Exodus 32:7–14

The Lord had been occupied with the blessing of His people, giving instructions for building His sanctuary so that He might dwell among them. Moses was on high to receive these communications of His grace. The Lord was talking with His servant about the precious things He was setting up. They belonged to the relationship He had entered into with Israel in grace. But even while He was doing this, sin and even apostasy appear in the camp at the foot of Sinai. Above, all is light and blessing; below, all is darkness and evil.

The eyes of the LORD in the mountain saw what was happening at the foot of Sinai. He spoke to Moses and told him that Israel was worshipping a metal calf. Using the people's own words, the LORD calls them "your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt." They are your people, Moses. You brought them out of Egypt. The people say so. How can I call them My people when they are doing the very thing I brought them out of Egypt so that they would not do? They have gone back to the idols of Egypt. They are taking away My glory and giving it to a senseless, lifeless image.

They had freely promised to obey God's law as the condition of blessing. Sprinkled blood had sealed that covenant — blood being the emblem of death, the penalty for breaking it. That penalty they had now incurred. God therefore no longer treats them as His people. They had rejected Him, and had spoken of Moses as the man who brought them up out of Egypt, and the Lord takes them on their own ground. So He says to Moses, "Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves."

The people are taught plainly that in making any image and bowing down to it, they really lowered and corrupted themselves… The worshipper must be lower than the object of his worship. So in worshipping a calf they put themselves below the level of the animals that perish.

The people of God cannot meddle with the things of God without corrupting both those things and themselves. They cast aside their proper glory, and become occupied with what debases them. That the LORD was their God was their glory, but they wanted to make gods for themselves.

He wanted to prove and show the heart of His servant. He loved the people Himself, and delighted in Moses' love for them. If the people were under the test of law, Moses was under the test of grace.

The Lord had said to Moses, "Your people, whom you brought up." Moses replies to the Lord, "Your people, whom You have brought up." They were the Lord's people despite everything. His name, His glory and His oath were all bound up with what became of them. The moment the Lord links Himself with a people, His character is involved, and faith will always look at Him on this solid ground. Moses loses sight of himself entirely. Thoughts of the Lord's glory and the Lord's people fill his whole soul.

The speed with which corruption breaks into what God has set up in purity is remarkable. The people of Israel stood in awe of God's majesty. They had heard the solemn words, "You shall have no other gods before me." They had answered, "All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do." And yet after only a few short days they turn aside out of the way and make themselves gods. Does this surprise us? Is it not rather too faithful a history of the outwardly professing people of God in every age?

It is probable that the calf was intended as a representation of God, and would come under the second commandment rather than the first. This form of idolatry is more plausible than openly disowning God and setting up an idol in His place. But it is just as truly idolatry, and God punished it in a way no one could miss. The same worship existed in Egypt with the bull Apis, said to represent the god Osiris. This may have given the Israelites the idea of making a calf. Jeroboam later repeated the same sin. He was afraid his people would go up to Jerusalem to worship, so he set up two calves, one in Bethel and one in Dan. He announced, "Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt" (1 Kings 12:28-33).

Let us not suppose that either Aaron or Israel intended to abandon Jehovah. It is no unfair stretch of imagination to picture their indignation at such a charge. In Israel's mind the calf stood for the God no eye can see. Aaron said as much of Jehovah in plain words. It was, as people say of all images, "a help to devotion," "a symbol of the unseen," and in that sense, the God who had brought them out of Egypt! Yet none the less they had really gone back in spirit to paganism. They had "in their hearts turned to Egypt" (Acts 7:39).

Did they really believe that a molten image had made the land of Egypt tremble, humbled its proud king, and brought them out in triumph? Had a calf divided the sea for them and led them grandly through its depths? So they said, at least; for what will people not say when the eye and the heart are turned away from God and His word?

It is remarkable how little the people or Aaron saw of what their gratified desire would produce. At first they only wanted gods to go before them, to carry on what Moses had begun, and to finish their deliverance out of Egypt by leading them into Canaan. But now they treat these gods, and not Moses, as the ones who brought them out of Egypt. One departure from the fear of God may lead to incalculable damage.

Israel had indeed exposed themselves to the righteous judgment of God. They had promised obedience to God's law of their own accord, as the condition of blessing. The sprinkling of blood had sealed that covenant — the sign of death as the penalty for breaking it. That penalty they had now incurred. So God no longer treats them as His people.

Moses stood where God pronounced righteous judgment, but he also stood in the very atmosphere of grace. There he could take the place of intercession and prevail, because his plea was the honour of the Lord Himself. This must always be a plea that prevails, because it admits that God's judgment is righteous. Moses can neither excuse nor lessen the people's sin. It is not the place of intercession to do that, because everything before God must be truthful. What comfort for us to know of Christ that He "is at the right hand of God" and "indeed is interceding for us"!

At the opening of this book, when the people were suffering in Egypt, the Lord could say, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows." But now He has to say, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people." An afflicted people is an object of grace; but a stiff-necked people must be humbled. God answered the cry of oppressed Israel with grace; but He must answer the song of idol-worshipping Israel with stern rebuke.

Being stiff-necked refers to the stubbornness of wanting our own way.

They had freely promised to obey God's law as the condition of blessing, and the covenant was sealed by the sprinkling of blood — a sign of death — as the penalty for breaking it. They had now brought that penalty on themselves. So God no longer treats them as His people. They had rejected Him, and had spoken of Moses as the man who brought them up out of Egypt; and the Lord takes them on the ground they have chosen... So if God dealt with Israel by the righteous demands of the law they had accepted, they were lost beyond recovery, and would perish through their own deliberate sin and turning away from Him.

How great was the mercy of God, that He stopped to consider the feelings of His servant in this great crisis. He knew well what Moses would think and want. He already feels the pleading of His dear servant's heart before it is spoken, for He says, "Let Me alone." Israel's sin had brought down on them the righteous anger of a holy God, but intercession mixed mercy with judgment.

That "let me alone" said a great deal. It was God saying to His dear servant, I know you have a true heart for Me and My people. If there had been self-importance in that dear man of God, what a fine opportunity this was! He could have stood up and said, "Well, the people have brought this judgment on themselves. I could not help it, and now God is going to make something of me. I will take it." How lovely it is of Moses: he refuses. He refuses himself. He refused the world when he was in Egypt; that was the first thing, and now he refuses himself.

In Exodus 34:9 Moses pleads, "If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, please go among us, for it is a stiff-necked people." And we know — I know — that sin in me is the ground of my being lost; and yet sin in me is the very ground of my going to God to keep me, now that sacrifice has come in. It shows a wonderful character of grace, its overflowing fullness, to give as the ground of God's being with us what was the ground of judgment — once sacrifice has come in.

They had freely promised to obey God's law as the condition of blessing. The sprinkling of blood sealed the covenant, and that blood was the emblem of death — the penalty for breaking it. They had now brought that penalty on themselves. So God no longer treats them as His people. They had rejected Him. They had spoken of Moses as the man who brought them up out of Egypt, and the Lord takes them on their own ground... So if God dealt with Israel by the righteous requirements of the law they had accepted, they were lost beyond recovery, and would perish through their own wilful sin.

How great was the mercy of God, that He stopped to consider the feelings of His servant in this great crisis. He knew well what the thoughts and desires of Moses would be. He already feels what His dear devoted servant is pleading for before the words are spoken, for He says, "Let Me alone." Israel's sin had called down on them the righteous anger of a holy God, but intercession mingled mercy with judgment.

Was that not a splendid chance for Moses, if he had not been what he was? If there had been self-importance in that dear man of God, what a fine opportunity for him. He could easily have stood up and said, "Well, the people have brought this judgment on themselves, and I could not help it. Now God is going to make something of me, I will take it." I think it is so lovely of Moses — he refuses. He refuses himself. He refused the world when in Egypt, that was the first thing, and now he refuses himself.

He does not for one moment make the sin of the people look smaller — this he could not do. Nor does he ask for mercy, for there was no room for mercy in the covenant of Sinai. So he throws himself upon God, and upon what His glory required for the people He had redeemed... God had said to Moses, "your" people; but Moses pleads that they are "His" people. He will not accept the breaking of the link.

How could Moses alone bury over two million people? Also, would a nation fathered by Moses be any better than Israel? God knew all this, and He knew the heart of Moses toward Israel. But He spoke this way for our sakes. He wanted to draw our attention to the intercession of Moses for Israel, as a picture of the intercession of the Lord Jesus for us even when we fail badly. On the one hand, we must realise how fierce is the anger of God against every evil thing put in the place He alone is entitled to. On the other hand, we are to see the great value of the intercession of the one Man, the Lord Jesus Christ.

What comfort for us to know of Christ that He is at the right hand of God, and that He is also interceding for us. He knows the righteous judgment of God. He knows too the evil of our sin. But His intercession rests on this: He Himself has vindicated the righteousness of God by putting away our sin.

More than once you can see the tremendous power of prayer — tremendous because God gives it. It can even turn the mighty God from His purpose when He means to deal in judgment. Think of that!... But Moses would not let the Lord alone. He would not let God make him a great nation at such cost to stiff-necked Israel.

He wanted to prove and show the heart of His servant. He loved the people Himself, and He delighted in Moses' love for them. If the people were under the test of law, Moses was under the test of grace.

God had said to Moses, "your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt." But Moses said to God, "Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt" (v. 11). He pleaded with God on this basis. God's mighty hand had done that great work. Was God any less mighty now?

He does not for one moment make light of the sin of the people — this he could not do. Nor does he plead for mercy, for there was no room for mercy in the covenant of Sinai. So instead he throws himself on God — on what His glory required for the people He had redeemed. First, he points to the dishonour that would come on God's name among the Egyptians if Israel were destroyed.

He had not had the least involvement in the people's sin. We might expect him to say that he shared God's righteous indignation. This was his opportunity to secure a place of honour: "I will make of you a great nation" (v. 10). Instead, this is what we read. Moses implored the LORD his God and said, "O LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people, whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt?" (v. 11). Instead of condemning, he intercedes for this "stiff-necked" people. This must be a puzzle to anyone honest enough to admit how easily we condemn fellow Christians.

The people had sinned deeply, and God was threatening to disinherit them. How instructive, then, that God shows us the true ground on which to appeal for mercy and forgiveness! That ground is not our need, however great it may be. It is not even repentance, however heartfelt and true. It is the glory of God, the honour of His name, the written pledge of His faithfulness to those who are under the blood. For this He puts away the sins and failures of His own people. We pray, we make our requests, and we ask a Father's forgiveness. But do we take in the full meaning of "for the sake of" or "in the name of Jesus Christ"? Is it just a closing formula in our minds?

God knew all this, and He knew the heart of Moses toward Israel. But He spoke in this way to Moses for our sakes. He wanted to draw our attention to how Moses interceded for Israel. That is a picture of how the Lord Jesus intercedes for us, even when we fail badly. On the one hand, we must realise how fierce God's anger is against every evil thing put in the place that belongs to Him alone. On the other hand, we are to see the great value of the intercession of the one Man, the Lord Jesus Christ.

He does not for a moment make light of the people's sin — that he could not do. Nor does he ask for mercy, for there was no room for mercy in the covenant of Sinai. So what he does is throw himself on God, and on what His glory required in connection with the people He had redeemed. First he presses the dishonour that would be done to His name among the Egyptians if Israel were destroyed. He reminds the Lord of the link made with His people through redemption. God had said to Moses, "your" people; but Moses pleads that they are "His" people.

They were the Lord's people despite everything, and His name, His glory, His oath were all bound up with what became of them. The moment the Lord links Himself with a people, His character is involved, and faith will always look at Him on this solid ground.

In verse 12 he shows his zeal for the name of the Lord, in case its glory should be dimmed in the minds of the Egyptians. They had felt the mighty power of the Lord's arm in the deliverance of His people. Were they now to hear that those He had acknowledged as His people were destroyed too? The proposed act of judgment would be right; but would it have the appearance of being right in the eyes of men?

In verse 13 we have a third thing of great significance. Moses was the servant of God through whom the law was given. Yet he falls back, not on the law covenant — all was lost on that basis — but on the unconditional covenant made much earlier with Abraham, Isaac and Israel. He uses that name, and not Jacob, the name after the flesh. By an instinct given him by God, Moses in his plea left law for grace. On that ground his plea prevailed.

Moses stood in the place of righteous judgment, but he was also in the very atmosphere of grace. There he could take the place of intercession and prevail, because his plea was the honour of the Lord Himself. This must always be a prevailing plea, because it admits that God's judgment is righteous. Moses can neither excuse nor lessen the people's sin. It is not the place of intercession to do this, because everything before God must be truthful. What comfort for us to know of Christ that "He is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us"! He knows the righteous judgment of God. He knows too the evil of our sin. But His intercession rests on this: He Himself has vindicated the righteousness of God by putting away our sin.

God is not a man, that He should repent of His eternal and unchangeable counsels and unconditional promises. Those "are irrevocable." But in His grace He may repent of — that is, not carry out — a threatened judgment, as in the case of Nineveh. We must remember that the Spirit of God stoops to speak in the human way, because of our weakness.

Look at the ground Moses took — the unconditional promises of God's mercy, the grace assured to the fathers. It was impossible for Jehovah to set aside such a plea.

Having followed the references to this covenant, there is one very important remark to make. The prayer Moses made at the time of their sin in making the golden calf gives rise to it. It is this: whenever the Spirit of God speaks of the true hopes of Israel, He points to the unconditional covenant made with Abraham.

God's covenant to take away Israel's sins is sure… As far as the gospel goes, they are enemies — the nation is rejected for now. But as far as God's election goes, they are loved as a people, always and without change. That love is tied not to law, but to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The law offered blessing on a condition: "if you will indeed obey my voice… you shall be my treasured possession." With Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, it was purpose, and unconditional gift and calling. This difference runs through Scripture… The final restoration of Israel will be on the ground of the promises made to the fathers, "for his steadfast love endures forever."

As pointed out earlier, the "stars" were connected with Isaac, the son who guaranteed the unconditional promise God made to Abraham. Both the "dust" and the "sand" go with Jacob, the man who stands for human responsibility. Isaac was the son of promise… Might not these servants have had enough light to see this? If God was going to bless Israel, it had to be on the ground of His unconditional promise, and not on the ground of their responsibility.

God had said to Abraham, "I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven"… Moses had taken hold of that promise and remembered it. After Israel's sin of the golden calf, God says: "let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you." Moses replies, in effect, "Lord, in that case You will have to take back what You said to Abraham."… Moses had no thought for himself. He was devoted to God's interests and to Israel's blessing as His people. Otherwise he would have said, This is a fine chance for me. But look at that man. He declines his own advancement, and reminds God of the promise He had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The prayer of Moses was based upon the character of God — a most important matter in true mediation between God and man. He pleaded for God's people, because they were His. He pleaded because God had redeemed them, and had brought them out from their bonds with His powerful hand. He pleaded because of God's promise to the fathers. He pleaded because the nations might otherwise say that Jehovah was not true to His word. And he pleaded because they were His inheritance, despite their sin and their stubbornness, since He had made them so. Such were his arguments, and he used them while fully admitting the depth of Israel's sin.

They begin with an act of full apostasy, which the seed of Abraham commit while Moses was in the mountain. This forfeited all the blessing promised to them on the terms of their own covenant. So the Lord at once stands against them, disowns them, and prepares to carry out consuming judgment on them. But Moses just as quickly stands for them. As mediator, he pleads the Lord's ancient promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And the Lord repents when He hears the voice of the mediator this way.

The word is similar in both cases, but carries the meanings given to it, and the context decides which one fits best. In the one case it is the Lord in government. The intercession of Moses turns aside His thought of cutting off part of the nation and making Moses (the faithful remnant) into a great nation. In the other it is God in purpose, which is unchangeable.

God is not a man, that He should change His mind about His eternal and unchangeable counsels. Nor does He change His mind about His unconditional promises, which "are irrevocable." But in His grace He may repent of a threatened judgment — that is, not carry it out. Nineveh is one such case. We must remember that the Spirit of God stoops to speak in a human way, because of our weakness.

In verse 13 we have something of great significance. Moses was the servant of God through whom the law came. Yet he does not fall back on the law covenant, for all was lost on that basis. He falls back on the unconditional covenant made much earlier with Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. He uses that name, not Jacob, the name that speaks of nature. By an instinct God gave him, Moses in his plea left law for grace. On that ground his plea prevailed.

The Lord had said He would make a great nation of Moses. But Moses loves his people greatly. He loses sight of himself and sets aside what might be called his own interests. He thinks only of the Lord's glory and the misery of Israel… He does not for one moment excuse the sin of the people — this he could not do. Nor does he plead for mercy, for there was no room for mercy in the covenant of Sinai. So he throws himself upon God — upon what His glory required in connection with the people He had redeemed.

The pleading of Moses is most beautiful and instructive. It is so because in it he was a picture of the great Mediator… The mediation of Moses prevailed. God intended it to prevail… God said to Moses, "your people." Yet the Holy Spirit, in writing this record, says, "His people." Is that not worth noticing? It tells us that the counsels of grace stand firm despite the sins of that people.

We might pause here to ask ourselves how we would have reacted in Moses' place. He had no involvement at all in the people's sin. We might expect him to say that he shared God's righteous indignation… Instead of condemning, he intercedes for this stiff-necked people. This must be a puzzle to anyone honest enough to admit how easily we condemn fellow Christians. In taking the place of an intercessor, Moses became a striking picture of Christ interceding for His people.