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The exchange between the LORD and Moses in Exodus 32:7–14 follows Israel’s greatest moment of failure, the golden calf incident, Israel’s paradigmatic sin. The people gathered at the foot of Mount Sinai have tired of waiting for Moses to return, and they come to Aaron asking that him to make “gods” to go before them. … Continue reading “Exodus 32:7-14 Commentary by Brian C. Jones”

I suggest we discontinue referring to this text as the “golden calf” incident and begin calling it the “God changes God’s mind at the request of Moses” incident. It is no longer shocking that the Israelites’ impatience while waiting for Moses leads to idolatry. What is shocking is God’s anger and, even more, Moses’ ability … Continue reading “Exodus 32:7-14 Commentary by Shauna Hannan”

In the prelude to the story of the Golden Calf, Moses has led the Israelites out of their slavery in Egypt through the wilderness to Mount Sinai, “the mountain of God” (Exodus 24:13). There the LORD made a covenant of promises and obligations, including the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). The first and most important commands … Continue reading “Exodus 32:1-14 Commentary by Dennis Olson”

The story of the golden calf in Exodus 32 is one of the most complex and dramatic in the entire Bible. The Narrative Lectionary ends in the middle of the chapter, and therefore avoids some of the thorny details that come later in the text, such as Moses’ own anger, the Levite’s slaughter of their … Continue reading “Exodus 32:1-14 Commentary by Sara Koenig”

Tell me, whose side are you standing on? I’m standing on the Lord’s side. Whose side are you standing on? Standing on the Lord’s side. I stand, I stand, I stand, I stand… Growing up, I sang this song in Sunday school and in Vacation Bible School. Even now, after all of these years, it’s … Continue reading “Exodus 32:1-14 Commentary by Karla Suomala”

With the golden calf narrative, preachers have an opportunity to explore with their congregations the stunning, and even surprising, character of God and God’s way with the world. The scene in Exodus 32:1-14 is preceded by Moses going up the mountain to receive “the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment” (Exodus 24:12). … Continue reading “Exodus 32:1-14 Commentary by Amy Erickson”

The people’s idolatry in Exodus 32:1-14 is difficult to read just a week after the lectionary’s had us reading Ex 20, in which God makes a covenant with the people of Israel and gives them the Decalogue to serve as the heart of that covenant. The Ten Commandments established a powerful ethical bond between the … Continue reading “Exodus 32:1-14 Commentary by Callie Plunket-Brewton”

Exodus 24:12–18 has shaped the traditions of transfiguration that we find in the Synoptic Gospels. Placed on Transfiguration Sunday, this passage, which describes Moses’ encounter with the Lord on Mount Sinai, brings the season of Epiphany to conclusion. Thus, in this season of reflection upon God’s manifestation and incarnation, today’s lesson brings us to the … Continue reading “Exodus 24:12-18 Commentary by Frank M. Yamada”

“Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain.” (Exodus 24:17-18a) The setting of this story is spectacular. The sight of a mountain whose highest point … Continue reading “Exodus 24:12-18 Commentary by Callie Plunket-Brewton”

A central theme in the biblical traditions regards the notion of the divine presence. Biblical writers imagined various ways in which God is present with God’s people. For instance, the Priestly writer spoke of the glory of God being present in terms of a descending cloud and a devouring fire. Elsewhere, God is said to … Continue reading “Exodus 24:12-18 Commentary by Juliana Claassens”