In the middle of all this wonderful subject of the building of the tabernacle, suddenly, dreadful trouble enters. When God is working, Satan is sure to stir up opposition.
V.1-6 Had Aaron obeyed what he had been told in Exodus 20:2-52I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; (Exodus 20:2‑5), he wouldn’t have been involved in this affair. From Exodus 11:22Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. (Exodus 11:2) we learn where the people had gotten the jewelry. God purposed that it should be used to build the tabernacle! And when the golden calf is made, they pretend to worship the Lord. And they rose up to play. How awful!
V.7-10 Nothing escapes God’s eye.
V.11-14 Moses graciously intercedes for the sinning people. The Lord accepts Moses’ words.
V.15-18 Moses and Joshua come down from the mountain with the ten commandments written on two stones.
V.19-21 Seeing the people mixing entertainment with their religious idolatry, Moses is angry and smashes the stones, thus saving the life of all the people, for surely God’s holy commandments could never have been brought into the camp. For they were already breaking the first two commandments.
V.22-24 Blaming others and not telling the truth himself.
V.26 Beautiful contrast. These men were willing to separate themselves from the evil. Are we? It was religious evil, remember.
V.32 What love Moses has for the people!
V.34-35 Though the Lord would he gracious, nevertheless punishment must fall.