BROKEN TABLETS AND BROKEN PEOPLE

Last week we discussed how Moses came back to the camp of the Israelites carrying the Ten Commandments.  As he approached the camp he saw the golden calf standing in the place of worship.  He saw with his own eyes that the people were dancing and bowing down to this golden calf.

Every time I read this passage I think of Matthew 24:15; “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about – the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place. (Reader, pay attention!)  (NIV translation)

Could it be that idol worship is the abomination of desecration that we know will come in the last days?

I wonder.

Is the act of mankind making up his own rules so self-righteous that it is idolatry of the highest kind, that of self worship?

I wonder.

What would Moses say?

Moses became so angry at these people  that he threw the stone tablets down and broke them into a million pieces.

^INTRODUCTION

Welcome to our ongoing, chronological Thursday Bible Study called COME AS A CHILD.  Today’s scripture references can be found in Exodus, Chapter 32.  If you missed last week’s lesson you may review it here:  TWO BROKEN TABLETS; TWO BROKEN HEARTS – LESSON 178 – COME AS A CHILD

 ^{DESTROYING THE IDOL}

When Moses calmed down enough to take positive corrective action over this sinful state of the people; he took the calf and burned it in the fire.

Moses then ground the residue that was left over into powder.  He scattered that powder on top of some water.

Then he made the Israelites drink that water.

^{ADDRESSING AARON’S SIN}

As he was mixing up the powder into the water and preparing it; Moses also addressed the situation with Aaron.

Moses had trusted Aaron.

He had left Aaron in charge of the whole nation.

Had Aaron lost his mind?

Probably through clenched teeth, Moses asked Aaron the obvious question:

“What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?”

^{PLAYING THE BLAME GAME AND MAKING EXCUSES}

So Aaron starts the blame game and begins to make his excuses:

“Do not be angry, my lord, you know how prone these people are to evil.  They said to me, “Make us gods who will go before us.  As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”

This is typical of most human beings.

Have you ever experienced this pattern before when confronting a guilty person with their sin?

First they shift the blame.

Then they try to make you think what happened might even have been YOUR fault.

Then their story usually gets a little blown out of proportion.  Sometimes the details get slightly exaggerated.

“So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”

Yep; then they try to make their acts sound almost supernatural; as if they were led by some spiritual miracle or something and just HAD to carry on the way they did.  The supernatural element of the story is the attempt to make you feel it was out of their control.

But they know the truth.

And God knows the truth.

And eventually; you too will come to understand the truth.

^{MOSES SIZES UP THE FOOLISHNESS OF AARON AND THE PEOPLE}

Moses saw right through Aaron’s ploys of self-defense.  He knew exactly what had happened.  Aaron had let the people get totally out of control and now if anyone saw any of this stuff taking place in the camp; they were bound to become the laughingstock of their enemies.

How foolish could people be?

It was time for Moses to take action that would correct the situation as much as possible.  This could not continue.

Should he punish everyone?

Moses had not actually been there to KNOW who was truly guilty.  How could he know?  At that point Moses must have prayed to God for help and guidance, because what he said next seemed to have come directly from the mouth of God.

^{WHOEVER IS FOR THE LORD; COME TO ME}

So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and yelled out; “Whoever is for the LORD; come to me.”

At that point all the Levites rallied around Moses.

Perhaps these were the men who had not participated in the setting up of an idol.  Perhaps they had not bowed down or worshipped.  But were they innocent?

Hadn’t these men been chosen to serve God before the people?  Had they not stood idly by and let the whole camp commit an abomination before God?

Sometimes doing nothing can be worse than committing the actual sin.

God does not like luke-warm hearts.

I have to wonder what would have happened if all the godly men had stood up and said “No; we will not let this go on inside our camp!”

EARLY CORRECTION CAN SOMETIMES ELIMINATE A LOT OF LATER PAIN

When they were all gathered closer; Moses continued to speak:

“This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says:  ‘Each man strap a sword to his side.  Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’”

First time I read this my heart stood still.

What an extreme requirement.  I couldn’t believe that I was reading those words; and Moses was quoting God in saying them.  After all that talk about mercy and grace and forgiveness; suddenly it is judgment day.

It happens.

Sometime today and before Friday, I hope you will please take the time to read and pray about the scriptures found in Ezekiel Chapter 9.  Especially the following passages that sound so much like these shadows of things that happened with the camp of Moses.  It also speaks to us of the judgement that is coming upon those who do not consider and turn before The Day of Atonement:

Then I heard him call out in a loud voice.  “Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city, each with a weapon in his hand.”  And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand.  With them was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side.  They came in and stood beside the bronze altar.

Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple.  Then the Lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.”

As I listened, he said to the others, “Follow him through the city and kill. without showing pity or compassion.  Slaughter the old men, the young men, and women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark.  Begin at my sanctuary.”

So they began with the old men who were in the front of the temple.  (Ezekiel 9:1-6)

This was an end-times dream/vision that Ezekiel was given by God.  Notice that God asked the messenger/servant to start with the people of his own house.

The scriptures say to us; just as Moses had to say in his day to his people who were waiting; there comes a final time when all mercy and grace and forgiveness runs out and action is taken for judgment and justice. 

This isn’t forged out of hate; it is done in order to bring peace to those who love God and want to do good.

Isn’t that the message of the time of the blowing of trumpets on Rosh Hashanah?  Isn’t that their warning?  Isn’t that the same type of proclamation that Moses is making here; that the time has come for God to balance the books, and the time for patience and mercy has finally run its course? 

Yet to so many of us it seems like such a hard and such an odd task that Moses has requested in a time after he spent pleading for mercy before God for these sinful people.  Now he is telling the portion of them that did not choose to sin to go back and kill the ones who had their hearts set on idol worship.

There are a thousand sermons in that last sentence.

It is amazing to even think that this event actually happened; but we read that the Levites did just as Moses had commanded.

Not one questioned the reasoning of this task.

That day about three thousand of the people died.

And what are the wages of sin?

The wages of sin is death.  (Romans 6:23)

^{BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE}

If only they had made the right choice!

Then Moses said to those who were left; “Today you have been set apart to the LORD, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and He has blessed you this day.”

Sometimes you have to take a stand; even when it breaks your heart.

Just ask Abraham.

Or skip right over Abraham and ask Jesus.  Some decisions though very right are hard.

At the end of this world as we know it; when Christ comes back again to rule and reign and show people in no uncertain terms the very best ways to live; just as Moses returned to the camp with the commandments in hand; there will come a time when all of the learning is over.

God’s ways will either be etched over your heart or they will not.

There will come a time when God will be expecting all of those who have been shown how to live to stand and live it out and be a part of a whole new world.

There will be those who will never change.

Many will always chose to worship the golden calves of this world and the vast millions of these people will expect others to participate in their sins right along with them.  They will still disregard God’s best ways to live and God’s love for His people’s well-being.  They will still be standing in their sins even after every event and transformation of God has progressed throughout time.

These people will be separated out and they will be found unworthy for eternal life in God’s Kingdom.

These wicked, evil people who will never change no matter what; will be judged and sentenced to death.  No atonement will be applied to them; simply because they haven’t asked for nor wanted such atonement.

They consider themselves better than God.

They do not desire to be a part of God’s eternal kingdom; though they have been given a million chances to turn and repent.

Every year when we come to The Day of Atonement; God looks down and seals the fate of these people for judgment.  It was their choice; not God’s.  Christ died for them and offered them a different choice.  He loved them to the death and still they did not choose good over evil.

Sadly, this is one consequence of the time for atonement running out.  Once God has sealed His books; they are sealed forever.  There is no changing or rearranging unless you have been covered in the atonement of the blood of Christ.  He and He alone is worthy to break the seals of the book and open it and read.  It is His blood that blots the sins that might have been written in  the book.  He has offered us salvation.  Everyone has a choice.  Everyone is given an appointed amount of days to decide.

^{FASTING AND PRAYING THROUGH A LONG NIGHT OF SEEKING GOD’S WILL}

Moses must have sat in silence and prayer throughout the long night.

It is a lot the same for those of us who pray and fast on The Day of Atonement.  In that time we pray to God for mercy and forgiveness and guidance for our lives and  often we read the scriptures through the night, discerning God’s will for our lives on the eve of Yom Kippur.   Many of us are in intercession for those that we love who have not accepted the choice of salvation and eternal life with God.

We know the next day will be a huge marker on God’s calendar.

We need to be ready for whatever God decides.

^{PERHAPS AN ATONEMENT IS POSSIBLE}

As he prayed and fasted through the night; Moses probably realized that those who were still alive and with him in the camp were now committed to turning and keeping the ways of God.  Otherwise they would not have been willing to put away the evil of the camp.

There will come a time when many of us will have to be committed to going into battle with Christ.  The scripture says it will be a time of divisions and disagreements.  We read of this here:  

“From now on, five in on household will be divided, three against two and two against three.  They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. ”  Then Jesus said to the crowds “As soon as you see a cloud rising in the west, you say, ‘A shower is coming’ and that is what happens. ” (Luke 12:52-54)

A day is coming when we will all have to face these realities.  Moses was facing his reality after a long night of fasting before God’s throne and seeking His guidance over what to do next.

The next day Moses made another announcement to the people:

“You have committed a great sin.  But now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”

So Moses went back to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed!  They have made themselves gods of gold.  But now; please forgive their sin – but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.”

Don’t you wish you could understand God’s mind?

Don’t you imagine that God would have said to himself; “Blot Moses out of my book?  How could he ask such a thing as that?  Why would I do that?  We have been close friends for so long!  I love Moses so much!  There is NO WAY I’m going to blot this one that I love out of my book!”

Of course we do not know what went on in the mind of God.  This is just my silly imagining; but it was possible.

I remember the first time I read these words in the scriptures and I shook my head in unbelief at the stupidity of Moses!

How could Moses say such a thing to God?

^{WITH LOVE ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE; LOVE OVERCOMES A MULTITUDE OF SIN}

God is love.

Then finally it dawned on me that Moses was counting on God’s love for him to cause God to have mercy on the people.   In other words Moses was saying to God; “if you love me, you are going to have to love my people!”

This is just what Jesus did for us.

He knew we were ALL great sinners but he offered Himself in our place so that God would have mercy on us because of God’s great love for Him.

Did God have mercy?

It depends on how you look at the situation.

He did not kill the people in His great anger; He only struck them with a plague.  We will elaborate on that in a later lesson.

GOD’S TIMING IS AMAZING

As usual; I’m amazed at the way this lesson times out right at the time before The Day of Atonement.

Could the subject be more clear?

God loves all of us so very much.  He wants to forgive our sins and have mercy on our souls and offer us eternal life forever in His kingdom.  All we have to do is believe on Jesus Christ and turn.  That is all it takes to get started off right for the upcoming sacred year.

Christ has offered His life for you.  Why not talk things over with Him and accept the atonement covering that He so graciously offers up for you year after year before God’s throne?

^{BE READY FOR THE DAY OF ATONEMENT WHEN IT ARRIVES ON FRIDAY AT SUNSET.} 

God loves you so much that He died in your place.