets of the covenant in his hands, tablets that were written on both sides, written on the front and on the back.
The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved upon the tablets (Exodus 32:15-16).
This is the only place in the Bible where we learn that the tablets were written on both the front and back. According to the text, God Himself wrote on these tablets with His finger.
Joshua was apparently halfway up the mountain. He had this interaction with Moses, as they descended Sinai.
When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” But he said,
“It is not the sound made by victors
Or the sound made by losers;
It is the sound of singing that I hear.” (Exodus 32:17-18)
Moses’ assessment of the situation proved correct, and his response was to break the tablets. The breaking of the tablets symbolized that God’s people had broken their covenant with Him.
As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’s anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets from his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.
He took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it (Exodus 32:19-20).
People often wonder why Moses burned the golden calf, ground it into powder, and then made the Israelites drink it. Some scholars suggest this act parallels the “Ordeal of Bitter Water,” or “Ordeal of Jealousy,” described in Numbers 5.
In that ritual, if a husband suspected his wife of adultery but lacked proof, he could bring her to the priest. The priest would then perform a ceremony involving a special drink made of holy water mixed with dust from the Tabernacle floor. If the woman became ill after drinking it, she would be condemned as an adulteress.
It’s possible that Moses’ actions with the golden calf were a symbolic representation of Israel’s spiritual “adultery” against God, given their creation of the golden calf.
Excuses and Reasons
When Moses confronted Aaron about what he had done, he tried four excuses to get off the hook for his wrong behavior.
Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?”
And Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord burn hot; you know the people, that they are wicked [excuse #1].
They said to me [excuse #2], ‘Make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ [excuse #3]
So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, take it off’; so they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!” [excuse #4] (Exodus 32:21-24).
One of my good friends used to say, “There are excuses, and there are reasons.” We’ve just highlighted the excuses Aaron gave to Moses; the real reason for their actions was the people’s inability to wait on God.
To wait on God is a profound statement of trust, demonstrating the belief that God alone will provide and care for us. Conversely, not waiting on God signifies taking matters into our own hands.
Remedial Judgment
Proverbs tells us: “Without prophetic vision people run wild, but blessed are those who follow God’s teachings.” (Proverbs 29:18).
Without Moses’ prophetic vision, Aaron proved unable to lead the people. Consequently, they fell into disarray, engaging in all the pagan rites associated with idolatry. As such, judgment was essential.
When Moses saw that the people were out of control (for Aaron had lost control of them, prompting derision among their enemies), then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said,
“Who is on the Lord’s side? Come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him.
He said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Put your sword on your side, each of you! Go back and forth from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill your brother, your friend, and your neighbor.” (Exodus 32:25-27).
In this instance, God’s judgment was remedial, intended to rectify a dire situation. Of the approximately one million Israelites encamped before Sinai, 3,000 were killed by the Levites that day.
I’ve used the term remedial judgment to describe what I believe occurred here. God was actively working to fix the widespread idolatry and bring His people back into alignment with Him.
We can observe history in our own time and see how God is trying to bring us back into alignment with Him again. What we often label as natural disasters, unrest in our country, rising crime rates, or various other issues should serve as warnings.
These events should call us back to a relationship with God where He is truly Lord, and we trust in Him rather than relying on our own resources and the idols of this age.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 