EXODUS
CHAPTER 32
Aaron makes a golden calf, which Israel worships—Moses serves as a mediator between God and rebellious Israel—Moses breaks the tablets of stone—Levites slay about 3000 rebels—Moses pleads and intercedes for the people.
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, [ Create for us a God that we can see. We cannot see what is going on upon the mountain and we want to be able to see our God. So in a way the people want a designer God, one that fits what they want, they do not want to be told what to do but want to define the parameters of God and what he expects of them. A completely different take from what God really wants of them. And was this not want God and Moses were really trying to do with the people themselves "make them gods" through sanctification back in Ex 19. They cannot seem to get Egypt out from Israel, even though Israel is out of Egypt. ] 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. [ some of the people (Men) approach Aaron and what to do something since they have no idea where Moses is or if he will return. Notice how quickly they have left the Lord in less than 40 days. We are only surviving here by gathering manna every morn and we are just surviving, and Moses has been on the mountain 40 days and has no food and with all of the thunder and lighting and smoke and fire well he most likely is not going to be returning.]
2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. [ It appears as if he is talking to a group of men as he tells them to go back to their wives, daughters, and sons and get their gold earrings. ]
3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings 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, [ In Hebrew this reads "These be thy Elohem". So while we often jump to conclusions that they were trying to make pagan Gods that maybe they were really trying to make a God the represented the God of Moses. If the were sacrificing young calves to represent the son of God why not make a golden Bull to represent God himself. The Father of the son. ] 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. [ Verse 4 & 5 Read slightly different in Hebrew:
And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graven tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy Elohem, 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 day to Jehovah [ Note the name of the person to whom the offerring is to be made, Jehovah. So to me this suggests that they are trying to worship the God that delivered them out of Egypt, by they are lost in how to do it. Since they did not come up with some name for some strange pagan God, no they used Jehivah. ] .
It appears that Aaron has not made an image of some pagan God, but rather has something to do with the God of Israel. Note to redeem Aaron. It iwas typical in semitic cultures (Which Israel is a part of) to portray the throne of God as an animal. The animals used ranged from cattle to lions, bulls... So the idea was that the speed or strength of the animal was a characteristic of God. So they would have been building a throne for God in this passage not replacing God with a idol. It has nothing to do with pagan Gods at all (Old Test Round Table* KBYU Episode 113). Aaron is making a mistake of using this golden calf in a worship service, and maybe even making the calf in the first place to represent the throne of God - but he is not worshiping the calf. ]
6 And they rose 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.
[ To laugh, to mock, to sport. Eating drinking and being merry. ]
7 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, [ Moses is still on the mountain at this point. ] Go, get thee down; for thy people, [ Note that God does not refer to them as his people, rather he says Moses's people. Why because they are not behaving like his people. ] which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:
8 They have turned aside quickly [ It took less than 40 days for them to wander off of the covenant path that they were on. ] out of the way which I commanded them: [ Don't make any graven image, he did not say it was ok to do it if a representation of him, he said NO graven image - period. ] : 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 stiffnecked people:[ Necks so stiff that they will neither bow down to God or look up to God. ]
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.[ I will wipe them out and we can start all over again like I did with Noah. We need to remember how this whole discussion here started. Do you think that the Lord is trying to make Moses an effective minister for the people, by causing Moses to interceed in behalf of the people. ]
11 And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, [ Note how Moses changes it back to thy people. Look you just called me to be the leader, I have done what you asked me to do, I am not their father you are. Moses is putting it all back into Gods hands. ] 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 slay 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.
[ In the JST it says that the people will repent of this evil. So spare them. Remember that Moses has complained a little for the people's responses. I am sure that when the Lord told Moses that he needed to go back down the mountain again because the people were not behaving that Moses most likely murmured a little. So the Lord is testing Moses a little as well by suggesting that I will rein down nothing but justice on this people, and Moses suggests that we need to give them time. ]
13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, [ You made a covenant with them so you cannot go back on your word. Do you really think that God is suggesting that? No way. ] and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.
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.[ God's work and word set in stone. ]
17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, [ So Joshua has been faithful as he has maned his post at the bottom of the mountain for the 40 days and nights just as he was asked to do by Moses when he ascended the mountain. ] There is a noise of war in the camp.
18 And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, [ It does not sound like the voice of those trying to master the commands at their hand the one's already given them. ] neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: < [ Neither do their voices suggest that they are overcome by the natural man, that they are not following as they have been commanded. There is no remorse for their consequence.] but the noise of them that sing do I hear.[ The idea that they will eat drink and make merry. ]
19 ¶ And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. [ He broke all 10 commandments at the same time. haha. ]
20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.
21 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 hot: thou knowest the people, that they are bset 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 wot not what is become of him.
24 And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.
[ Yea right. You just threw some Gold into the fire and out came a golden calf, sorry not going to happen. You need to take some responsibility Aaron. ]
25 ¶ And when Moses saw that the people were naked; [ This word here means out of control, un-restrained, let loose. ] (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among 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 sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. [ Moses came down off Mount Sinai after 40 days to find Aaron and the people having a disco around the golden calf. After a day or so, Moses came back and sought to bring order and control back into the ranks, and he wanted to know who was going to be on the Lord's side. So he asked the people - Who is on the Lords side. Of all of the tribes of Israel only the Levites answered the challenge to be on the Lord's side. The other tribes withdrew of their own free will and choice. This is what is spoken about in D&C 84:23 "the people needed to be on the Lords side, and they needed to sanctify themselves if they were going to receive the higher priesthood". The tribe of Levi are the ones who are rewarded in verse 29. ]
27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. [ You cannot show compassion on one or another just because they are your brother or your friend. The administration has to be consistent. ]
28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. [ The Levites then move through the nation, killing about 3,000 Israelites who were
worshiping the idol. The administering of the consequence of those who would not repent. There are times when God has to weed out the unjust, as without it the unjust will bring more and more down faster, and here God is trying to save Israel. If he allows the un-repentant to go freely through out the camp the will of God will not come to pass over time. It will be back to the days of Noah. Because of their zeal for the Lord, Levi is set apart from the
rest of the nation. The Levites are given the responsibility for
the tabernacle, sacrifices, and all things worship in the nation.
(Numbers 18:19–20). ]
29 For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day. [ Today you have consecrate yourself as you have done as you were commanded to do. You put God first. So what did God do with them as a result? And the blessing that God bestowed on the tribe of Levi was he gave them the priesthood and the responsibilities thereof. (Numbers 3:6-12; 8:15) ]
30 ¶ And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses 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 Moses 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—; [ Mercy will you show mercy. ] and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. [ If you will not show compassion and mercy to them them put the burden and punishment on me. ]
33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. [ Sorry Moses but they must learn that they are accountable for themselves. If they will repent it will be well, however if they will not then they will be held accountable by me. ]
34 Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: [ Think about this. God wanted to have the people accept the ordinances of the Melchizedek priesthood. But they did not want too. So God says here Moses, where I have lead the people personally to this point, going forward They did not accept me to do that; so I will send my angels in my stead to lead them. (Aaronic priesthood is the administering of angels, verses Melchizedek which is face to face with God - see the difference. ) ] nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. [ If they do not repent then they will own their own sin on judgement day. ]