Because Joseph was favored by his father Jacob, a favor that was divinely inspired and given; all of the faith of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived in Joseph. He was gifted from God. Jacob ensured that Joseph was well educated in all of the ways of the LORD; first and foremost in spiritual knowledge, understanding and wisdom; then in animal husbandry; agribusiness and trading of their day. Because God was preparing, in Joseph, the next leader of His people, Israel; Joseph was given divine intuitive knowledge and understanding along with wisdom far beyond his years. Joseph grew up fast when he was sold into slavery in his youth. In his distress he sought God for all of the answers. Through his trials, God gave him incredible faith and vision.
As the Governor over all of Egypt, with Pharaoh only being greater; Joseph poured all of his knowledge of spiritual matters into his sons and nephews. As the Children of Israel became a mighty people, a nation within the nation of Egypt; they had their rich oral history and faith, engrafted within their hearts and minds, as handed down generation after generation. It was a living faith among the people of bondage when God freed them through Moses.
The Children of Israel were in Egypt for four hundred and thirty years. They knew the gods of Egypt. They watched as the God of Israel used their gods to destroy Egypt. The power of the one true God, the LORD was divinely and powerfully demonstrated to them through the ten plagues poured out on Egypt that never touched a Hebrew, the Children of Israel. They experienced deliverance at the Red Sea; the bitter waters of Marah were miraculously sweetened; daily miracles of bread from heaven, called manna; streams of water poured out of the rock at Massah and Meribah; victory was give over Amalek; experiencing God with them 24/7; in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night; the Children of Israel turned back to idolatry; led by Aaron who had been by Moses’ side and in the presence of God with him from the start!
One of the ten plagues of Egypt was on livestock, specifically cattle; the calf god! While Moses is on the mountain, speaking with God; the people engaged in an abomination before the LORD. They made and worshipped a golden calf. God had to interrupt His conference with Moses, to send him back down to the people to stop them from sinning any further in their fornication of idolatry.
Exodus 32:1-7 ESV When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, "Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." (2) So Aaron said to them, "Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." (3) So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. (4) And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" (5) When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD." (6) And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. (7) And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it.
God was very angry and He wanted to destroy every last one in the camp of Israel and start a new people through Moses alone.
Exodus 32:9-10 ESV And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. (10) Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you."
We see the faith of the man Moses and his love for the Hebrew people of his heritage. He is a man of God’s own character. When given the offer from God to make a mighty nation through him, Moses reminds the LORD of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Israel. He turns the heart of God away from wrath and gets rather bold by saying in essence, “How is the world going to look at you, especially the Egyptian, who will think that you brought your people out into the wilderness just to destroy them?” The LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. Moses then went down the mountain, with the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, to get the people to repent and turn away from their folly.
Exodus 32:11-16 ESV But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, "O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? (12) Why should the Egyptians say, 'With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. (13) Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.'" (14) And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. (15) Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. (16) The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.
When Moses sees the abominations going on; in his anger, he throws the tablets at the base of the mountain and they break into pieces. This was very symbolic of the Children of Israel breaking not only the law, but their covenant with the LORD was now shattered. Moses had been on the mountain with the LORD forty days and nights, without food or water. During that time, God gave him all of the detailed instruction for the priesthood, the Tabernacle and for worship. He returns to see that the people had turned away from God. In his anger, he destroys the golden calf and grinds it to a powder and puts it in the drinking water and makes all of the Children of Israel to drink of their bitter sin. He then calls for those who are for the LORD to come forth and the sons of Levi gather around Moses. He then tells them to take a sword and go through the camp and kill their brother, companion and neighbor. Three thousand were slain and Moses then said to them; “Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day." The next day Moses tells the people that he is going to go and try to atone for their sin.
Exodus 32:30-35 ESV The next day Moses said to the people, "You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin." (31) So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. (32) But now, if you will forgive their sin--but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written." (33) But the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. (34) But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them." (35) Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made.
Heavenly Father, break me and remake me. Remove from me the rebellion of my human nature. Help me LORD and lead me to your blessings, give me your Spirit, your mind and your heart, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Copyright © 2006, 2011 Thomas C. Blake
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