By Authrine Dryden
32 But now, if you will only forgive their sin - but if not, erase my name from the record you have written!”
33 But the Lord replied to Moses, “No, I will erase the name of everyone who has sinned against me. 34 Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. Look! My angel will lead the way before you. And when I come to call the people to account, I will certainly hold them responsible for their sins.”
Exodus 32:32-34
In the courtroom the gavel went down with a loud thud, the charge was read – “Guilty” shouted the judge. The woman slumped down to the floor sobbing profusely, as her son was led out of the room with a look of despair on his face. Yes, he was indeed guilty. He was responsible for the crime he had committed.
Moses is now faced with this situation of idolatry because the people sinned against the Lord. They had chosen to make themselves a golden calf and worship it. Can you just imagine how Moses felt as they challenged his leadership – God’s leadership? Could they not have been patient instead of taking matters in their own hands? It is as if they forgot about how Yahweh protected and provided for them throughout this journey. Now the Lord holds them responsible. Despite this Moses chose to beg for mercy on their behalf. He chose to plead their case before the Lord. In the conversation that ensued, he even asked for his name to be erased from the written record as well, as a punishment for the sin. As noble as the gesture was, the lord reassured him that he will do no such thing.
God wanted his people to understand that he is the one leading them. He set them free. He guides, He instructs, and He informs. He sets the terms of the contract and there has been a breach. “I will certainly hold them responsible for their sins.”
The children of Israel are on a journey from Egypt to the promise land. We likewise are on a journey from slavery of sin to the promised land of eternity with Jesus. So it is that God wants us to understand that he will still hold us responsible for what we have done. [what a man sows he shall reap – Gal 6:7-9] It is very important for us to immediately take responsibility for our sins and seek his forgiveness. It is also important to trust him and obey his spirit, so we do not yield to temptation. As well as learn from the experiences that we read of here. The Lord holds us responsible. There are consequences to our actions, and we should be mindful to obey.
Ask – Why is it important for the children of Israel to follow the Lord’s instructions?
Seek – What instructions have you been given and how are you obeying it today?
Knock – Let us now pray that our choices will be carefully considered before we act on them.
(Upper Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels)
(Inner Photo by Bill Oxford on Unsplash)
