Chapter 21
Exodus 32:19-33:23
During the following day both Sophy and Arthur had often wondered why it was Moses had broken the tablets of stone and the end of the day found them both anxious to know more about it.
“Mother,” began Arthur, “you promised you would tell us more about why Moses threw the tablets of stone on the ground and broke them. Now do please go on.”
So Mother resumed her story.
“It was because the children of Israel had broken that law and Moses was very angry and grieved at the dishonor done to God’s holy name. I think also that God put it into his heart to break the tablets of stone in mercy to His people, because if he had brought them into the camp in the midst of their sin, God would have found it necessary to destroy them. Moses saw the mountain on fire, and knowing how angry God was he thought he would not bring the law into the sinful camp to condemn them utterly. So he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire, ground it to powder and put it in the water from the brook that flowed out of the mountain. Then he made the children of Israel drink it that they might taste the bitterness of sin.
“He said to Aaron, ‘What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?’ Aaron said, ‘They said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what has become of him.’ When Moses saw that the people were naked, for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies, he commanded them, saying, ‘Who is on the Lord’s side? let him come unto me.’ All the sons of Levi went outside the camp to Moses. He said unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’ And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses and they killed about three thousand men that day.”
“Oh, Mother!” exclaimed Arthur sadly. “Did they kill their own friends?”
“I’m afraid so, Arthur, for in this way Moses made them prove that they cared more for God’s glory than for their nearest relatives. He said to the sons of Levi, ‘Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.’ To the people Moses said, ‘Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord: peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.’
“He went up to 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.’ This was putting himself in their place before God. But the Lord said, ‘Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book. Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, Mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.’
“Then the Lord sent plagues upon the people, but because of His great mercy and the prayer of Moses, He forgave Aaron.
“Then God said to Moses, ‘Depart and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it.’ He told Moses He would send an angel before him to drive out the enemies and would bring them ‘unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiff-necked people: lest I consume thee in the way.’
“When the people heard this sad news they mourned, and did not put on their ornaments. The Lord had said unto Moses, ‘Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up in the midst of thee in a moment and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.’ The children of Israel took off their ornaments by the mount Horeb.
“Then Moses took a tent and set it up outside the camp, a long way off. He called it the tent of the congregation and everyone who sought the Lord went outside the camp to the tent. Moses went out to the tent and all the people stood at the doors of their tents and looked after Moses until he had gone into the tent.
“I think the people thought of Moses now as the mediator going in to speak to God for them, for as soon as he entered the tent, the pillar of cloud came down and stood at the door where the Lord talked with Moses. When all the people saw the cloud, they rose up and worshipped every man at his tent door.
“How good it is to see that the people worshipped their own true God again! And it was there the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man would speak to his friend. Then Moses went back into the camp and his servant Joshua stayed in the tent.
“Moses then said unto the Lord, ‘See, Thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and Thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me. Yet Thou hast said, I know thee by name and thou hast found grace in My sight. Now therefore, I pray Thee if I have found grace in Thy sight, show me now Thy way, that I may know Thee, that I may find grace in Thy sight: and consider that this nation is Thy people.’ The Lord answered Moses, ‘My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.’
“When Moses still wondered if he had found grace in God’s sight he told Him not to carry them up unless His presence really would go with them. But God assured him with these words: ‘I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in My sight and I know thee by name.’
“Moses must have been very thankful to find the Lord so good to him again, and His goodness made Moses wish to know Him still more for he said, ‘I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory.’ And the Lord said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee, and be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.’ But God told Moses He could not allow him to see His face but told him where to stand while His glory passed by. He also told him that when He had passed by, He would remove His hand so Moses could see His back parts, though he could not see His face. A sinner could not see the face of God and live; but after He has passed by, we see the beauty of His ways. It is all different now since the Lord Jesus has come and died upon the cross; now those who are redeemed by His precious blood look back and rejoice in the love, the mercy and the goodness of God shown to them.”