Week 6

1/12/2025

Winter 2025

 

There are several things in this passage that may seem odd to us. But first, remember the context. Moses was on the mountain receiving instructions from Yahweh. Chapter 31 contains specific instructions for the Sabbath as a sign of their covenant. Chapter 33 pertains to worshipping at the Tent of Meeting (Tabernacle). Chapter 32 comes between these two chapters about worship, revealing Israel idolatrously worshipping a Golden Calf at Mount Sinai, the same mountain from which God thunderously spoke the Ten Commandments to them.

 

First, why did they choose a calf? The Hebrew word here likely refers to a young bull in his youthful prime. Ancient Near Eastern pagans often made idols of young bulls to represent strength and fertility. Typically, the god they worshipped would be pictured mounted on the back of the animal, but Exodus 32 has no mention of a rider. Some commentators believe that this means they pictured Yahweh as the invisible rider on top of the calf. However, Aaron states “these [plural] are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt” (32:4). More than improperly worshipping God, the Israelites have now attributed God’s great act of deliverance to other gods instead of to Yahweh, their single covenantal caretaker.

 

Second, notice Moses’ intercession to God on behalf of Israel. Moses consistently held the role of intercessor during the wilderness wanderings, particularly in the book of Numbers. And it seems odd that God allowed these intercessions to change His mind. Even more strange is that Moses used honor-shame language to intercede. Even the Psalmists use this kind of intercessory prayer that uses shame language when petitioning God (cf. Ps 74:7-10). Shame language intended for God seems scandalous to us in part because we misunderstood how the inhabitants of the biblical world used shame. Shame was a tool that could be used to bring someone to a state of dishonor, but it could also be used to urge repentance for someone who has transgressed a boundary. In other words, this second category of shame says, “you transgressed, but here is how you can repent and be reconciled.” This second form of shame allows room for repentance. Doubtful that Moses meant that God needed to repent, but he used shame language to say that God would be dishonored among the nations if He broke covenant and destroyed Israel in the desert. Though the language seems a little unsettling to us, Moses’ prayer language took the form of honor-shame according to his cultural custom, and God graciously accommodated Himself to hear Moses’ prayer. God gives His children great freedom in communicating to Him according to their language and customs.

 

Third, did God change His mind, or did He always know He would relent from punishing Israel? Of course, when God makes an oath, He does not change His mind. However, God consistently and graciously (yet sovereignly) allows prayer to be His means of working in the world. This language of God changing His mind is somewhat anthropomorphic (meaning something that describes God in human terms/characteristics), for He does not change His mind how we do. But He does allow human response and repentance to affect His actions. He often conditions the execution of His will on responsiveness. For this reason, He sent prophets to preach repentance at the news of His coming judgment (cf. Jonah). We, similarly, pray boldly because God uses responsive prayer and intercession as His means of working in the world. Thus, when Moses interceded on behalf of Israel throughout the wilderness wanderings, God allowed his intercession to affect His dealing with stiff-necked Israel. In the same way, Christ is our mediator and intercessor before God. Some scholars also like to point out that God may have been teaching Moses lessons in mercy and forgiveness by placing him in this intercessory position. This may be true since God does not become angry like us when we just need a cool-down session. God’s anger often serves to prune and condition His people to understand His mercy in light of His justice. And remember that God is often the one prompting people to pray and repent.

 

Fourth, Moses’ response seems strange to us. He threw the tablets from God onto the ground and broke them. Instead of a careless fit of anger, Moses made a point: Israel broke the covenant with their idolatry, so Moses broke the tablets of the covenant before them. He seems to be acting on God’s behalf with this, and Scripture is silent on whether he should have done this, but his message of covenant infidelity was clear to Israel. Next, he burned and ground the calf into dust, mixed it into their water, and made them drink it. Numbers 5:18-22 shows a similar ritual of an adulterous wife drinking polluted/bitter water. Moses likely used polluted water as a demonstration of the bitterness of spiritual adultery and the curse it brings. The golden calf that they worshipped as the gods that brought them out of Egypt now tastes bitter and polluted in their mouths and stomachs.

 

Thus, Exodus 32 ends with a mixture of hope and the dread of punishment (Exodus 32:33-35). But in Exodus 34, God gave new tablets of the covenant to Moses and Israel. These new tablets revealed God’s intention to graciously renew their covenant. Though this generation of Israel would eventually disinherit the promised land (Num 14), Exodus 34 reminds us that God does not delight in the death of the wicked but that sinners turn to Him and live (Ezek 18:21-23).