Daily Devotions
Exodus
"Therefore the anger of the LORD is aroused against His people...For all this His anger is not turned away; But His hand is stretched out still." Isaiah 5:25
Text: Exodus 32 : 33-35
UNDERSTANDING GOD
Moses may have thought he had a good understanding of the Lord! Of all who walked with God and served Him, none had come this close to Him! Yet, Moses must have felt out of depth as he listened to God’s response to his prayer for forgiveness for the children of Israel.
“Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him
out of My book. Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place
of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go
before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment,
I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.’
So the LORD plagued the people because of what they did with
the calf which Aaron made.”
EXODUS 32:33-35
What did Moses have to go on from this word of the Lord? There were many lessons that Moses need to ponder over!
1. The subject of sin
a) The Book of Life (physical)
Sins are so deadly, a person’s name may be blotted from God’s book of life (This need not be a reference to eternal life though- mercifully)!
b) Punishment of Sin
God reserved the right to punish those who sinned against Him.
i) He would choose the time and place.
ii) His delay in meting out full punishment is the window period for repentance.
iii) Should there be no repentance, then the hardened sinner has no one to blame but himself!
2. The plaguing of the people
This is a reference to God’s expression of general displeasure of the sinful nation. In what form that displeasure was expressed the Scriptures did not elaborate.
3. The Angel of the LORD
This was that special element of hope that Moses and the children of Israel may cling to with all their hearts! God’s full wrath had not fallen on the nation. There was yet hope! As long as they had this Angel with them, all was not lost yet!
For the moment, God wanted Israel to move away from this scene where the worship of the golden calf had taken place! Hopefully, He would reveal what He would do next! The important thing now was to obey this word to break camp and to move on!