Live-Wire Bible Study - Day 31 - Exodus 32–34 · Philippians 3 - FeedTheGoodHorse
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Day 31: Exodus 32–34 · Philippians 3 · Commentary · Commentary² · Audio
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Exodus 32
When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make gods for us who will go before us. As for this Moses—the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt—we do not know what has become of him.”
Aaron said to them, “Tear off the gold rings from the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” All the people tore off the gold rings in their ears and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from their hand, shaped it with a tool, and made a cast calf.
They said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”
When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it and proclaimed, “Tomorrow will be a festival to Jehovah.” They rose early the next day, offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and sat down to eat and drink. Then they rose up to play.
Jehovah said to Moses, “Go down. Your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned aside from the way I commanded them. They have made a cast calf, bowed down to it, sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.’”
Jehovah said, “I have seen this people. Look, it is a stiff-necked people. Now leave me alone, so that my anger may burn against them and I may consume them. I will make you into a great nation.”
But Moses pleaded with Jehovah his God and said, “Why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a strong hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger. Relent from this harm against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by yourself, saying, ‘I will multiply your offspring like the stars of the heavens. All this land I have spoken of I will give to your offspring, and they will inherit it forever.’”
Jehovah relented from the harm he said he would do.
Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand. They were written on both sides—the work of God, engraved by God.
When Joshua heard the noise, he said, “There is the sound of war in the camp.”
Moses said, “It is not the sound of victory or defeat. It is the sound of singing.”
As soon as he came near and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned. He threw the tablets down and shattered them at the foot of the mountain. He took the calf, burned it, ground it to powder, scattered it on the water, and made the sons of Israel drink it.
Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you brought such a great sin on them?”
Aaron replied, “Do not let my lord’s anger burn. You know the people—they are set on evil. They said, ‘Make gods for us.’ So I told them to bring the gold. I threw it into the fire—and this calf came out.”
Moses saw that the people were out of control, because Aaron had let them run wild, making them a laughingstock among their enemies. Moses stood at the gate of the camp and said, “Whoever is for Jehovah, come to me.” All the sons of Levi gathered to him.
He said, “Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel: Each man strap on his sword. Go back and forth through the camp and kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.” About three thousand men fell that day.
Moses said, “Fill your hand today to Jehovah, each against his son and his brother, so that he may grant you a blessing.”
The next day Moses said, “You have committed a great sin. I will go up to Jehovah—perhaps I can make atonement.”
He returned and said, “This people has made gods of gold. But now—if you will forgive their sin. If not, blot me out from your book.”
Jehovah said, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot him out. Go now, lead the people. My messenger will go before you. In the day I attend to it, I will attend to their sin.”
Jehovah struck the people because of the calf Aaron made.
Exodus 33
Jehovah said to Moses, “Go up from here, you and the people you brought from Egypt, to the land I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will send a messenger before you and drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. Go to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go up in your midst, for you are stiff-necked. I might consume you on the way.”
The people mourned and removed their ornaments.
Moses would pitch the tent outside the camp and call it the tent of meeting. Whoever sought Jehovah went there. When Moses entered, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance. Jehovah would speak with Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.
Moses said, “You tell me to bring up this people, but you have not told me whom you will send. You have said, ‘I know you by name.’ If I have found favor, show me your ways so that I may know you.”
Jehovah said, “My presence will go, and I will give you rest.”
Moses replied, “If your presence does not go, do not bring us up. How will it be known that we have found favor unless you go with us?”
Jehovah said, “I will do this thing also, for you have found favor in my sight.”
Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”
Jehovah said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass before you and proclaim my name. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and show mercy to whom I will show mercy. But you cannot see my face, for no man can see me and live.”
He said, “Stand on the rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft and cover you until I pass. Then I will remove my hand. You will see my back, but my face will not be seen.”
Exodus 34
Jehovah said, “Cut two tablets like the first. I will write the words that were on the tablets you shattered. Come up in the morning. No one is to come with you.”
Moses cut the tablets and went up. Jehovah descended in the cloud and proclaimed the name of Jehovah.
“Jehovah, Jehovah, a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love to thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet not clearing the guilty, attending to iniquity to the third and fourth generation.”
Moses bowed and said, “If I have found favor, let my lord go in our midst, though we are stiff-necked. Pardon our sin and take us as your inheritance.”
Jehovah said, “Look, I am cutting a covenant. I will do wonders. Observe what I command. Do not cut a covenant with the inhabitants of the land. Tear down their altars. Do not bow to another god, for Jehovah—whose name is Jealous—is a jealous God.”
He restated the festivals, the firstborn redemption, the Sabbath, the three annual appearances, the firstfruits, and the prohibition against boiling a young goat in its mother’s milk.
Jehovah said, “Write these words, for according to these words I have cut a covenant with you.”
Moses was there forty days and nights without bread or water. He wrote the words of the covenant, the ten words.
When Moses came down, the skin of his face shone because he had spoken with him. The people were afraid to come near. Moses called to them and spoke with them. When he finished speaking, he put a veil over his face.
Whenever Moses went in before Jehovah to speak with him, he would remove the veil until he came out. When he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, they saw that his face shone. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in again.
Philippians 3
Finally, my siblings, rejoice in the Lord. Writing these same things to you is not troublesome for me, and it keeps you safe.
Watch out for the dogs. Watch out for the evil workers. Watch out for the mutilation. We are the circumcision—the ones who serve by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus, and place no confidence in the flesh—though I myself have reasons for confidence in the flesh as well.
If anyone thinks they have reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the assembly; as to righteousness under the law, found blameless.
But whatever gains I had, I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and regard them as refuse, so that I may gain Christ and be found in him—not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that comes through trust in Christ, the righteousness from God based on trust. I want to know him: the power of his resurrection, the sharing of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may reach the resurrection from among the dead.
Not that I have already obtained this or have already been made complete. I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Siblings, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it yet. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching toward what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Let those of us who are mature think this way. If you think differently about anything, God will also make this clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already reached.
Join in imitating me, siblings, and pay attention to those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. Many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. I have often told you this, and now tell you again with tears. Their end is destruction. Their god is the belly. Their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship exists in the heavens, and from there we eagerly await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation to be like the body of his glory, by the power that enables him to bring everything into submission to himself.
Commentary - Day 31
Exodus 32–34 · Philippians 3
Exodus 32 begins with delay. Moses remains on the mountain. The people gather and say they do not know what has become of him. Gold rings are torn off and brought forward. Aaron shapes the gold with a tool and makes a calf. An altar is built before it. A festival is proclaimed. Burnt offerings and peace offerings are offered. Eating and rising follow. The words once spoken at Sinai are repeated over the calf.
The tablets descend written and engraved on both sides. They are thrown down and shattered at the foot of the mountain. The calf is burned, ground to powder, scattered on the water, and made to be drunk. The camp is described as out of control. Levites gather at the gate. Swords move through the camp. About three thousand fall. Moses returns upward and speaks of forgiveness. He offers to be blotted out. The reply distinguishes between those who have sinned and those who have not. A messenger will go before them. The striking of the people follows.
Exodus 33 places the tent outside the camp. Whoever seeks goes out to it. The pillar of cloud descends and stands at the entrance. Speech occurs “face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.” The people stand at their tents and watch. Ornaments are removed. Moses asks to know the ways of the one who speaks with him. He asks to see glory. He is placed in a cleft of rock. Goodness passes by. The name is proclaimed. The face is not seen; the back is seen.
Exodus 34 begins with new stone cut like the first. The words are written again. The name is proclaimed: compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abundant in steadfast love and faithfulness, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet not clearing the guilty. Covenant is cut again. Festivals, firstborn, Sabbath, and firstfruits are spoken again. Moses descends. The skin of his face shines because he had spoken with him. The people fear and draw back. A veil is placed over his face. When he goes in to speak, the veil is removed. When he comes out and speaks, the veil is replaced.
Philippians 3 names confidence in the flesh in detail: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. These gains are regarded as loss because of Christ. Everything is counted as loss compared with knowing him. Righteousness from the law is set beside righteousness from God based on trust. Sharing sufferings and becoming like him in death are spoken of before resurrection is mentioned. “Not that I have already obtained this,” he writes, “but I press on.” What lies behind is forgotten; what lies ahead is reached toward. Enemies are described by orientation and appetite. Citizenship is said to exist in the heavens. Transformation of the body is awaited.
Shattered stone and cut stone. Removed ornaments and shining face. Gains counted and counted again as loss. Words spoken again. The text moves through breaking, rewriting, veiling, and pressing on without smoothing the transitions, and it continues.
Exodus 32–34 records rupture without softening it. Gold is reshaped into a calf, tablets are shattered, the calf is burned and ground, and swords move through the camp. The tent stands outside; the cloud descends there. Moses asks to see glory and is placed in a cleft of rock; goodness passes, the name is proclaimed, and only the back is seen. New stone replaces shattered stone. The covenant words are written again. Moses’ face shines; a veil regulates exposure.
Philippians 3 names former gains—pedigree, law, zeal—and counts them as loss compared with knowing Christ. Righteousness from law gives way to righteousness from trust. Completion is not claimed; pressing on continues. The text moves through breaking, rewriting, veiling, and remeasuring confidence, and proceeds without smoothing the fracture.
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