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| 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 for us gods, who shall go before us, for, as for this Moses–the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what hath befallen him. |
When the people – Having an "evil heart of unbelief." (Heb. 3:12). R3046:3
As our Lord came to his own and thev received him not, so at his second coming professed spiritual Israel did not receive him. R3047:5
They were unable to trust God whom they could not see after his representative, Moses, was out of sight. R5298:1
That Moses delayed – Similarly our Lord's absence was longer than had been expected and many claim that he will not come again. R3048:1
As for this Moses – At this very time, when the people were thus speaking lightly of him, Moses was importuning the Lord for them. R3046:5
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| 2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the rings of gold, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters,–and bring them unto me. |
And Aaron – The weakness of Aaron is very markedly shown in this incident. R3046:6
The golden earrings – Possibly a subterfuge, hoping that by making this demand they would draw back and decline to part with their ornaments. R4022:4, R3046:6
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| 3 And all the people of themselves brake off the rings of gold which were in their ears,–and brought them unto Aaron. |
And brought them – How many, in their worshiping of a sect or denomination, will strip themselves of their most valuable possessions. R4022:5
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| 4 And he received [the gold] at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf,–and they said–These, are thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee up, out of the land of Egypt. |
A molten calf – Symbolizing Churchianity, as well as Mammon, the god of wealth, of money. R4022:6, R3047:3
Shall we, like Israel of old, turn to gods we formerly worshipped-gods of wealth or of pleasure. R5548:3
The Israelites probably recognized the golden calf as merely a symbol of Jehovah, just as the heathen use idols and some Christians use the crucifix as a representation of Christ. R5298:1, R4022:2, R3047:1
It is improbable that the jewelry would have been enough. Perhaps the calf was made of clay or wood and covered over with gold. R5298:2
Pictures the worship of self and the works of self, especially evidenced in Higher Criticism. R5267:3*
The sin of covetousness, the worship of Mammon, the idolatry of money, is the great sin of Christendom, the antitype of fleshly Israel. R1836:1
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| 5 And, when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made proclamation, and said, A festival to Yahweh, tomorrow! |
An altar before it – It is but natural that we should sacrifice to whatever we set up in our hearts as an idol. If we know the things to which one sacrifices his best thoughts, time and influence, we can tell his idol. R4023:2
To the LORD – To Jehovah; showing that the idolatry here was not different from the kind practiced today in some Christian churches where images, pictures, crucifixes, etc. are worshipped. R3047:1, R5298:1, R4022:2
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| 6 So they rose up early, on the morrow, and offered ascending-sacrifices, and brought near peace-offerings,–and the people sat down, to eat and to drink, and then rose up–to make sport! |
Rose up to play – Dances and supposedly lewd conduct, after the manner of heathen. R3047:2
Idolatry is not the blind adoration of superior dignity, but it is wilful and sinful devotion to degrading self-gratification. R1835:6
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| 7 Then spake Yahweh unto Moses-Go, get thee down, for thy people whom thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. |
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| 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them, they have made for themselves–a molten calf,–and have bowed themselves down thereto, and have sacrificed thereto, and have said, These, are thy gods, O Israel, who have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. |
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| 9 So then Yahweh said unto Moses,–I have looked on this people, and lo! a stiff-necked people, it is. |
Unto Moses – Moses was the Mediator of the Law covenant. Christ became the heir of its promises of life and the Mediator of the New covenant. R1725:4
Who acted representatively in bringing the Law covenant upon the Israelites, as Christ acted representatively in removing it. R1725:4, R5046:6
A stiffnecked people – Like an ox, difficult to turn about. R5387:3
Their stubborness will eventually show the mercy of God through his dealing with them. OV120:4
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| 10 Now, therefore, let me alone, that mine anger may kindle upon them, and that I may consume them, and may make of thee, a great nation. |
I will make of thee – Showing how thoroughly Moses was the representative of the nation of Israel. R5046:5
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| 11 And Moses besought the face of Yahweh his God,–and said–Wherefore, O Yahweh, should thine anger kindle upon thy people, whom thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt, with great might, and with a firm hand? |
Besought the LORD – He thus showed himself a worthy type of the great Mediator. R3046:5
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| 12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, saying–For mischief, hath he taken them forth, to slay them among the mountains, and to make an end of them from off the face of the ground? Turn thou from the kindling of thine anger, and be grieved over the calamity to thy people. |
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| 13 Have remembrance of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, thy servants, to whom thou didst swear by thyself, and didst speak unto them saying, I will multiply your seed, as the stars of the heavens,–and, all this land of which I have spoken, will I give to your seed, and they shall inherit it to times age-abiding. |
Remember Abraham – The Jews were not selected because they were holier or better than others, but for their fathers' sakes God chose them. R5917:3
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| 14 So then Yahweh was grieved,–over the calamity,–which he had spoken of inflicting on his people. |
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| 15 And Moses turned, and went down out of the mount, with the two tables of testimony in his hand,–tables written upon, on both sides of them, on this and on that, were they written. |
And went down – His return to the people from Mt. Sinai corresponded to the second coming of Christ. R1836:4
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| 16 Now as for, the tables, the work of God, they were,–and, as for the writing, the writing of God, it was, graven upon the tables. |
And the tables – Representing the perfection of our race as originally created. R2196:4
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| 17 And Joshua heard the noise of the people, as they shouted,–so he said unto Moses–The noise of war, in the camp! |
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| 18 But he said–Not the noise of the cry of heroism, nor yet the noise of the cry of defeat,–the noise of alternate song, do, I, hear. |
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| 19 And it came to pass, when he drew near unto the camp, and saw the calf, and the dancings, that the anger of Moses kindled, and he cast out of his hands the tables, and brake them in pieces, at the foot of the mountain. |
Anger waxed hot – As the Mediator between God and Israel--the representative of both--he had a right to be angry, realizing what a serious crime had taken place. R5298:2, R5547:2
Cast the tables – Type of the Law covenant. D631
And brake them – Representing the failure of the Law covenant by reason of the "weakness of the flesh." D631
Indicating that the covenant was broken. R5298:2
The first tables, prepared by the Lord himself, represents how Adam was created perfect, needing no other law than that which was in himself. But this law was broken and the original tables are shattered and have grown illegible. R5298:6
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| 20 Then took he the calf which they had made, and burned it in the fire, and ground it till it became powder,–and strewed it on the face of the waters, and made the sons of Israel drink. |
in the fire – Symbolizes the destruction of hoarded wealth in the great time of trouble. R1836:4
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| 21 And Moses said unto Aaron, What had this people done to thee,–that thou shouldst have brought upon them a great sin? |
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| 22 And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord kindle,–thou thyself, knowest the people, that, ready for mischief, they are. |
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| 23 So they said to me–Make for us gods, who shall go before us,–for, as for this, Moses–the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what hath befallen him. |
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| 24 And I said to them–Whosoever hath gold, let them break it off, So they gave it to me,–and I cast it into the fire, and there came out–this calf. |
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| 25 And Moses saw the people, that, unbridled, they were,–for Aaron had given them the rein, for a whispering, among their enemies. |
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| 26 So Moses took his stand in the gate of the camp, and said–Who is for Yahweh? . . . To me! Then gathered unto him all the sons of Levi. |
Then Moses – Our Lord is even now standing at the gate calling, as did Moses in the type, "Who is on the Lord's side?" R3048:2
All the sons of Levi – Typical of the "Israelites indeed" at both the first and second advents. R3047:5
Typical of the "household of faith" of the Gospel age. R3047:3
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| 27 And he said to them–Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel, Put ye every man his sword upon his thigh,–pass through and return, from gate to gate, in the camp, and slay ye every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbour. |
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| 28 So the sons of Levi did, according to the word of Moses,–and there fell, from among the people, on that day, about three thousand men. |
About 3000 men – The leaders of the people. R3047:3
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| 29 And Moses said–Install yourselves, today, unto Yahweh, yea every man for his son, and for his brother,–so will he bestow upon you, today, a blessing. |
Consecrate yourselves – Consecrate anew today, not invalidating the consecration made once for all, but re-affirming and emphasizing that covenant. R1281:3
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| 30 And it came to pass, on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye, have sinned a great sin,–Now, therefore, I must go up unto Yahweh, Peradventure, I may make a propitiatory-covering for your sin. |
Sinned a great sin – In their trial of faith and obedience they failed utterly. The covenant was broken. R5297:3
God was greatly displeased with their symbolic representation of himself. R5298:1
I will go up – As Moses went up to make reconciliation for their sins, so Christ, as the High Priest, ascended to make atonement for the sins of the people. R3047:5
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| 31 So Moses returned unto Yahweh, and said,–Oh now! this people hath sinned a great sin, and they have made for themselves–gods of gold. |
And Moses – As God's representative on the one hand, and Israel's on the other, Moses could be the Mediator of the Law covenant between God and that nation. R1725:4, R5046:6
Type of Christ. D630; A79, B255
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| 32 Now, therefore, if thou wilt forgive their sin, . . . but, if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book, which thou hast written. |
Forgive their sin – After punishing them, God renewed the covenant with them. R5297:3
Blot me, I pray thee, out – As Moses here staked his own eternal existence for the benefit of the people, so the life of Christ was staked for the benefit of the race he died to redeem. R4023:5
Moses was a patriot of the highest order: loyal, as Israel's representative, and at the same time loyal to God, whom he also represented. R5298:3, R3048:4
There was not a particle of selfishness on his own part; a very noble character, worthy to be compared to our Lord Jesus Christ, who risked the blotting out of his own life on our behalf. Q537:3
This finds two parallels in Scripture: David weeping for Absalom, "Would God I had died for thee" (2 Sam. 18:33); and St. Paul's words, "I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren according to the flesh." (Rom. 9:3) R4278:2
Of thy book – The book of God's remembrance, the book of life. Q537:3
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| 33 And Yahweh said unto Moses,–Him who hath sinned against me, must I blot out of my book. |
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| 34 Now, therefore, go lead the people to the place of which I spake to thee, lo! my messenger, shall go before thee,–But, in the day when I do visit, then will I visit upon them, their sin. |
Lead the people – Typifying our Mediator, who has actually given his life for us in order to bring whosoever wills back into full accord with God. R3048:5
Unto the place – The Edenic conditions, the land of promise. R3048:5
Their sin upon them – So it will be during the Millennial age. Men will receive stripes or chastisements in proportion as they participated willingly or knowingly in a course of sin. R3048:5
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| 35 And Yahweh plagued the people,–for what they had done with the calf, which Aaron made. |
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