Exodus 32

Exodus 32:1

The story of this chapter is very afflictive. Hitherto things went on admirably well towards a happy settlement. God had focused himself very favourable, and the people were available; Moses is now returning, to establish God’s ordinances and worship, and to set up the tabernacle, where the Lord promised to dwell in the midst of them; but behold, the monsters are broken; the fire of Israel puts a stop to the current of God’s favours, and brings heavy judgments upon them. Here it, 1. The sin of Israel, and Aaron particularly, in making the golden calf for a god, ver. 1—4. and worshipping it, ver. 5, 6. 2. The notice which God gave of this to Moses, ver. 7, 8. and the instance of his wrath against them, ver. 9, 10. 3. The intercession which Moses immediately made for them in the mount, ver. 11, 12, 13. and the presidency of that intercession, ver. 14. 4. His coming deem from the mount, when he became an eye-witness of their idolatry, ver. 15—19. in detestation of which, and a just indignation as to, he broke the tablets, ver. 19. and burnt the golden calf, ver. 20. 5. The examination of Aaron about it, ver. 21—22. 6. Excelsior does upon the ring-leaders in the idolatry, ver. 25—29. 7. The further intercession Moses made for them, to turn away the wrath of God from them, ver. 30—32. and a reprove granted thereupon, reserving them for a further reckoning, ver. 33—35.

1. 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.

When Moses is now ready to descend from the mount, the pervertents and impatience of the people destroy all the blessings which were designed for them. They had before been often disinclined and disobedient, but now they break out into open rebellion. They virtually assembly, and preform a petition to Aaron, to make them gods to go before them. They were weary of waiting, and though they had want of nothing, are in haste to be in the promised land. Note, Hath makes waft. When we run before God’s providence leads, instead of seizing the mercy, we usually fall into a share. Two grievous sins are the consequence of this proceeding.

1. Impress idolatry against God. They were not satisfied

with the repeated evidences he had given them of his presence in the midst of them. They would have gods of their own making. The idols of Egypt were still in their hearts, and they will go a whoring after them. Note, Where the heart is not truly converted to God, though for a time partial reformations may deceive, the old sins will again break out, and the dog return to his vomit.

2. Base ingratitude to Moses. He had been long their governor; they were most highly indebted to him. He was now gone expressly on their affairs. As he had God’s call to go, they had sufficient reason to expect his return: but should he not, they were at least bound to treat him with respect and regard. But they overlook every consideration, and, with a careless men in their great deliverer, pretend to infirm, that he hath forsaken them, and never intends to return. Note, (1) The hell of men, and the greatest ministers, may expect to meet with most ungrateful returns from their whom they have served. (2) They who are inclined to think evil, will pretend, in the clearest case, not to know what to think. (3) Forgetfulness, and doubt of the return of John from the mount of Egypt, is the great means of hardening the sinner; whilst it is among the forest temptations of the true believer, that in times of greatest difficulty our Lord seems to delay his coming; but if he tarry, let us wait for him.

3. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden ear-rings 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 ear-rings 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 rode 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.

Exodus 32:2-6

Aaron, instead of indignation at the proposal, infamously came consents to gratify them.

1. He also for their golden ear-rings, which, however dear to them, they readily part with; for when men are set on fire, they stick at nothing, and think they never pay too dear for the gratification. Note, It is a bad sign, if we are less ready to part with our gods to forward God’s cause, than they were to part with theirs to dishonour him. These ear-rings were the spoil of the Egyptians, with which God had so lately enriched them; and now they are abused to the vileth idolatry. How often do the gifts of God thus prove a more to us, and engage our idolatrous affections to them, so as to prove a curie, instead of a blessing.

2. He makes a molten calf; a strange god indeed! and, dreadful proof of their infatuated blindness, to change the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of an on that earth grass. Pf. xvi. 20.

3. An altar is built, and a feast proclaimed to Jehovah; for they designed not to terminate their worship in the calf, but regarded it as the representation of the true God; though this we find was not the least exculpation of their gods. Let the papists see in their image-worship, how exactly conformable is their conduct, and equally abominable their idolatry.

4. The people gladly obey the summons, and rejoice in the work of their own hands. The day is spent in feasting, mirth, and joility. Such service could not fail Jehovah; but as the calf was the idol, their belly seems to have been their god. Note, Though the calf is no more, his worshippers are still numerous, if such be the service, to sit down to eat and drink, and rise up to play.

5. ¶ 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 stiff-necked 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.

Exodus 32:7-10

God informs Moses of the people’s crime, and hereupon, 1. Haffens him down to them. Had he left them without

without God’s warrant, he had been chargeable for their rebellion. When ministers unnecessarily leave their flocks, or masters their families, and mischief enfores, they must answer it to God. 2. He seems to call them off, and calls them thy people, as if he disclaimed any farther relation to them. Sin makes fearful separations between God and the God. 3. He charges them with corrupting themselves. They had solemn warnings to the idolatry; but they followed the perverse imaginations of their own hearts. Every sinner is self-corrupted, and therefore at the last day will appear self-condemned. 4. He upbraids their unfaithfulness, that they had so soon turned aside, after such distinguishing favours had been shewn them, and such solemn engagements made by them. To sin against our vows and our services is doubly guilty. 5. He tells him of their gross idolatry, the proof of their utterly abandoned temper. 6. He adds the government’s law in them, as a full-ended people, whom mercies would neither constrain, nor terrors over-ware. It is desperate indeed with the soul, when God declares all methods of dealing with it to be vain. 7. He threatens to destroy them in his wrath. Who need not tremble for himself, when he thinks how often he hath provoked this wrath, which, if it were kindled, yea but for a moment, who may abide it? Lastly, He seems to refrain Moses from interceding for them, and promises to raise up to him another nation in their stead. But one thing could have then from immediate ruin, and that was Moses’s prayer; and here was enough, if he was at all self-interested, to lead him to abandon them. But the heart that is filled with charity, as Moses, will shew, that he can love his neighbour even as himself, and can forego his own intract for their good.

11. And Moses brought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax not 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 thy 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 swared by thine own self, and said unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land is 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.

Exodus 32:11-14

We have here the prayer of Moses, and an effectual fervent prayer it is. God, even in the refitrum he formed to lay, had given a ground of encouragement, and faith knows how to plead every argument. Though their provocations were great, and God might justly consume them, he begs for mercy, and that God would repent of the evil; that he would change the sentence he was ready to utter: for which purpose he urges.

1. The mercy God had shewn them. He had brought them from Egypt, and will he now call them off? And mercies received are an encouraging ground to hope still. If God hath pardoned and been gracious to us before, let us not despair, but apply to him again, however undeserving. 2. God’s glory was concerned. The Egyptians will triumph in their ruin. It lies near upon the heart of a true believer to hear the brethren blaspheme; and he wishes in himself and others, to remove every such occasion. 3. He produces the promise made to their fathers. If they were not spared on any other consideration, yet, for his oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, let them find mercy. God’s promise are a sure ground of hope: whilst we have them to plead, we may draw near, and not despair.

Hereupon God is entreated. He spares at Moses’s intercessions. Should the power of prayer. And shall Moses be heard for the thousands of Israel, and shall not Jesus in heaven succeed for the sinful soul? However desperate our state may appear, we should not utterly abandon ourselves: whilst we have such an advocate with the Father, the most miserable may find mercy.

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.

Vol. I.

Exodus 32:15-18

How often doth the sinner in fatal security thus sing and dance on the brink of the grave, though all God’s fiery law is armed against him!

Moses, with the secret charge of the tables of the covenant, now defends. Joshua waited for him, and the noise in the camp soon reaches their ears. Joshua was a man of war, and construes it the sound of war; but Moses knew the cause, and these songs of melody were in his ears jarring disband. Shall the praises of a golden calf, shall the songs of the drunkard, and the wanton strains of pleasure ring so loud? and shall we be silent to, or ashamed of, the praises of our Immanuel! God forbid!

19. And it came to pass aflions as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’s anger waxed but, and he call 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 stowed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.

v. 19, 20. When God’s honour is at stake, to be lukewarm is to be criminal. Filled with indignation, Moses beheld the shocking scour; and though, in his own covenants, the musket of men, now hid, anger kindles in his bosom.

1. The sacred tables lie duties on the ground. Since they had thus forsaken God’s covenant, he would awaken in them a sense of the being—safest of their guilt. The idolatry God intended them are soft, and they are not as it were upon to every judgment they had provoked. Now, The greatest curse that can fall upon any people, is the taking from them the word of God: when that is gone, all is gone.

2. He forces the hateful idol, plucks him from his throne in the midst of the all-unfatal multitask, flames it to powder, and sprinkling the dust in the water, makes them drink it, to shew them the vanity of their wretched god. Now, The heart which departs from God, drinks in iniquity like water; but in all its draughts of pleasurable sin, the curse, like this dust, mixes with it, and leaves a misery behind, which only they who taste it know.

3. 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 not: thou knowest the people that they are fit 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 not what is become of him. 24. And I said unto them, Whoever hath any gold, let them break it off: So they gave it me: then I call it into the fire, and there came out this calf.

Exodus 32:21-24

Having executed vengeance on the idol, Moses sharply rebukes Aaron. He was both in effect, and therefore saith in guilt. The sins which magistrates suffer through their connivance, or with their confess, God will heavily reckon for, when he judges. He enquires the cause which drew him into it, judging, no doubt, that it must have been some violent temptation. Thus chastically desirous was he to cover his brother’s transfgression: not that any force can excuse us; the greatest suffering is preferable to the least sin. 2. Aaron’s excuse is frivolous and evasive. Instead of condemning his own shameful conduct, he seeks to call off the loud, by turning excuse against the people. When we sin, like Aaron, how unmuchly does the devil help us to excuse ourselves at the expense of others? He could not deny the calf’s being made; but he speaks of it with such prevarication, as if it was merely accidental. So do we all seek to cover our sins, and thus shew our folly, as well as our wickedness. From God they cannot be counseled. Aaron seems to have been more solicitous to avert Moses’s anger, than God’s displeasure. He begs him not to be wroth, as if it were of importance what man thought of him. But how often does the fear of man thus frighten us, more than all the wrath of an offended God. See the deep mischief of the heart, when hardened by sin. Now, Good men may sometimes fall thus into grievous sin, and, like Aaron, for a time be unhumbled; but God is merciful, and when we deserve judgment, he thinketh upon mercy, that he may shew us, to our everlasting wonder and praise, that where sin abounded, grace doth much more abound.

25. And when Moses saw that the people were naked (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame, amongst 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

Exodus 32:25-29

Mofes now turns to the people, and not by words, but deeds, testifies his indignation.

1. They were become naked, exposed to God’s judgments, and the sword of their enemies. Sin is the nakedness of the soul; and if that be not covered by the blood and tightensheils of a Redeemer, the sword of God’s wrath will surely find us out.

2. Vengeance is executed upon the singledets. Mofes stands and changes those who are on God’s side to come to him: the sons of Levi obey. They glad on their swords, pass, at Mofes’s command, through the camp, and consecrate themselves to God in the blood of the rebels. Note, (1.) They were on the Lord’s side, had not joined perhaps with the rest, or were the first to repent of it. We must side either with God, or with the word and the devil; and it highly concerns us to enquire, whode intereth we support, and whode banners we fight under. (2.) They were but few. Comparatively few will the faithful ever be found. (3.) They were fearless of danger. They who would minister before God in a sinful world, have need of fortitude. (4.) They met no resistance. Guilt makes men cowards: the very presence of a godly man flukes an evident awe upon them.

3. There thusfated fell. The morning opened with shouts of joy, the evening closed with dying groans. Such changes doth divine judgments suddenly make. Tremble, thou joyous sinner, at that sword which threatens to descend, and turn thy mirth into never-ending misery.

4. ¶ And it came to pass on the morrow, that Mofes 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 Mofes 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 Mofes, * Whoever hast 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.

Exodus 32:30-35

It was, no doubt, a melancholy night which Israel spent. The morning comes, and Mofes goes forth.

1. To admonish the people of the greatness of their sin. Though God had not executed vengeance upon all, it was not that they did not all deserve it. Whether God would spare the will was yet a peradventure; and therefore it became them to be deeply affected with the sense of their ingratitude, whilst he offered once more to go up to God, and plead for them. Note, (1.) To affect the conscience with a sense of sin, should be the first labour of God’s ministers. (2.) The atonement which the Saviour hath made for sin, shews, in the most admitting view, its evil and malignity. (3.) It is our comfort, that he who is gone up with his own blood to the presence of God, to make atonement, not only gives us the peradventure of hope, but the assurance of promise. (4.) It is still our duty to be found waiting upon him in prayer, that we may receive the atonement.

2. He goes up to the mount, and prays. He confesses the greatness of the crime: for it is not by extenuating, but by acknowledging our guilt, that we may hope for mercy. He begs hard for pardon; but, if he cannot obtain it, he begs to fall with them, rather than survive the afflicting Jesus. Note, The welfare of God’s Israel is dearer to God’s ministers than every confederation of their own, yea, even than their own lives: they are ready to lay down that for their sake.

3. God graciously receives his interception, and grants his requist, with some alarming threatenings however against the transgressors. Death is always the wages of sin, though not always immediately executed on the sinner. He may spare them for a time, but they shall at last feel his visitations. Note, Reprieves are not pardons. He confesses to confirm the promised land to them, though, instead of his own presence, they

are left under Mofes’ guidance, and the guard of an angel: not do they escape even thus: the plague of God is among them, for the calf which Aaron made. The calf was Aaron’s infirmity, the presumptuous sin was theirs. God knoweth how to distinguish the aggravations of men’s sins, and will accordingly punish with more or fewer stripes.