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Date: Tue, 5 Mar 1996 10:00:49 +-100
Reply-To: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
Sender: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
From: Teus Benschop
Subject: ChrExp, The Scriptures opened, 73
To: Multiple recipients of list CHR-EXP
Contents
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1. Exodus 32 - The golden calf
2. 1 Peter 3:1-6 - Advice for women
1. Exodus 32 - The golden calf
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Weekly reading: Exodus 30:11 - 34:35
Exodus 32.
1 And when the people saw that
Moses delayed to come down out of They saw that Moses delayed to
the mount, the people gathered come back, and therefore they
themselves together unto Aaron, wished to have gods going before
and said unto him, Up, make us them. Didn't they know then, that
gods, which shall go before us; not Moses was their leader, but
for as for this Moses, the man God Himself, the LORD? Were they
that brought us up out of the so blinded that they looked upon
land of Egypt, we wot not what is Moses as if he were their leader?
become of him. And because Moses delayed, they
wished to have other gods going
before them. We see that they
looked upon a man, and not upon
God. They trusted Moses, but
could not lift up their eyes to
the God of heaven and earth.
2 And Aaron said unto them, Break
off the golden earrings, which How is it possible that Aaron
are in the ears of your wives, of yields to the people's idolatrous
your sons, and of your daughters, wish! But it might be that Aaron
and bring them unto me. meant that they rather kept their
proud finery then that they broke
it off to make a calf of it. So
he dared not resist the people
openly, and therefore tried it
with some policy. Let's learn
from this, that policy has no
place in the service of God,
because then the end will be
idolatrous.
3 And all the people brake off
the golden earrings which were in Aaron was mistaken. They chose
their ears, and brought them unto rather to have the calf then to
Aaron. be adorned.
4 And he received them at their
hand, and fashioned it with a Aaron made a molten calf from
graving tool, after he had made their golden earrings. In Egypt,
it a molten calf: and they said, the idol Apis was worshipped in
These be thy gods, O Israel, the form of a calf. So, the
which brought thee up out of the Israelites seem to have aped
land of Egypt. this. After this was done, Aaron
said that the calf was Israel's
god. He changes the spiritual
God, dwelling in heaven, Creator
of both heaven and earth, and of
the whole universe, with a calf
of gold. Aaron, you introduce
idolatry! You are the first! Are
you a priest of the living God,
or are you a servant of the
adversary? How dare you lead the
people astray!
5 And when Aaron saw it, he built
an altar before it; and Aaron "Tomorrow is a feast to the
made proclamation, and said, To LORD", says Aaron. He tries to
morrow is a feast to the LORD. mix the worship of the calf with
the spiritual worship of the
Lord.
6 And they rose up early on the
morrow, and offered burnt They offered offerings, and then,
offerings, and brought peace after the Egyptian custom, they
offerings; and the people sat ate and drunk, and rose up to
down to eat and to drink, and play. Does then God's worship
rose up to play. consist in playing? How misled
were they!
7 And the LORD said unto Moses, This is the real truth! Any self-
Go, get thee down; for thy made worship is condemned here:
people, which thou broughtest out "they have corrupted themselves".
of the land of Egypt, have Aaron meant to serve both God and
corrupted themselves: the people, but he has corrupted
both himself and the people.
Note also that Israel is no
longer called "God's people", but
Moses' people. God does not say
"My people", but "thy people".
God hereby rejects Israel as His
people. "They are no longer
Mine", He says, "because they
have made other gods".
8 They have turned aside quickly
out of the way which I commanded In the law, given at Sinai, God
them: they have made them a clearly had said that they should
molten calf, and have worshipped make no graven image. And no
it, and have sacrificed sooner they have heard the law,
thereunto, and said, These be thy they make that same forbidden
gods, O Israel, which have image. Have they been deaf then?
brought thee up out of the land
of Egypt.
9 And the LORD said unto Moses, I
have seen this people, and, As the LORD always speaks truth,
behold, it is a stiffnecked so also here: Israel is "a
people: stiffnecked people". They refuse
to observe the law.
10 Now therefore let me alone,
that my wrath may wax hot against The LORD is preparing Himself to
them, and that I may consume consume Israel. He says, "let Me
them: and I will make of thee a alone", that I may consume them.
great nation. So, as long as Moses is still
with God, He will restrain
Himself, but as soon as Moses
will have gone away, God will
consume Israel.
11 And Moses besought the LORD
his God, and said, LORD, why doth Moses is the defender for the
thy wrath wax hot against thy people. He prays for their well-
people, which thou hast brought being, that they may be spared,
forth out of the land of Egypt and not be consumed. His first
with great power, and with a argument is, that Israel is God's
mighty hand? people, and that He has brought
them of Egypt, with might and
power.
12 Wherefore should the Egyptians
speak, and say, For mischief did The second argument of Moses is,
he bring them out, to slay them that God's Name will be
in the mountains, and to consume dishonoured among the Egyptians.
them from the face of the earth? When God should consume Israel,
Turn from thy fierce wrath, and then the Egyptians will think
repent of this evil against thy that God was unable to bring them
people. in Canaan, and therefore killed
them.
13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and
Israel, thy servants, to whom The third argument of Moses is
thou swarest by thine own self, the oath of God to Abraham, Isaac
and saidst unto them, I will and Jacob. Moses does not plead
multiply your seed as the stars on anything good in the present
of heaven, and all this land that people, but he pleads on the old
I have spoken of will I give unto promise given to the forefathers.
your seed, and they shall inherit So, it is not thanks to the
it for ever. present people, that they will be
spared, but thanks to the oath of
God.
14 And the LORD repented of the
evil which he thought to do unto The LORD thought to consume the
his people. entire people, but after Moses'
plea He repented. That is, He was
contented with the death of 3000
instead of the whole people (see
Exod. 32:28). See herein the
undeserved grace of our Lord.
They had transgressed and done
evil in His sight, but He forgave
the sins of multitudes, and
repented of the evil which He
thought to do unto them.
15 And Moses turned, and went
down from the mount, and the two Moses has in his hand the two
tables of the testimony were in tables of stone. One table
his hand: the tables were written contains the commandment not to
on both their sides; on the one make graven images of God.
side and on the other were they
written.
16 And the tables were the work
of God, and the writing was the
writing of God, graven upon the
tables.
17 And when Joshua heard the
noise of the people as they It was written that the people
shouted, he said unto Moses, "sat down to eat and to drink,
There is a noise of war in the and rose up to play". And now,
camp. hear what their playing means:
Even on the mount, Joshua heard
the noise of the people as they
shouted. Their playing was
accompanied by so much noise and
shout, that you could hear it on
the mount. Is this a spiritual
worship of the LORD? Is God
worshipped by eating, drinking,
playing, noise and shouting? Look
how carnal the people were, to
pervert the holy worship of God
into a carnal feast.
18 And he said, It is not the
voice of them that shout for It is not the noise of war or
mastery, neither is it the voice evil, but it is the noise of
of them that cry for being their carnal feast (which is
overcome: but the noise of them worse then war).
that sing do I hear.
19 And it came to pass, as soon
as he came nigh unto the camp, No wonder that Moses cast the
that he saw the calf, and the tables on the ground, that they
dancing: and Moses' anger waxed brake. Even before Moses brake
hot, and he cast the tables out them, the people had already
of his hands, and brake them broken these commandments by
beneath the mount. their calf and their carnal feast
with dancing and shouting.
20 And he took the calf which
they had made, and burnt it in He takes the right measures:
the fire, and ground it to burning the calf. All idols will
powder, and strawed it upon the be burnt, because they are dead,
water, and made the children of take away God's honour, and
Israel drink of it. deserve the fire. He made the
children of Israel drink the
powder of their god, so that they
understood that their god was
dead and drinkable.
21 And Moses said unto Aaron,
What did this people unto thee, When the idol is removed, Moses
that thou hast brought so great a is going to inquire about the
sin upon them? causes of this great sin. We
learn from this to remove the sin
first, and afterwards to inquire
about the causes; not the other
way around.
22 And Aaron said, Let not the
anger of my lord wax hot: thou Though it is true that Israel is
knowest the people, that they are set on mischief, yet Aaron cannot
set on mischief. hide himself under this cloak.
23 For they said unto me, Make us
gods, which shall go before us: This is true. The people asked
for as for this Moses, the man for gods instead of Moses.
that brought us up out of the
land of Egypt, we wot not what is
become of him.
24 And I said unto them,
Whosoever hath any gold, let them Aaron, did you cast it into the
break it off. So they gave it me: fire, and that calf came out?
then I cast it into the fire, and Aaron, you again hide yourself
there came out this calf. under lies, because this is not
true; at least it is but a half
truth. You didn't throw gold into
the fire, and the calf itself
came out. But you have toiled
much to make a calf as well-built
as possible.
25 And when Moses saw that the
people were naked; (for Aaron had The people were naked. They were
made them naked unto their shame without ornaments, but what is
among their enemies:) worse, they also were without the
protection of God. They had
rejected God, and therefore had
lost also His protection. By his
making the calf, Aaron had naked
the people, that they might fall
before their enemies.
26 Then Moses stood in the gate
of the camp, and said, Who is on The sons of Levi were on the
the LORD'S side? let him come LORD'S side. They had not
unto me. And all the sons of Levi participated in the idolatry and
gathered themselves together unto that carnal feast. At least, most
him. of the Levites had not
participated in it. Of Aaron, a
Levite, we know that he also had
sinned.
27 And he said unto them, Thus
saith the LORD God of Israel, Put The Levites are commanded to
every man his sword by his side, "slay every man his brother, and
and go in and out from gate to every man his companion, and
gate throughout the camp, and every man his neighbour". You see
slay every man his brother, and that the honour of God is more
every man his companion, and important than the life of your
every man his neighbour. sinful neighbour, brother or
companion.
28 And the children of Levi did
according to the word of Moses: The Levites suppressed their
and there fell of the people that natural affections for their
day about three thousand men. brothers, and killed about three
thousand of them. Obedience of
God, that is more important then
own affections. Let us subdue
ourselves to God, and willingly
execute His orders.
29 For Moses had said, Consecrate
yourselves to day to the LORD, Why were the Levites so obedient
even every man upon his son, and to God, that they chose to kill
upon his brother; that he may their sons and brothers in the
bestow upon you a blessing this case they also had sinned?
day. Because Moses had promised them
the blessing of the LORD in the
case of their obedience. Justice
and punishing the evildoers is
the will of God. He delights in
that. We should learn to do His
will always and ever, no matter
what the people might think of
it.
30 And it came to pass on the
morrow, that Moses said unto the Moses said the people that they
people, Ye have sinned a great were great sinners, and that is
sin: and now I will go up unto was necessary to make an
the LORD; peradventure I shall atonement for them.
make an atonement for your sin.
31 And Moses returned unto the
LORD, and said, Oh, this people They have put golden gods instead
have sinned a great sin, and have of the living God.
made them gods of gold.
32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive
their sin--; and if not, blot me, Moses so much loves his people
I pray thee, out of thy book that he rather wished to be
which thou hast written. blotted out of the book of live,
than that their sin will not be
forgiven. "Forgive them, o God,
and if not, blot me out of the
book of live". This is the
attitude of a right minister.
Moses was willing to perish
eternally instead of the people.
Where is the present minister
that is prepared to give his own
life for his flock?
33 And the LORD said unto Moses,
Whosoever hath sinned against me, "Moses, I will not blot you out
him will I blot out of my book. of My book, because you haven't
sinned. But the ones that have
sinned against Me, them will I
blot out", says God.
34 Therefore now go, lead the
people unto the place of which I God says that no longer He
have spoken unto thee: behold, Himself will go before Israel,
mine Angel shall go before thee: but that He will give them to
nevertheless in the day when I Moses and the Angel. As for their
visit I will visit their sin upon sins, they are not forgiven, but
them. God delays the punishment. "But I
will visit their sins in future".
35 And the LORD plagued the
people, because they made the The great punishment for their
calf, which Aaron made. idolatry is delayed. This does
not mean that they notice nothing
of their sins for the present,
because God plagued the people.
We have seen in this chapter that the people caused Aaron to make a
golden calf. God is displeased with it, and Moses intercedes. He
breaks the tables of the lay and destroys the golden calf. Further we
heard Aaron's excuse, and we read that the idolaters were slain. At
the end, Moses prayed for the people.
Shortly after the people had received the law, forbidding idolatry,
they committed this very crime. The law, we see, doesn't help.
Obedience is not coming from the law, because we are stiffnecked and
refuse to hear God's voice. We also have seen in this chapter that
atonement is necessary, to wash away the committed sins. The law,
therefore, does not give us life, being hindered by our
stiffneckedness. We have need of atonement, which is given us in
Christ Jesus. The sins of all them that believe in Him, are forgiven.
But if there is any one that still expects life through the law, he
will perish eternally.
2. 1 Peter 3:1-6 - Advice for women
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1 Peter 3:1-6
1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands;
that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be
won by the conversation of the wives;
The apostle Peter says the wives that they should be in subjection,
every one to her own husband. Why? Why should the wives be in
subjection to their own husbands? To please them? No, but that the
unbelieving husbands might be won for the Word of God. Some husbands
are disobedient, and refuse to walk in the ordinances of the gospel.
They don't listen to the preaching and the explanation of the
Scriptures, but go their own way, alienated from God and His people.
If they then refuse to listen to the Word, then they might be
converted by the conversion of their wives, without the Word. When
they see the Christian behaviour of their wives, subjecting themselves
to their own husbands, then they might see and understand that this
conversation of the wives is a result of that same gospel they reject.
Therefore the apostle says "Wives, be in subjection to your own
husbands. Why? That, if any obey not the Word, they also may without
the Word be won by the conversation of the wives".
2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.
They may perhaps be won by the conversation of the wives, "while they
behold your chaste conversation, coupled with fear". Therefore, wives,
behave yourself chastely, and be always in the fear of the Lord. Give
a good example to your husbands.
3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting
the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
Many wives adorn themselves, and paint themselves with several
colours. They consider their natural appearance not beautiful enough,
and therefore adorn themselves. Their natural appearance is given them
by the Creator of heaven and earth, but they despise this gift of God.
They think that too mean, and paint themselves. They, in fact, think
that they better know than God how their appearance should be. But,
says Peter, wives, let your adorning not be like that outward adorning
of plaiting the hear, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of
apparel. Don't think, wives, that your unbelieving husbands will be
won by that outward painting of you. How can anybody be won for the
Word by you, if you yourself despise God's natural gift? Some wear
gold and silver, and if they be not so rich, they wear fake gold. Eye
shadow is sold, and lipstick, together with all kinds of paint, that
they may hurt their skin. They also are loaded with all kinds of
apparel. No wives, in that way you will win nobody for the Word.
4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not
corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which
is in the sight of God of great price.
Let your ornament then not be in the outward things, but let it be the
hidden man of the heart. Let your apparel be in your heart. All
outward gold and clothing and the like is corruptible, but a renewed
heart is not corruptible. Let your ornament be a meek and quiet
spirit. These are the things which are very valuable in God's sight.
Maybe, when it pleases God, through your behaviour and spiritual
ornaments, you may win your present unbelieving husbands for the Word.
5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who
trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto
their own husbands:
After Peter has admonished the women, he continues with the examples
of old. In the old time the holy women have adorned themselves, not
with outward, perishing things, but by trusting in God, and by the
spiritual ornaments, that please God. After this manner the women of
old times adorned themselves. While doing that, they were in
subjection unto their own husbands. Think of the good examples, given
by Rebekah, and Hannah the mother of Samuel, and Abigail the wife us
Nabal. Think also of Esther.
6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters
ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any
amazement.
Sara is another example of the holy women of old times. She called
Abraham her "lord", and obeyed him. Listen to her, when she calls
Abraham her lord: "Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying,
After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?",
Gen. 18:12. Wives, then you do well; and when you are not afraid with
any amazement, then you are Sara's daughters. You should then walk in
her footsteps, and do her works, having also her faith.
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chr-exp@nic.surfnet.nl
"A Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel"
Institute Practical Bible-education
Web: http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/ipb-e/ipbe-home.html
Written by Teus Benschop -- t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl
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file: /pub/resources/text/ipb-e/so: s-open-073.txt
.