Journal Through the Bible: Week 16 Monday

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Exodus 31:1-32:14

Just a few days ago we read about God hosting Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel to a meal on Mount Sinai (24:9-11) and showing them His radiant glory, but now we read where this same Aaron built idols of golden calves for the people to worship when they grew weary of waiting for Moses to come down from the mount. (We often grow tired of waiting for God to "show up," don't we? But He is never late!)

It just goes to show that encountering the true and living God face-to-face is not enough to make someone worship or obey Him. This was also proven in the New Testament when many saw Jesus on a daily basis, witnessed His miracles, and yet refused to worship or obey Him. We really are sinful creatures, aren't we? It amazes me that God allowed Aaron to live after this event. But then, it amazes me that God allows me to live after the way I disobey and worship my own self sometimes. What a testimony of God's mercy and grace!

Does God make any promises in this passage?

• God promised to give the wisdom of metallurgy, crafting jewelry, and carpentry work to Bezaleel and select workmen for the building of the Tabernacle, its furniture, and its attendants.

Are there any references to Jesus?

• Moses is a type of Christ in this passage. He ascends out of their sight for a season and those left below begin to forget that he promised to return at the time appointed by God. 2 Peter chapter 3 tells us that scoffers mock in these days as we await the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Moses is a type of Christ a second time when he intercedes for the people and pleads with God not to destroy them for their deliberate sinfulness. Moses pleads the Abrahamic covenant. Jesus pleads the new covenant!

Are there any references to future (to us) events?

• The willful disobedience of the people who were directly under God's rule, and especially Aaron, remind me of what is written about those who will be directly under the supervisory rule of Jesus during His millennial reign. Many will then choose to rebel when given the chance to do so. Obedience and worship is a matter of the heart and human hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked! 

Does God issue any commands?

• God commanded them to finish the work of building the Tabernacle
• God commanded that the Sabbath day be set apart from all other days
• God commanded Moses to go down off the mountain to the people and threatened to kill them for their sin of using the gold that they were to give for a consecration offering for God's Tabernacle as a desecration offering for their idols.

Note: The genealogy of this passage is fascinating when compared to other scriptures! I wish I could include a family tree diagram. This Bezaleel, the grandson of Hur, was the great-grandson of Caleb, the man who will be prominent in future passages for being one of only two of the twelve spies that insisted that the Children of Israel obey God and take the land! And Bezaleel's grandfather, Hur, is the one who helped hold up Moses' arms in the battle against the Amalekites. He is also the one who helped Aaron attend to the people in Moses' absence. God named Hur specifically as Aaron's helper. This truly was a family following God's leading.