Exodus 32-34 today... Exodus 35-37 tomorrow...

Chapter 32: Remember Exodus 20:3-4...
verse 1... How often do I get impatient and try to imitate God's plan on my own?... It's never as good as God's would be if I would just wait, though... and it usually takes longer to fulfill God's plan because we have to first "undo" what I messed up...."come make us gods" (or "a god")-still trying to fill their "God hole"... what "gods" do we try to fill our "God hole" with?... the only thing that ever fills us up perfectly is the one true God, Himself... the words "this fellow Moses", as if he's just some random guy to them at this point? How soon we forget and how fickle we can be!
verse 2... So no argument on the part of Aaron?! Where's the loyalty? Just shows, yet again, that even clergy, and those "called by God" are imperfect... we ALL are (see Romans 3:23)
verse 3... The people obeyed... that kills me!...It does make me think about whether they would have obeyed if Aaron had admonished them(or corrected them in love)? We have a responsibility when we are in positions of leadership, to encourage what is right and holy, and renounce what is evil (James 3:1)
verse 4... this was not an act of passion... it obviously took some time to make so it was premeditated... they had time to rethink this, but didn't... also, God wants His stuff to be made by skilled craftsman (see previous chapters), but the gods of this world will take any old effort... what does this (or should this) tell us about the quality of what (or who) we worship?... and what does this tell us about the effort we should put into worshipping God, who deserves and desires our best (see also Exodus 34:26, among other places)?... I also thought it was crazy that they credited the god that THEY had JUST crafted with bringing them out of Egypt!... How could that god have done it?! They just made it! did they think that they had brought themselves out of Egypt? It is easy to be incredulous and judgemental with the Isrealites, but honestly, how often do we cry out to God for His help, and when He gives it to us, and rescues us, we then forget and forsake Him, and instead of thanking and worshipping Him, we pat OURSELVES on the back?
verse 5... HOW RUDE! this seems like a slap in God's face to me... the study notes asked, "After fashioning the golden calf himself, why did Aaron announce a festival to the Lord (Yahweh)? a. He was trying to turn the people back to God (I don't think so or he wouldn't have blamed them and lied about how it was made-see verse 22-24); b. he felt guilty about what he had done; c. he thought the calf was the Lord; d. the calf was simpy a decoration for the party; e. I'm not sure (this is the one I am going with... any ideas???)
verse 7... God disowns the people already because He knows what they are up to ("... because YOUR people...")
verse 10... interesting that God is still willing to uphold the covenant... but only with righteous seed... I did wonder though, would it have mattered to start over, as men's inclination is evil... wouldn't a few generations after Moses potentially become corrupt again, too?... how do we ensure that our generations are still faithful to God?
verse 12... Does disaster sometimes come because we do not ask God to relent? Because we do not intercede on the behalf of others? What responsibility do we have to do this?
verse 16... I wonder what God's handwriting looks like? What did He write with? Lightening? or ???
verse 18... ahh, but they did defeat themselves, even if they did not know it yet... how often do we bring defeat on ourselves because we refuse to trust and obey God?
verse 19... when the threw the tablets down, I wonder if God was angry or felt justified by this or ???... Do we sometimes try to execute what God had wanted to do anyway? Why? Because we didn't believe God when He said it? It hadn't affected us yet, so we didn't see the need? Does God withhold sometimes so we can understand His point of view better? The Study Notes suggest that maybe the breaking of the tablets (which held the covenant laws) was symbolic of the breaking of the covenant, maybe making it null and void, or at least breaking the Law.
verse 20... "... made the Isrealites drink it."... ok, I just felt like I wanted to say to them "You go, Moses! Serves them right!"... like the phrase "made your bed, now lie in it"... so, that makes me be more humble because I have done this to myself (in various ways) before... and I thank God that He let me because I have grown in character and learned from it... or at least for a time (because I am very slow, I think!)
verse 21... Moses gave Aaron the benefit of the doubt and assumed Aaron at least put up a fight or something... sad that Aaron didn't live up the the assumption he was given.
verse 22... Aaron blames the people but "forgets" his own evil... isn't that just like us to want to shift blame off of ourselves... but, as we read in verse 35, God always knows the truth... why do we even lie? we can't fool God!... but not the first time (see Genesis 3)
verse 24... not quite! (see verse 4)
verse 25... do our actions make people mock God?
verse 26-29... the Levites rallied with Moses and God... these are the future priests... Is this the reason that God trusted them with that important position? Or did this event play any part in that choosing?
verse 27-28... sin leads to death (see also Romans 6:23)... Moses fulfills, in part, what God had wanted to do.
verse 29... do these apply here or clarify at all?: Luke 14:26-27, Matthew 10:34-38, Micah 7:4-7
verse 31-23... When I read this it made me think about those who worship idols even today... we need to pray this for those who do not yet know God, in hopes they will on day renounce their gods and serve only the one true God.
verse 32... why pray this? Was it because Moses didn't want to serve an uncompassionate God?
verse 34... sometimes our punishment it delayed for God's glory, and to be most effective... I wonder if maybe waited to send the plague (verse 35) until Moses was going up onto the mountain the next time, so they would be too ill to get "creative" again in his absence? Just a thought, not able to back it up.

Chapter 33: verse 3... Wow! I hope I never am so disobedient that God leaves me! I think I would rather be destroyed by God then to be gone from His presence (someone once said that that is what Hell is... being totally cut off from the presence of God)... interesting that God holds us His deal even though He can't stand to be around them!... the study notes suggest that time away from God may be for our own good... it asks "Why do you think we have those spiritual dry spells? a. to learn patience; b. to practice listening to God; c. God has run out of things to tell us; d. time to digest what we already know; e. to appreciate the fruitful time more; f. to test our loyalty to God; g. to anticipate the Big Moments"... I don't know if I hold to some of these, but others had me thinking...
verse 5... just obey and be quiet, so I have time to cool off and think, and don't kill you... I've said this to my kids before... I am encouraged in this. :)
verse 7-11... I would rather be with God than among the wicked people, too... the study notes ask "Why would Moses seek God's face at a time like this?"... in reality, do I seek God's face when the times are "wicked"?
verse 11... so Moses saw God? What about verse 20? Did God "veil" His face to a degree or something?... How awesome to speak to God like a friend!... that made me think: Do I treat God like a friend? Do I talk to Him like that? Do I think of Him like that? Do I let Him be my friend? If not, what or how can I change to make this a reality in my life, too? Isn't that what He wants, I mean, doesn't He call us His friends, too (see John 15:9-17, specifically verse 14-15)?... wonder why Joshua doesn't leave the tent? Maybe that is how he stayed pure enough (and not badly influenced by the people) to be allowed to lead the next generation into the promised land (see Numbers 14:30)?
verse 13... this is my prayer, too, and the reason that I am doing this Bible Study... so I can know God.
verse 14... "my Presence"... is this the Holy Spirit?... also, "give you rest"... comforting to remember that we are to find our rest, strength and peace in God, NOT ourselves... see Matthew 11:28... how comforting to KNOW that God is really with you. :)
verse 14-17... Request of our family... Don't go without God, for how else will we be distinguishable enough to be lights for God that others will want to follow Him?
verse 19-20... COOL! :)
verse 21-23... God always protects us. :)

Chapter 34: verse 1... "...which you broke"- this made me smile because I picture God kind of calling Moses out on this... kind of like "ribbing" him, since God had been so angry, and then Moses made a point of pacifying Him, but then, Moses was so angry about the same thing He asked God not to be angry about, and Moses could not contain himself... I see God kind of smiling and poking Moses on this point, like see I told you so, now do you see. :)
verse 11-26 are a repeat and expansion/clarification in some areas of the previous commands God gave (see Exodus 20-23)
verse 15-16... do not let yourself be ensnared by evil practices, by the ways of the world.
verse 17... I heard once that laws are made because of need... you would think that they would have been able to get this one without the need for specification, but then I think back to the lady with the McDonalds coffee, and how now there is wording on the lid "Caution: Hot"...
verse 21... no excuse for not resting! If God requires rest from His work (see Exodus 31), then why would we assume He would allow us to not rest from our work? Isn't He and His will and goals greater than us and ours? (see previous point in verse 17, though) :)
verse 28... Moses fasted 40 days and 40 nights, is that why Jeuss did, too (see Matthew 4, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4)?... Jesus spent this time with God to get Himself ready for the ministry He was about to do, so I am interested to see if Moses has some big stuff coming up...
verse 29... it doesn't mention that Moses's face was radiant the first time He came down from the mountain... why? Was it because of the sin of the people he encountered? It makes me think how sin keeps us from fully experiencing God (in our lives, too).
verse 29-35... see also 2 Corinthians 3:7-18... these verse made me think, how can we not help but be radiant after speaking with God (or being with God)?... He fills us up and His love and joy overflow out of our souls!... ok, now here is a side note that I thought of, but I preface it with the fact that it is just my mind rambling and I have no real biblical basis to back it up, but I thought it was a sweet thought: if being with the Lord makes a person's face "radiant", and children are a blessing from God, then maybe that is why pregnant women "glow", because they've been "touched by the hand of God", and "His face has smiled down on them"? :)

Ok, I've rambled on way too much for tonight, so sorry. Hope you have a wonderful evening!
God Bless,
sandJ