Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 32:31
And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
31. returned ] viz. to the mountain.
Oh ] Heb. ’nn, a particle of entreaty: Gen 50:17 ‘ Oh, forgive, we pray’; Isa 38:3 ‘ Oh, Lord’; Neh 1:5 (EVV. ‘I beseech thee’).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Exo 32:31-32
If Thou wilt forgive their sin.
Moses interceding for the people
It was a very happy thing for Israel that they had an intercessor. It is not that God needs it. God does not need the intercession of Jesus Christ–Christ told us so. I say not that I will pray the Father for you, for the Father Himself loveth you. And we believe that as the death of Jesus Christ availed for the believers in the Old Testament so did His intercession–that there was an anticipation of the intercession of Christ when Abraham interceded, or Moses.
I. And first let me give you three reasons why intercession is a very high duty.
1. It is a power given to every man to wield–a power of love, a mighty instrument for which we are responsible.
2. St. Paul puts it very prominently. You will remember that, writing to Timothy, he says, I exhort that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, giving of thanks be made for all men. What would we give for love that does not speak in prayer?
3. And you are never so exactly a copy of Christ as when you are praying for a fellow-creature.
II. The privilege of it is exceeding great. Let me mention one or two of the privileges.
1. It is such a beautiful way of giving expression to love.
2. It revives the spirit of prayer in ourselves.
III. Let me give you one or two words of practical advice respecting intercessory prayer.
1. Like other prayer, it must have intensity.
2. It should be accompanied with thanksgiving.
3. Let me also suggest to you that without which no duty is ever well performed–your method with your intercessory prayer.
Of course it must be left to every ones own judgment how to do it. Only, have method, and have a period of the day, one of your stated prayers, which shall be, if not entirely, yet to a great extent, given to intercession. The method will be helpful, and it will give strength to the action, for what we do with design and plan we do always better than that which is left to the feelings of the moment. And amongst the arrangements of prayer it will be well to settle with yourselves when, and where, and how much shall be given to intercession. (J. Vaughan, M. A.)
The forlorn hope
Moses was one of those who had greatness forced upon him, not being capable of pursuing it–the meekest and most retiring of men by nature, while appointed the leader of a rebellious multitude. Immovable as a rock, courageous as David, where the honour of God was concerned, his own honour, in the ordinary sense, was not his care, and for it he seemed to have no sensibility. Happy those who learn to forget themselves, and to have God only in their eye! And shall not God acknowledge and recompense the grace which, flowing from Himself, turns its streams to Him again? Is it not fit that He should distinguish those who withhold nothing from Him; who achieve no honour that they do not cast forthwith at His feet?
2. Look at another attribute of a heaven-formed character. Where among us are the men that have the gift of intercessory prayer in any measure like the Lords servant Moses? Who are they, in a day of general defection and rebuke, that, like Moses, uncontaminated with the sins, unseduced by the errors of their generation, find it their part to ascend alone into the mount, if peradventure they may make an atonement?
3. It has been conjectured by some that Moses here uses the language of desperation, and invokes upon himself the irremediable sentence of final perdition. But when we consider all that this includes in it, of eternal separation from the Fountain of happiness, of alienation matured into enmity, of abandoned association with the cursed and blaspheming spirits of the infernal world, it is impossible that so revolting a wish entered his soul, or that his heavenly spirit, held in the bonds of unchanging love, was violated by the intrusion of so cruel and abhorred a sentiment. It is probable he refers to the declaration made above, that in rejecting Israel God would make of him a great nation. This interpretation is quite natural, for how could his heart sustain the alternative? Could he, so true, so loyal an Israelite, separate his lot from that of Israel? Could he, bereft and bespoiled of the fruit of years of anxious toil, and of faith founded on inviolable promises, accept of this as an indemnification for his loss, or consent to console himself with new projects of happiness, or erect his name and found his greatness on the ruins of forgotten Israel? No; rather let the grave yield him a refuge from such parricidal honours. Life had cost him already too many pangs to leave him energy to commence it anew. It was enough now to be allowed to share the common desolation, and having sustained for a moment the dreaded consummation of his woes, that his life and hopes should be extinguished together. Faithful Moses! Thy interests as well as thy wishes were safe, left for decision at the righteous tribunal of the heart-searching God. ( H. Grey, D. D.)
The training of the missionary spirit
I. The Church contemplative.. Consider the communion of Moses on the mountain with God. No wonder that Moses should delay to come down. When the sublime truths of the Godhead find a lodgment and settled home in our hearts, so that we can treat them as the familiar things of our faith, and not as passing imaginations, we have great confidence towards God. Selfishness is purged out from us, and with selfishness goes fear. The pure in heart see the Holy One; the unselfish see the Eternal Son.
II. The Church militant. The spiritual life is vast and varied; quietism alone cannot express it, even though it be the fellowship of Gods own peace. The change which is wrought in Moses is immediate and startling. He who, alone with God, can venture on remonstrances with God, in the assurance that his pleadings will be accepted; when he sees the turbulent levity of the people, and hears their licentious singing, is transported with indignation. The degradation of idolatry is illustrated in Israels transgression.
1. It is, first, a revelation of the profound unbelief of the people. Moses was unto them instead of God. Speak thou with us, and we will hear, they had said, amid the lightnings of Sinai; but let not God speak with us, lest we die. Here was their first declining, and from this point the descent was facile. Moses instead of God, and a calf instead of Moses.
2. Next, the fatuity of the people is exposed. Ignominious as is their worship, still more ignominious is Aarons stupid account of it.
3. And then there is the peoples permanent demoralization. They are unconvicted by the remonstrances of Moses, unmoved by his earnestness; fear and the darkness of night alone could quiet them. Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting. How different is the sight of sin from our hearing of it: sin as it affects God seems so easily condoned; sin, when it affects ourselves, appears so heinous.
III. The Church sacrificial. The next day displays a new composure in Moses. A graver, wiser man, his conflicting emotions steadied under the constraint of a solemn purpose. He goes to commune with the Lord. The words declare his sense of the wickedness of the people, his feeling that nothing can be said to abate the heinousness of their transgressions. Submission is the only offering which their intercessor can present, and out of the submission comes a trembling hope. There is here the utmost tenderness of a human heart; there is also an absolute resignation to the will of God. They are truly sacrificial words, sacrificial in the self-devotion they bespeak, sacrificial in the force of their appeal to heaven. Some sort of premonition that his sacrificial purpose would not be ratified by God appears in Moses language. It does not mar the sincerity of his self-offering, but the words halt upon his lips in which a simple faith that he could be in the room of Israel would have been expressed. If Thou wilt forgive their sins–; and if not–what? Not, blot me, instead, out of Thy book which Thou hast written!–but, blot me–that is blot me with my people–let me share their forfeiture; I ask no destiny but theirs. It seems to me that one of the hardest lessons which saintly souls have to learn to-day is that they cannot sacrifice themselves for the sins of the world. It is hard, because the sympathy which impels them is so pure and deep; it has so much of the spirit of Christ in it. To the sacrificial Church God is able to reveal the true atonement, to makes us preachers of Him, in whom, according to the riches of His grace, the world may have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
IV. The mystery of the Divine sacrifice. He that is willing, says Christ, to lose his life for My sake shall find it. Moses was accepted for the people in a deeper sense than he had thought of. He was reinstated in his post as leader, his passion of self-devotedness transformed into faith and patience. The qualified blessing of an angel to go before him was changed–as Moses, in his pleading for the people, revealed his undaunted confidence in Gods fidelity, and his quenchless affection for the people–into a larger promise: My presence shall go with thee; and I will give thee rest. And when, emboldened by all the love from God, he goes on to ask for more, there is more vouchsafed him. The Lord declared that He would make all His goodness pass before His servant; and intimated to him that beyond even this was a deep, unutterable secret, which none might rend, but of which, if we could but rend it, we should see the burden to be grace. To such surpassing heights of human efficiency do those attain who are willing to give themselves away. The reward of the Church sacrificial will be victory over the powers of evil. (A. Mackennal, D. D.)
The prayer of Moses
I. We are to inquire to what book moses refers in the text. He says to God, Blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written. I would observe that Moses could not mean the book of Gods remembrance. The prophet Malachi speaks of such a book. Moses must have known that there was not only a moral, but a natural impossibility of Gods blotting his name out of the book of His remembrance. God cannot cease to remember any more than He can cease to exist. And there is another book of God, often mentioned in Scripture, which is called the book of life, and contains the names of all whom He designs to save from the wrath to come, and admit to heaven. It plainly appears by Gods answer to Moses, that this is the book he meant.
II. What was the import of his request, when he said to God, Yet now, if Thou wilt, forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written. Here are two things requested, and both conditionally. Moses prays, if it were consistent with the will of God, that He would pardon the sin of His people in making the golden calf. Now if Thou wilt, forgive their sin. He prayed for the exercise of pardoning mercy towards the people conditionally, because God had seemed to intimate that He intended to destroy them, by saying, Let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against them. Moses had reason to fear that God would, at all events, withhold His pardoning mercy. And therefore to render his intercession more prevalent, and to express his most ardent desire for their forgiveness, he prays again conditionally: And if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written. This was implicitly saying, O Lord, since Thou hast proposed to spare me and destroy Thy people, I pray that Thou wouldest rather blot me out of the book of life, and spare them. If Thy glory require that either they or I must be destroyed, I pray Thee spare them and destroy me. Their salvation is unspeakably more important than mine; and I am willing to give up my salvation, if it might be a means, or occasion, of preventing their final ruin.
III. Whether this petition of Moses, taken in the sense in which it has been explained, is a proper one.
1. It appears to have been perfectly acceptable to God. He did not rebuke him for a rash request, but, on the other hand, plainly intimated that He was highly pleased with his noble, disinterested desire. And since God did not condemn it, we may safely conclude that it was highly acceptable in His sight.
2. It was perfectly agreeable to the dictates of reason and conscience, that Moses should have been willing to give up all his own personal interests, to promote the glory of God and the future and eternal good of his nation. He supposed that the glory of God was greatly concerned in the preservation of His people from deserved destruction; and he plead this as the most powerful argument to move God to forgive and spare them.
3. The petition of Moses was agreeable to the very law of love. God requires all men to love Him with all their heart, and their neighbour as themselves.
4. The request of Moses was perfectly agreeable to the spirit which Christ uniformly expressed through the whole course of His life on earth. He always gave up a less good of His own for a greater good of others.
5. That the prayer of Moses was proper, because it was agreeable to the prayers and practice of other good men. Paul said, My hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. Yea, he did solemnly declare, I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
Improvement:
1. If the prayer of Moses in the text was proper and acceptable to God, then true love to God and man is, strictly speaking, disinterested love. Moses expressed a love which was not only without interest but contrary to interest.
2. If the conditional prayer of Moses was proper, then it is impossible to carry the duty of disinterested benevolence too far.
3. If the prayer of Moses was proper, then none ought to be willing to be lost, only conditionally.
4. If the prayer of Moses was proper and sincere, then those who possess his spirit are the best friends of sinners.
5. If the prayer of Moses was proper and sincere, then none can pray sincerely for any good without being willing to do whatever is necessary on their part to obtain it.
6. If the conditional prayer of Moses was proper and acceptable to God, then the prayers of the people of God are always heard and answered. It is their wisdom as well as their duty always to pray conditionally and submissively; for then they may be assured that their prayers will be graciously answered.
7. If the conditional prayer of Moses was acceptable to God, then the prayers of sinners are always sinful and unacceptable to God. They are not willing to be denied on account of Gods glory. (N. Emmons, D. D.)
The broken sentence
I. The problem with which he had to deal.
1. Their idolatry. The great lawgiver and leader, acting on their request, thereupon withdrew himself into the Divine pavilion, and was absent for about six weeks. At first, without doubt, the people were well content. Better to be temporarily deprived of their leader, than be exposed to those terrible thunderings. But, after a while, they became uneasy and restless. From one to another the word passed, Where is he? He did not take food enough with him to sustain him for so long. And then turning to Aaron, the man of words, sure that neither he nor twenty like him could fill the gap which the loss of Moses had caused, they cried, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us. We may notice, as we pass, the essential nature of idolatry. For in this marvellous chapter we have its entire history, from the first cry of the soul, which betrays a mighty yearning for an idol, to the draining of the last bitter dregs, with which, when ground to powder, the idolater has to drink its very dust. It is an attempt on the part of the human spirit which shrinks from the effort of communion with the unseen and spiritual, to associate God with what it can own and handle, so as to have a constant and evident token of the presence and favour of God. This was the case of Israel. It was only three months since they had stood by the Red Sea, and seen its waters roll in pride over the hosts of Pharaoh. Every day since then Gods love had followed them. But notwithstanding all, they had been carried away before that imperious craving of the human heart which cries out for a sensible image of its worship. Their idolatry, then, was a violation, not of the First, but of the Second, Commandment. They did not propose to renounce Jehovah–that was left for the days of Ahab; but they desired to worship Jehovah under the form of a calf, and in distinct violation of the emphatic prohibition which said, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or the likeness of any form that is in heaven above, or the earth beneath; thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them. This was the sin also of Jeroboam.
2. Their degradation. There can be no doubt that the worship of the calf was accompanied with the licentious orgies which were a recognized part of Egyptian idolatry. As much as this is implied in the narrative. The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. It is an awful thing when a single man throws the reins on the neck of inordinate desire, but how passing terrible it must have been when a whole nation did it.
3. The claims of God. There was every reason to believe that God would exact the full amount of penalty, not because He was vindictive, but because the maintenance of His authority seemed to demand it. How could God maintain His character with His own people without imperilling it with the Egyptians? If He spared the people they would begin to think that neither His threats nor His promises were worth their heed. And if He destroyed them, His glory would be dimmed, and He might seem to have become unmindful of the oath which He swore by Himself to His servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. It would almost seem as if this proposal was like the suggestion made to Abraham that he should offer up his only son Isaac. In each case God tried or tested His servant. But there is this great difference between the temptations of the devil and of God. The former seeks to bring out all the evil, and to make it permanent, as the streams of lava poured from the heart of a volcano; the latter seeks to bring out all the good, and to make it ours; for moral qualities never become ours till we have put them into practice.
II. The emotions with which his soul was stirred. In the mount he acted as intercessor. It was not against the people, but against their sin, that his anger flamed out. Moses anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. Those splintered bits leaping from crag to crag are an apt symbol of mans inability to keep intact the holy law of God. When he reached the camp he seems to have strode into the astonished throng and broke up their revelry, overturned their calf, ordering it to be destroyed, and the fragments mingled with the water they drank. But as it would seem that this did not avail to stay the inveterate evil, he was compelled to use more drastic measures, and by the sword of Levi to extinguish the evil with the life-blood of three thousand men. Then when the next day came, when the camp was filled with mourning over those new-made graves, when the awful reaction had set in on the people and himself, the tide seems to have turned. His indignation was succeeded by bitter sorrow and pity. Ye have sinned a great sin, and now I will go up unto the Lord, peradventure I shall make atonement for your sin; but he did not tell them the purpose which was in his heart, nor the price which he was purposing to pay.
III. The offer that he made. He went quietly and thoughtfully back to the presence-chamber of God, as the people stood beholding. Peradventure, he had said. He was not sure. He felt that the sin was very great. He could not see how God could go back from His solemn threatenings. He was convinced that if the merited judgments were averted, it must be in consequence of an atonement. Yet, what atonement could there be? Animals could not avail, though they were offered in hecatombs. There was only one thing he could suggest–he could offer himself. And it was this which made him say, Peradventure. He could not be sure that the ransom price would be large enough. It may be asked how came he to think of atonement? But we must remember that probably there had already been much talk between God and himself about the sacrifices which the people were to offer. And Moses confessed his peoples sin to God, and added: Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin– He would not finish that sentence. He could not trust himself to depict the blessed consequences that would ensue, if only God would forgive. But the dark fear oppressed him that free pardon was too much to expect. Ah! how little did he realize the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Of course, the offer was not accepted. No one can atone for his own sin, much less for the sins of others. Yet the people were spared. The passing by of their transgression was rendered possible by the propitiation which was to be offered in the course of the ages on the cross (Rom 3:25). (F. B. Meyer, B. A.)
Moses intercedes for Israel
Notice–
I. The sin of Israel. This was a dreadful compound of ingratitude, folly, and impiety. Its greatness will be easily imagined from the indignation which both God and Moses expressed against it.
II. The intercession of Moses.
1. He reminds God of His relation to them.
2. He reminds Him also of His promise to their fathers.
3. He expresses his concern respecting Gods honour among the heathen.
4. He humbly confesses the greatness of their sin.
5. He wishes to be punished in their stead.
III. The reply of God. He remits their punishment. (C. Simeon, M. A.)
The godliness of Moses
The indication of an impetuous, fiery spirit in Moses, only reveals the beauty of the meek patience which marked his life.
I. In the story of the golden calf we see–
1. Mans natural tendency to worship.
2. The Israelites employing the very tokens of their deliverance to build a god for themselves. The very gifts of heaven–wealth, intellect, power–men turn into idols.
2. In worshipping a golden calf the Israelites utterly degraded themselves.
II. The godliness of Moses manifested itself in self-sacrificing sympathy. Fronting death and its mystery, he stood sublimely willing even to be cut off from God if the sin of the people might thereby be forgiven.
1. His revulsion from their sin mingled with his own love for the people. The holiest men ever feel most deeply the sin of their fellows–they see its seeds in themselves; they find its shadow falling across their heaven.
2. He felt the promise of his peoples future. In them lay the germ of the worlds history; through them might be unfolded the glory of Jehovah before the face of all nations. Gathering these feelings together, we understand his prayers. (E. L. Hull, B. A.)
Blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book
:–There are various ways in which this passage may be understood. You may take it quite literally, and say that Moses really would sacrifice himself for a time, or fatally, but not sacrifice himself for ever. Christ made Himself a curse, but not for ever. If it would be possible to make myself a curse for a season for others, I should be within the pattern of Christ–for He made Himself for a season a curse. But I should transgress the boundary, I should go out into a sinful extravagance, if I wished to be accursed for ever–for after all I am not to love another soul more than mine–that is never commanded. And there is to be high measure of right self-love, because the love of a fellow-creature is to be proportioned to the self-love, and if I have no great self-love, I cannot have love to a fellow-creature. Therefore, I must love myself greatly–in the right way. How, then, are we to understand it? When Moses prayed that God would blot his name out of the book, it may have been out of the register of those who were to inhabit the earthly Canaan–that he would give up all the enjoyments of the land flowing with milk and honey, all the promised blessings of Palestine, for the sake of the forgiveness of the guilty Israelites. And if that was it–for securing their eternal happiness he was willing to give up all happiness here, I suppose he would not have been sinful. And I suppose our earnestness should go to that point–that I would give up all earthly happiness so that my child, my friend, my enemy, might be saved. Or, again, it may simply be the language of intensity–the expression of exceeding feeling. But, whichever it be–if you would intercede, it must not be in a light way, it must not be in commonplaces, it must not be superficial and cold. (J. Vaughan, M. A.)
Intercession for others
Never think lightly of this matter of intercession. There is a very light way in which people say, Pray for me, and a very light way in which people answer, Yes, I will. Be careful as to asking the favour, or promising to grant it. You may find it a good rule to promise, indeed, whenever you are asked by any one to pray for them, but to promise with this limitation–I will do it once, I will do it the next time that I am on my knees before God, I will remember to pray for you. That you will be able to do. But to undertake always to pray for all who ask it is a burden of the conscience–a thing impossible. You will have those for whom, doubtless, you do pray continually, and many; but as respects the ordinary request that you will pray, I would suggest to you not to withhold the promise, but with the limitation that you will pray once. For it is a blessed thing to have intercessors. And how blessed a thing it is God seems to teach us in that He has revealed to us that we have the Holy Ghost an intercessor, and the Lord Jesus Christ an intercessor. We have an intercessor always within us, and one always above us. The Spirit maketh intercession for us [and in us] with groanings which cannot be uttered. And here is the comfort–that He that searcheth the heart, God in heaven, knows the mind of the Spirit in the man. The Holy Ghost in the man asks everything that is according to the will of God. (J. Vaughan, M. A.)
Effective intercession
Amongst the many touching and interesting incidents that occurred in Stanleys last journey, there are but few to equal the following:–Stanley had much trouble with his men on account of their current propensity to steal, the results of which brought upon the expedition much actual disaster. At last he doomed the next man caught stealing to death. His grief and distress were unbounded when the next thief was found to be Uledi, the bravest, truest, noblest of his dusky followers. Uledi had saved a hundred lives, his own among the number. He had performed acts of the most brilliant daring, always successful, always faithful, always kind. Must Uledi die? He called all his men around him in a council. He explained to them the gravity of Uledis crime. He reminded them of his stern decree, but said he was not hard enough to enforce it against Uledi. His arm was not strong enough to kill Uledi; some other punishment, and a hard one, must be meted out. What should it be? The council must decide. They took a vote. Uledi must be flogged. When the decision was reached, Stanley standing, Uledi crouching at his feet, and the solemn circle drawn closely around them, one man whose life Uledi had saved under circumstances of frightful peril, stood forth and said: Give me half the blows, master. Then another said, in the faintest accent, while tears fell from his eyes, Will the master give his slave leave to speak? Yes, said Stanley. The Arab came forward and knelt by Uledis side. His words came slowly, and now and then a sob broke them. The master is wise, he said. He knows all that has been, for he writes them in a book. Let your slave fetch the book, master, and turn its leaves. Maybe there is something that tells how Uledi saved Zaidi from the white waters of the cataract; how he saved many men–how many I forget–Bin Ali, Mabruki, Koni Kusi, others too; how he is worthier than any three of us; how he always listens when the master speaks, and flies forth at his word. Look, master, at the book. Then, if the blows must be struck, Shumari will take half and I the other half. Saywas speech deserves to live for ever. Stanley threw away his whip. Uledi is free, he said. Shumari and Saywa are pardoned.
Self-sacrificing devotion
An extraordinary act of devotion is described in the Spirit of Missions, as it was related by Bishop Boone, while on a visit to this country. He said: I had a very valuable Chinese servant in my employ, upon whom I leaned with implicit confidence, and one day he came to me and said: I shall be obliged to ask you to find some one to take my place, as in the course of a few weeks I am to be executed in place of a rich gentleman, who is to pay me very liberally for becoming his substitute–such a mode of exchange, as the reader may know, being in accordance with the law of the empire. I then inquired what possible inducement there could be for him to forfeit his life for any amount of money, when he replied: I have an aged father and mother, who are very poor, and unable to work, and the money that I am to receive will make them comfortable as long as they live. I think, therefore, it is my duty to give up my life for the sake of accomplishing this.
Pardoned, yet punished
The Lord may grant pardon, and yet there is a sense in which He will still plague the people for their sin. The drunkard may give up his sin and become a Christian, and yet come to a premature grave because of his former evil course. The man who has squandered vast estates in evil.doing may repent, but his repentance will not bring back that which he has lost. The boy who spends foolishly the time in which he should be gaining knowledge and virtue will feel the effects of that misspent time all his life. Some opportunities which me have carelessly allowed to slip by unimproved will never come again to us to all eternity. In that sense each of us must bear his own iniquity. (S. S. Times.)
An example of intercession
Said a servant to President Bacchus, The physician said, sir, that you cannot live to exceed half an hour. Is it so? Then take me out of my bed, and place me upon my knees; let me spend that time in calling upon God for the salvation of the world. It was done. He died upon his knees, praying for the salvation of sinners.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 31. Moses returned unto the Lord] Before he went down from the mountain God had acquainted him with the general defection of the people, whereupon he immediately, without knowing the extent of their crime, began to make intercession for them; and God, having given him a general assurance that they should not be cut off, hastened him to go down, and bring them off from their idolatry. Having descended, he finds matters much worse than he expected, and ordered three thousand of the principal delinquents to be slain; but knowing that an evil so extensive must be highly provoking in the sight of the just and holy God, he finds it highly expedient that an atonement be made for the sin: for although he had the promise of God that as a nation they should not be exterminated, yet he had reason to believe that Divine justice must continue to contend with them, and prevent them from ever entering the promised land. That he was apprehensive that this would be the case, we may see plainly from the following verse.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And Moses returned unto the Lord,…. On the mount where he was in the cloud:
and said, oh, this people have sinned a great sin; which to following words explain; he confesses the same to God he had charged the people with in Ex 32:30:
and have made them gods of gold; the golden calf, which they themselves called “Elohim”, gods.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
31. And Moses returned unto the Lord This relation does not stand in its proper place, since, as we have already said, Moses does not exactly preserve the order of time. For we shall see in the next chapter that God refuses with respect to His angel what he here accords; since it is (354) a mere quibble to say that a mere ordinary angel is here promised, in whom God will not so manifest His presence as He has done before. Therefore now Moses briefly records what he will afterwards more fully set forth, i.e., how God was appeased and received the people back into favor, which was not the case until he was commanded to hew out or polish the new tables. And we know that it was a figure of speech in common use with the Hebrews to touch upon the chief points of a matter, and then to fill up, in the progress of the history, what had been omitted.
His prayer commences with confession; for in such a case of wicked ingratitude nothing remained but freely to acknowledge their guilt, so as to look nowhere else for safety in their state of ruin and despair but to the mercy of God; for hypocrites only inflame His wrath the more by extenuating their offenses. The particle אנא, ana, which we have followed others in translating “I beseech,” (obsecro,) is sometimes expressive of exhortation, and used like Agedum, (come on;) here it only signifies what the Latins express by amabo (355) After having anticipated God’s judgment by the confession of their guilt, he nevertheless implores for pardon; and this with extreme earnestness, which is the reason why his address is suddenly broken off, for the sentence is imperfect, as is often the case in pathetic appeals, “if thou wilt forgive their sin.” I have no objection to make if any should construe the particle (356) אם, im, “I would,” (utinam,) still in the vehemence of his feelings he seems to burst forth into an exclamation, “Oh, if thou wilt forgive;” though it may be but a modest petition, “Wilt thou forgive?” for, though the prayers of the saints flow from their confidence, still they have to struggle with doubts and questionings within themselves, whether God is willing to listen to them. Hence it arises that their prayers begin hesitatingly, until faith prevails.
What follows may in many respects appear to be absurd; for Moses both imperiously lays down the law to God, and in his eager impetuosity seeks to overthrow, as far as he can, His eternal counsel, and inconsiderately robs him of His justice. Surely all must condemn the pride of this address, Unless thou sparest the offenders, count me not as one of thy servants; nor can there seem to be less of folly in his attempt to bring to nought God’s eternal predestination. Besides, when he desires that he himself should be involved in the same punishment, what is this but to destroy all distinction, that God should rashly condemn the innocent with the transgressors? Nor would I indeed deny that Moses was carried away by such vehemence, that he speaks like one possessed. Still it must be observed, that when believers unburden their cares into God’s bosom, they do not always deal discreetly, nor with well-ordered language, but sometimes stammer, sometimes pour forth “groans which cannot be uttered,” sometimes pass by everything else, and lay hold of and press some particular petition. Assuredly there was nothing less present to the mind of Moses than to dictate to God; nor, if he had been asked, would he have said that what God had decreed respecting His elect before the creation of the world could be overthrown. Again, he knew that nothing was more foreign to the Judge of all the world than to destroy the innocent together with the reprobate. But since his care for the people, whose welfare he knew to be consigned to him by God, had absorbed, as it were, all his senses, nothing else occupies his mind but that they may be saved, whilst he does not entertain a single thought which interferes with this his great solicitude. Hence it is, that arrogating far too much to himself, he throws himself forward as the people’s surety, and forgets that he is predestined to salvation by God’s immutable counsel; and, finally, does not sufficiently consider what would be becoming in God. Nor is Moses the only one who has been thus carried away; but Paul has gone even further, expressing himself thus in writing after full premeditation, “I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren.” (Rom 9:3.) The fact is, that intent on the welfare of the elect people, they neither of them examine critically into particulars, and therefore devote themselves in behalf of the whole Church; inasmuch as this general principle was deeply rooted in their minds, that if the welfare of the whole body were secured, it would be well with the individual members. Hence (357) the question arises whether it is a pious feeling to prefer the salvation of others to our own? Some being afraid lest the example of Moses and Paul should be prejudicial, have said that they were only influenced by their zeal for God’s glory, when they devoted themselves to eternal destruction; and that they did not prefer the people’s salvation to their own. Even, however, though this should be accepted, still their words would have been hyperbolical; for, although God’s glory may well be preferred to a hundred worlds, yet He so far accommodates Himself to our ignorance, that He will not have the eternal salvation of believers brought into opposition with His glory; but has rather bound them inseparably together, as cause and effect. Moreover, it is abundantly clear that Moses and Paul did devote themselves to destruction out of regard to the general salvation. Let, therefore, that solution which I have advanced hold good, that their petition was so confused, that in the vehemence of their ardor they did not see the contradiction, like men beside themselves. Nor is it matter of surprise that they should have been in such perplexity, since they supposed that by the destruction of the elect people God’s faithfulness was abandoned, and He Himself in a manner brought to nought, if the eternal adoption wherewith He had honored the children of Abraham should fail.
By “the book,” in which God is said to have written His elect, must be understood, metaphorically, His decree. But the expression which Moses uses, asking to be blotted out of the number of the pious, is an incorrect one, since it cannot be that one who has been once elected should be ever reprobated; and those lunatics who, on this ground, overturn, as far as they can, that prime article of our faiith concerning God’s eternal predestination, thereby demonstrate their malice no less than their ignorance. David uses two expressions in the same sense, “blotted out,” and “not written:”
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Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.” (Psa 69:28.)
We cannot hence infer any change in the counsel of God; but this phrase is merely equivalent to saying, that God will at length make it manifest that the reprobate, who for a season are counted amongst the number of the elect, in no respect belong to the body of the Church. Thus the secret catalogue, in which the elect are written, is contrasted by Eze 13:9 with that external profession, which is often deceitful. Justly, therefore, does Christ bid His disciples rejoice, “because their names are written in heaven,” (Luk 10:20😉 for, albeit the counsel of God, whereby we are predestinated to salvation, is incomprehensible to us,
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nevertheless (as Paul testifies) this seal standeth sure, The Lord knoweth them that are his.” (2Ti 2:19.)
(354) “R. Menacheus on this place saith, “This angel is not the Angel of the Covenant, of whom He spake in the time of favorable acceptance, My presence shall go; for now the holy blessed God had taken away His divine presence from amongst them, and would have led them by the hand of another angel. And Moses’ speech in Exo 33:12, seemeth to imply so much.” — Ainsworth in loco.
(355) “Formula (says Facciolati) obsecrantis, vel obtestantis: di grazia, deh, per cortesia.” Elsewhere, it would appear, our translators have always rendered אנא, “I pray thee; or I, or we, beseech thee,” except at Psa 116:16, where it is translated as here, “oh.” — Taylor’s Concordance. “The Scriptures deal but sparingly in such interjectional phrases as the present, and, wherever they occur, they indicate the most profound emotion in the speaker.” — Prof. Bush.
(356) A. V., “If.” Noldius, obsecro; equivalent to the rendering towards which C. inclines. — W. “Vray est que le sens est tel, O que tu leur pardonnes: mais cependant il ne parle qu’a demie bouche, comme un homme angoisse, et s’escrie que si Dieu leur pardonne, il a tout gagne;” it is true that this is the sense, O that thou wouldest pardon them! but still he speaks but half his meaning, like a man in anguish, and cries out, that if God would pardon them, he has gained all he wants. — Fr.
(357) See this difficult subject somewhat more fully discussed by C. himself on Rom 9:3, (Calvin Soc. edit., pp. 335-337,) together with Mr. Owen’s note. If, however, the opinion of many, as stated by Prof. Bush, as to this passage be adopted, and it surely has much show of reason, it is far more easily comprehended than the expression of St. Paul: “There is no intimation in these words of any secret book of the Divine decrees, or of anything involving the question of Moses’ final salvation or perdition. He simply expressed the wish rather to die than to witness the destruction of his people. The phraseology is in allusion, probably, to the custom of having the names of a community enrolled in a register, and, whenever one died, of erasing his name from the number.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(31) Moses returned unto the Lordi.e., re-ascended Sinai, to the place where he had passed the forty days and nights.
Gods of gold.Rather, a god of gold. (Comp. Note 3 on Exo. 32:1.) The plural is one of dignity.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
31, 32. Oh , an interjection that expresses mingled sadness and entreaty . The intercession of Moses in these two verses is much briefer but more striking than in Exo 32:11-13, above . The broken form of expression in Exo 32:32, where the conclusion, or apodosis, is left to be supplied, is not uncommon in the Scriptures . Compare Gen 3:22; Dan 3:15; Luk 13:9; Luk 19:42. The willingness of Moses to be sacrificed for Israel’s pardon is paralleled with Paul’s notable saying in Rom 9:3.
Thy book The chosen people of God are regarded as enrolled or written in a book before God . As the citizens of a community are enrolled in an official list, or the members of a society are registered as such in a book kept for that purpose, so the righteous are supposed to be registered in the book of life, and such registration witnesses their citizenship in the kingdom of God. Comp. Psa 69:28; Eze 13:9; Dan 12:1; Luk 10:20; Php 4:3; Rev 3:5; Rev 13:8; Rev 20:15; Rev 21:27.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 32:31. Moses returned unto the Lord, and said See Deu 9:18.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
DISCOURSE: 107
MOSES INTERCEDES FOR ISRAEL
Exo 32:31-33. And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh! this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold! Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
WELL may it be said, Lord, what is man? Truly his goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away. If we did not see it verified in fact, one would scarcely conceive it possible that man should be so frail and mutable as both history and experience attest him to be. The Israelites were now at the very mount where they had beheld Jehovah shining forth in all his terrific majesty, and had heard him proclaiming in most tremendous sounds his holy law. They beheld also upon the mount that very same cloud, the symbol of the divine presence, which had led them in their way from the land of Egypt to that place: yet, because Moses, when summoned by God to come up to the mount, abode there longer than they expected, they cast off him, and God also; and desired visible gods to be made for them, that they might in future commit themselves to their guidance and protection. It is this, which Moses so pathetically laments in the words before us.
The whole history is very instructive. That we may have a concise, but comprehensive, view of it, let us notice,
I.
The sin of Israel
This was a dreadful compound of ingratitude, folly, and impiety
[The people had already forgotten the numberless mercies which they had received from God, through the ministration of his servant Moses: they thought that they themselves could form an image which should supply the place of all other benefactors, human and divine: and in direct opposition to the most express commands [Note: Exo 20:4; Exo 20:23.], to which they had so recently promised the most faithful adherence, they made a golden calf, and appointed it as the representative of the Deity, and offered sacrifices to it as their deliverer and their guide: yea, so bent were they upon having a visible god to go before them, that they at the very first proposal gave up their ornaments, in order that of them an image might be formed, which they might worship after the manner of Egypt. But most of all are we surprised, that Aaron, the divinely appointed colleague of Moses, should, at the first mention of such a device, assent to it, and be the very person to form the image, and to proclaim a feast unto Jehovah in honour of it: and that, when reproved for his wickedness, he should attempt to justify it by such frivolous and even false excuses [Note: 4.]. Well might Moses lament before God, Oh! this people have sinned a great sin!]
But the greatness of the sin will be more easily imagined from the indignation which both God and Moses expressed against it
[The wrath of God, we are told, was fierce, and waxed hot against the offending people; and he threatened instantly to destroy them. The anger of Moses also waxed hot as soon as ever he beheld their impiety: and the indignation he manifested clearly shewed his opinion at least of their conduct.
First, having in his hands the tables of stone, whereon God had with his own finger written the precepts of his law, he dashed them in pieces before their eyes. This was no rash expression of intemperate wrath, but a holy and significant emblem, representing to them the crime they had committed. God had condescended to enter into covenant with them to be their God; and they had covenanted to be his people: and these tables of stone contained, as it were, the terms of the agreement; and were a pledge, that God would fulfil to them all that he had spoken. But this covenant they had entirely annulled; and all their expectations from God were utterly destroyed.
Next, he reduced the idol to dust, and cast it on the water, that all the people might be compelled to drink of it. This was well calculated to shew them how much they had debased themselves, in submitting to worship that as a god, which they must swallow with their food, and cast off together with it.
But lastly, he made them feel, as well as see, the marks of his displeasure. He called the Levites, who notwithstanding the defection of Aaron had remained faithful to their God, and commanded them to go through the camp, and without favour or pity to slay all the ringleaders with the sword. Thus were three thousand of them punished on the spot: there needed no formality of trial: they were caught in the fact; and the judgment of zeal was deservedly executed upon them.]
That no part of Moses anger was of a sinful kind, or expressed with undue severity, is evident from his tender compassion for the offenders, whilst he hated and abhorred their offence. To elucidate this, we notice,
II.
The intercession of Moses
No sooner did he see how God was displeased with them, than, notwithstanding the prohibition given him, he began to intercede for them
[The prohibition, Let me alone, operated on his mind rather as an encouragement to intercede; because it seemed to say, If you intercede for them, my hands are tied; and I cannot execute upon them my threatened vengeance. He fell down instantly before God, and urged in their behalf every plea which was suited to the occasion.
He reminded God of his relation to them. Though God had appeared to disclaim them in that he had called them Moses people, Moses pleaded, that God himself had brought them out of Egypt, and had signally marked them as his peculiar people. He reminded God also of his promise to their fathers, which, if they were utterly destroyed, would be violated. As for having another nation raised up from his loins, he did not desire that honour: all he wanted was, to avert from this offending people the judgments they had merited. He further expressed his concern to God respecting his honour among the heathen. Lord, what will the Egyptians say? What opinion will they form of thee? Will they not represent thee either as weak, and incapable of carrying this people to the promised land; or as cruel, and bringing them out hither on purpose to slay them? Lord, if thou regardest not them, have regard for thine own honour, and spare the people for thy great names sake.]
After reproving their iniquity, he returned again unto the Lord, to renew, more fervently than ever, his intercession for them
[He confesses humbly the greatness of their sin; well knowing, that for the obtaining of mercy, nothing is so efficacious as humiliation before God. He then implores pardon for them, if pardon can be extended to so rebellious a people. But, if some atonement must be made, and if some signal mark of his displeasure must be given, then he entreats that the judgment may fall on him, and not on them. He desires to be excluded from Canaan, and, as far as relates to this life, to be blotted out of the list of Gods peculiar people, in their stead: that so the enormity of their sin, and Gods abhorrence of it, might be made manifest, and yet the transgressors themselves be living monuments of Gods mercy [Note: It were absurd to think that he proposed to subject himself to eternal misery for them: for this would be more than even Christ himself has done for us.].
What a bright pattern is here of zeal for God, and compassion for men! And how desirable is such an union of them, as will keep us from palliating sin on the one hand, or hating and despising the sinner on the other.]
How far this intercession prevailed will be found in,
III.
The reply of God
God condescended to remit the punishment of their iniquity
[At the very first intercession of Moses, God repented of the evil which he had thought to do unto his people [Note: 4.] ; and, in answer to the last, he renewed his commission to Moses to lead them to the promised land: and, though he withdrew himself from them in a measure, he commanded a created angel to guide them in the way [Note: Compare 4 with ch. 33:2, 3.]. He declared indeed, that, if by a continuance of their rebellions they compelled him to punish them, he would then visit for this sin together with the rest; but, if they were truly penitent, and observant of his will in future, he would remember it against them no more.
What an amazing view does this give us of the condescension of God, and the efficacy of fervent prayer! The prayer of one single person availed for the procuring of pardon for two millions of people, and for Aaron at their head, notwithstanding the peculiar enormity of his sin [Note: Deu 9:20. Read that whole chapter.]: yea, it prevailed at a time when God was so incensed against them as to forbid any intercession in their behalf, and to declare that he would blot out their name from under heaven. Surely the remembrance of this single instance is sufficient to encourage all the world to implore mercy for themselves, and to make continual intercession also for others.]
He declared, however, that at his future tribunal justice should be strictly administered to all
[Rewards and punishments are often national in this world, and consequently partial: sometimes the innocent are involved in the punishment of the guilty; and sometimes the guilty escape without any punishment at all. But at Gods tribunal in the last day no such inequalities will be found: there every one will answer for his own personal transgressions, and stand or fall according to his own personal conduct: The wicked will go into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal. Multitudes in that day will be found, who, in name and profession, were the Lords people: but, inasmuch as they had only a name to live, and were really dead, God will blot them out of his book, and disclaim all relation to them or regard for them. Solemn indeed, and most worthy to be impressed upon our minds, is this declaration of God: it relates, not to that people only, but to all that dwell upon the face of the whole earth. Intercession may prevail in this world for the averting of temporal judgments even from the impenitent: but, in reference to the eternal world, nothing will prevail but personal repentance, and humble affiance in the Lord Jesus Christ.]
From this subject we may learn,
1.
What an evil and bitter thing sin is
[The Israelites might have excused themselves by saying, as the Papists do respecting their images, that they did not intend to make a god of the golden call, but only to use it as the means of bringing the true God more forcibly to their minds. But what would such sophistry have availed them? Would either God or Moses have altered their estimate of the crime, because they chose to veil it under specious names [Note: It is expressly called idolatry, 1Co 10:7.] ? And to what purpose is it for us to extenuate our crimes? We have soft imposing names whereby to conceal the evil of covetousness and sensuality; but does not God declare both the one and the other to be idolatry [Note: Eph 5:5; Php 3:19.] ? Does he not speak of men having idols in their heart [Note: Eze 14:3-4; Eze 14:7.] ? and is not this the essence of all idolatry, to love and serve the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for evermore? We may attempt also to extenuate our guilt, as Aaron did, from our acting under the influence of others, and not designing to do exactly all that we did: but this could not deceive Moses; much less can it deceive God. Moreover, both the people and Aaron might even think that they were honouring Jehovah; for they kept the feast professedly unto him: and when they had eaten and drunk of their sacrifices, they might think it well became them to indulge in mirth. We too may keep our feasts, and fasts, and Sabbaths, professedly to the Lord; and may conclude we have ground for cheerful security: but God may, all the while, be as wroth with us, as he was with them, and may have determined to blot out our unworthy names from the book of life. O that we would duly reflect on these things! O that we would consider that sin, however extenuated by us, is hateful to God; that he sees it wherever it is transacted, and under whatever veil it may be concealed; and that, finally, the time is quickly coming, when he will execute judgment upon all according to their works! Then will sin appear in its real colours; not in the temporal destruction of a single nation, but in the everlasting destruction of all, who have died in impenitence and unbelief.]
2.
How much we are indebted to the Lord Jesus Christ
[The intercession of Moses for the Jewish nation was typical of the yet more effectual intercession of our great Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ. We may in a measure picture to ourselves the benevolent exercise of Moses, whilst the thoughtless Israelites were revelling in security. In that then let us view what has been taking place in heaven on our behalf. We have been sinning against God, a stiff-necked and rebellious generation: and many times has the decree gone forth, Cut them down; why cumber they the ground? But the Lord Jesus, presenting that most efficacious of all pleas, his own atoning blood, has said, Spare them, O my Father! spare them yet another year. Yes; had it not been for his intercession, we should not have been now in this place, but in that place of torment from whence there is no return. O that we might learn to estimate our obligations to him! O that we might go to him ourselves, and entreat him to obtain for us converting grace, and everlasting glory! Were but our eyes duly turned to him, our expectations could not be too large, or our confidence too strong.
But we must remember that nothing can supersede our own repentance: not even the blood and intercession of Christ will avail for those who die impenitent. The declaration of God shall never be reversed, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I (if he die impenitent) blot out of my book. There are two fatal errors which pervade the great mass of nominal Christians: the one is, that they shall be saved by their repentance, though they trust not in Christ; and the other is, that they shall be saved by Christ, though they do not personally repent. But neither of these things can ever take place. The impenitent may be spared for a time; but they shall perish for ever: but the penitent, who believe in Christ, shall never come into condemnation, but shall have everlasting life.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Observe, Moses doth not now presume to say that they are the Lord’s people, but he calls them this people. Observe how he pleads for great mercy, because of great transgression. David uses the same argument in after ages. Psa 25:11 . But was not Moses in all this a type of the Lord Jesus?
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 32:31 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
Ver. 31. Made them gods of gold. ] Sin must not be confessed in the lump only, and by wholesale, but we must instance the particulars.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
returned. Moses’ fifth ascent. See note on Exo 19:8.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
returned: Exo 34:28, Deu 9:18, Deu 9:19
sinned: Exo 32:30, Ezr 9:6, Ezr 9:7, Ezr 9:15, Neh 9:33, Dan 9:5, Dan 9:8, Dan 9:11
made: Exo 20:4, Exo 20:23
Reciprocal: Num 11:2 – prayed Deu 9:27 – look not 2Ch 11:15 – for the calves Neh 9:18 – General Dan 3:1 – made 2Co 12:21 – that I Heb 13:17 – with grief 1Jo 5:16 – he shall ask
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 32:31. O, this people have sinned a great sin God had first told him of it, (Exo 32:7,) and now he tells God of it, by way of lamentation. He doth not call them Gods people, he knew they were unworthy to be called so, but, this people. This treacherous, ungrateful people, they have made them gods of gold.