Exodus: From Bondage to Liberty

Sunday, July 16 th 2023

Exodus 32-40
Introduction

Forsake Idols and Pursue the Presence of God

I. Forsake Idols (32:1-33:6)
Israel had lived in a culture filled with pagan idolatry. So even though they had seen
terrifying manifestations of the true and living God and heard His voice regarding His
command to have no other God and to make no images of a god, they quickly reverted
to their memories of idolatry in Egypt.
v.4 -6– Aaron the artist of the idol and false teacher
“Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41
v.7,8 – “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go down, for your people, whom you brought out
of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of
the way that I commanded them. The have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it…”
v.11-14 – Moses Intercedes for the people and the Lord relents!
v.15-18 – Moses goes down the mountain and sees the people

v.19 - The act of smashing the tablets of the law is highly symbolic: because the
Hebrews had shattered the covenant with Yahweh, Moses smashes the sign of the
covenant before their very eyes! 

v.20 – Burns it, Grinds it, Scatters it, Drinks it
Utter destruction of the idol and all idols
v.21-24 – Aaron’s weak excuses and ‘miracle’!
v.25-29 – Who is with Moses and the Levites kill 3000 men who worshipped the idol

v.30-34 Idolatry is a ‘GREAT SIN’ and Moses pleads for the people!
v.35 – What plague? Is it the killing of 3000 men?

II. Pursue the Presence of God (33:12-23)
v.12-13 - Read
v.14 – “And he said, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
v.15,16 – “And he said to him, ‘If your presence will not go with me, do not bring me up
from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your
people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from
every other people on the face of the earth.”
v.17 – God response
v.18 – “Moses said, please show me your glory.”
v.19-23 – God shows himself to Moses again

III. Conclusion

Forsake Idols and Pursue the Presence of God