I am missing something.

mackenzieyourfriendzie:

dexhere:

Exodus 32

²⁵ Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies. ²⁶ So he stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” And all the Levites rallied to him.

²⁷ Then he said to them, “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.’ ” ²⁸ The Levites did as Moses commanded, and that day about three thousand of the people died. ²⁹ Then Moses said, “You have been set apart to the LORD today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day.”

How can God, the same God that is the loving Jesus, command such a random killing of the people?

The answer space didn’t have enough characters.

I’m going to give you the limited view of this, which has partly been learned from my class which is Exodus/Deuteronomy, and partly my own little spin. I recommend you read with a bible right next to you, so you can look it up as I go through. Here goes.

Pre-killing, Moses was getting ready to go to the Mountain of God, where God would give him His laws. The Israelites, being the stupid people they are, thought it would be good to turn on God multiple times already.

• When God was sending Moses to save them, they followed him at first, but as soon as Pharaoh increased the workload, they cried out against God.


• God did these sweet miracles for the Israelites, also known as the plagues, and when they finally got to the Sea of Reeds to cross, they cried out, asking why God had led them into the wilderness to die.


• God parted the Sea of Reeds, and they crossed, they sang songs of ecstasy and joy (Ex. 15:1-21) and then, in verse 24 “grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What are we to drink?’”


• God made the bitter water sweet, and then in chapter 16 they complained about not having food.


• God sent manna and quail for them to eat, and they were full, then they quarreled with Moses yet again, saying “Give us water to drink” (Ex. 17:2). God gave them water.

So these are the instances that precede this little extravaganza that you have read about, so the Israelites aren’t exactly a flawless people up to this point. In Chapter 19, at Mount Sinai, Moses prepares to go up the mountain to receive the law. There is an ominous black cloud hovering over the mountain, with thunder and lightning (Ex. 19:16). This cloud was there to basically show the Israelites who was boss. You may be saying, they’ve already seen all these miracles, and they’ve grumbled but been saved, why should God prove himself in a cloud? I’m not exactly sure, but I do know that God is once again making it apparent that He is in control of things. No one except Moses is even supposed to touch the mountain, or he will be stoned or shot with arrows (Ex. 19:12) This mountain is where the presence of God is. This mountain is a scary place. The Israelites were shaking in their sneakers (Ex. 19:16). Then Moses leaves the people, and goes up to talk to God. The first words God says are, and I quote, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other Gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.” (Exodus 20:2-4) In Exodus 20:23 is says plainly, “Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or of gold.”

So then we get to chapter 32. What does Aaron do? He makes a golden calf. This golden calf he tries to pass off in verse 5 as the Lord, which would be breaking the command in Ex. 20:4 for the people, but it was originally intended as a god on its own by Aaron, which is a violation of Ex 20:3. So the first two commandments are broken by the leader-in-absence of the Israelites because the real leader is gone for 40 days. Not good. The Israelites didn’t really get it.

(Incidentally, this may never have happened if Moses didn’t avoid God’s first call to Egypt, because God may have been intending to heal his speech impediment, but when Moses refused, he sent Aaron with him. And Aaron was the one who made the golden calf.)

(Another incident. In the following verses of Exodus 32, Moses has the opportunity to have a great nation made out of him, but he refuses. He even offers to have his name removed from “the book you have written” (Ex. 32:32). This marks a stark contrast from him before the burning bush, when he was refusing to lay his life on the line for his people in their oppression. Spending time with God really does change you.)

So now Moses gets back, and tells them “WHOEVER IS FOR THE LORD, COME TO ME.” By refusing this call, have not those running around made a choice to not be for the LORD? If they have chosen this, then are they not against the LORD, and standing in His way? They have been given many opportunities, and it has been shown to them many times. This was the last straw, and it wasn’t even a petty thing.

So if there was any argument that they didn’t know what they were doing, it should be gone when you read what Aaron says to Moses in verse 24. He basically lies to Moses’ face about the calf, saying “Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire and out came this calf.” Aaron knew he was wrong, and even though he was in charge, he didn’t have any special knowledge apart from the people. They all knew it was wrong, yet they did it anyways.

So there it is. The Israelites, after many chances to do right, many signs, and many miracles, screwed up again. God said something about wiping them out and fulfilling his promise through Moses only, but Moses pleaded on the Israelites’ behalf. If you think about it, this fate isn’t too bad of a deal? 3000, as opposed to everyone? I think God was pretty merciful.

And if that didn’t sell you on it, how about this. In the bible, Murder is responded to with capital punishment. Extreme value is placed on human life, compared to other laws of the time, like Hammurabi’s Code, but there were still laws that were punishable by death. Striking and killing another man intentionally, attacking one’s father or mother, kidnapping another and selling them, cursing one’s father or mother. And that’s just in Exodus 21. (Did you catch the cursing one’s father or mother? Is God Israel’s father? Yes.)

In Deuteronomy, basically Moses’ farewell address to the people of Israel as he is about to be taken away and die or whatever it is he does, he reminds the people what they should know before entering the promised land. In Deuteronomy, he gives them the shema, which is still used in jewish services today. It is Deuteronomy 6:4-5, where Moses said, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the Lord is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Shema is the Hebrew word for hear, so in Hebrew, the first two words of this are “Shema Yisrael,” which translate as “Hear, O Israel.” Interestingly enough, Hear and Obey are the same word in Hebrew, so it could also be translated as “Obey, O Israel.” This Shema isn’t light stuff, and it’s meant to be obeyed. The Israelites didn’t really do that when they were worshipping a calf they made of Gold. (Interestingly enough, God INSTRUCTED them to plunder the Egyptians, back-wages for 500 years of slavery, so they took the riches God gave them to make this calf. Talk about a slap in the face. That’s like using your allowance to go out and buy new parents.)

And if that’s not enough for you, how’s this example. You asked “the same God that is the loving Jesus” responding this way. While how about this. In Matthew 22:37-40, “Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heard and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greates commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and prophets hang on these two commandments.”” (Jesus was citing the Shema with his first reference, and the second one he cited Leviticus 19:18).

Basically, Jesus said that loving God was more important than loving your neighbor. If failure to uphold the “loving your neighbor” commandment was punishable by death, than who is to say that failing to uphold the “loving your God” commandment isn’t as well? And they were also leading their neighbors to sin, because each time they bowed down before the calf, or sang to it, there was pressure placed upon the others to follow the norm. Not only were they sinning against God, but they were causing others to do it.

That’s all I got on that right now though. I wish I remembered more from my Exo/deut class, but that’s all I have on the topic. Maybe I’ll be able to talk to my teacher on Friday and ask him, but that’s my last class period with him, so I can’t promise anything.

Muchas gracias. I am no longer missing something.